Lutherna View of Church and State

LESSON ONE

2007-2008

SANCTIFICATION

I. Justification

A. Prior class/lessons on “Justification”.

B. This class presupposes “justified”.

C. “Cause” and “Effect”.

1. Connect.

2. Not merge.

D. Source of Material:

II. Sanctification

A. 2Th 2:13. (Gk: en hagiasmōi)

1. Here, used in wider sense.

2. Comprehends the entire work of the Holy Spirit, by which He leads the sinner unto eternal life.

B. 1Th 4:3. (Gk: ho hagiasmos)

1. Narrower sense.

2. Obviously refers to:

a. That part or phase of the Spirit’s work,

b. By which Spirit incites and directs believers to lead a godly life.

C. Distinguish between the justifying and sanctifying power of faith.

D. Spirit makes believers temples of God.

1. Ro 8:9-11.

2. 1Co 3:16.

3. Gal 2:20.

4. Ro 15:13 - Christian living based on the hope we have in Christ.

III. Why “study” sanctification? (p. ix)

A. Current “evangelical” trends: reaching a “me first” age by preaching a subjective gospel.

B. Avoidance of “works righteousness”.

C. Being who we truly are in Christ.

IV. American Christianity today: A focus on life style. (p. 1)

A. Resurgence of religious right as a force in theological world.

1. “Fundamentalists”.

a. Once scorned; a source of embarrassment.

b. Now actively in intellectual debate with opponents.

c. Politics.

d. Challenge to “liberalism” of the 1960’s.

2. “New Evangelicals” as the Fundamentalists prefer to call themselves.

a. Lutherans among the first to wear adjective “evangelical”.

b. Opponents thought Lutherans stressed the good news (“evangel”) too much.

c. “Evangelical” theology today.

(1) Positives:

(a) focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

(b) view of the authority and reliability of Scripture.

(2) Difficulties:

(a) unscriptural emphasis on personal decision in conversion.

(b) spotlight on human experience instead of God’s action.

(3) Only a broad “stroke”.

(4) Is a “movement” with appearance of more form than substance, more style than content.

B. Serious force upon our people.

1. They have effectively used “image advertising”.

2. “Catechism replaced by conferences on life style”. (p. 3)

3. Perhaps a greater threat than liberalism (e.g. historical critics and followers) because sounds so “biblical”.

C. How do we account for this surge in popularity? (p. 5)

1. Threats against our existence (e.g. nukes, terrorists, AIDS, etc.)

2. Millennial view of many offers some sense in world out of control.

3. Personal issues.

a. Divorce.

b. High mobility.

c. Distance within extended families.

d. Isolation (e.g. VCR’s, DVD’s, Internet, etc.)

e. Famine of human interaction.

4. The “friendliness factor” of congregations. (cf. denominational loyalty).

D. Personal Experience as Proof of Faith (p. 8).

1. Factors at heart of popularity of Evangelical movement today.

a. The uncertainty of our time (offers “solid rock of divine revelation”).

b. The anxiety of our world (emphasis on eternal salvation in heaven).

c. The loneliness of our lives (offers caring concern).

d. The triumph of subjectivism.

1. Society is more concerned with subjective meaning than objective truth re: moral values.

2. “I think” replaced by “I feel”.

3. If have “invited Jesus into his heart”, no need to substantiate the truth of his convictions.

4. Seeking a “demonstrable Christianity”. (cf. “spiritual gifts inventories”)

V. Lutheran focus vs. Evangelical focus.

A. Lutheran focus. (p. 11)

1. Scripture and Lutheran Confessions.

a. full of references to the subjective results of the gospel in the life of the believer.

b. Never are these regarded as the source of certainty for our salvation.

2. Only one source of certainty: the objective word of the gospel.

3. Lutheran Confessions unequivocal in rejection of God’s operation in the heart of man apart from the objective means of grace (c.f. AC, V, 4; Ap., IV, 43). [Tappert, pp. 31, 113]

4. The link between God and believer is never the believer’s own feelings, but the Person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who comes to us in His gospel.

5. Any other basis for our faith is relying on “the monster of uncertainty” (Luther; quoted p. 12).

B. Evangelical focus: a question of life style. (p. 12)

1. Evangelism: difficult to confine within one unified theological system, e.g.

a. Jerry Falwell: old fashioned, southern style Bible thumping.

b. Robert Schuler: sophisticated erudition of religious pop psychology.

2. Useful unifying principle, not in its doctrine, but in its practice.

3. Largely a question of mindset and style of personal piety.

4. “It is more of a mood, a perspective and an experience.” (Bruce Shelley; quoted p. 13)

5. Borders on a “new monasticism” - a form of cultural isolationism.

6. Assumption made: if it works, it must be true.

C. Walther’s “acid test” for any theology was its end result. (p. 17)

1. Does it seek man’s glory or God’s glory?

2. No need for Lutherans to take backseat when it comes to glorifying God in every teaching.

VI. Conclusion (p. 17)

A. We will look to the dynamic truth and practicality of our doctrine for every Christian’s life – not interested in “Evangelical bashing”.

B. The reality of God.

1. Not found in its dim reflection on the shifting sands of man’s heart.

2. Found in the objective truth of the gospel, anchored in the Word made flesh and made available to us through the means of grace.

3. That is true “Evangelicalism”.