Until late in the middle ages man believed that the earth was the center of the universe. This was a tenet that the Roman Catholic Church enforced, charging those who dared to challenge this notion, as heretics. Many were brought before the inquisition and forced to renounce those beliefs or face judgment. Much of the thought behind this belief was that man was God’s ultimate success and, as such, we were much too important to be relegated to a place other than the heart of the known universe. The church was ultimately proven wrong. 500 years later we see much of the same attitude permeating from the leadership of the ELCA. Enlightened man and his goals for social justice are held in such high esteem that our Lord is relegated to a secondary position in the hierarchy of this misguided denomination.
While a Christian needs to deny oneself and place our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ at the center of our lives, the ELCA promotes social justice as the primary goal and denies our Lord the proper place in their church. As the ELCA pushes forward with social justice as the central ambition in their ministry, they deny Christ and withhold salvation from those thirsting for Christ’s love and acceptance. All this social justice and good works that the ELCA concentrates so intensely upon certainly appears as if they are answering to a noble calling. But, these good works mean nothing if they are not used give glory to our Lord and as a vehicle to bring people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Especially troubling is the fact that the ELCA delights in tackling the most controversial of social agendas. Sexuality, immigration reform, healthcare, environment, and education are a few of the social justice agenda items listed on the ELCA website. The emphasis on these social statements leads one to believe that the ELCA is a social services agency, not a Lutheran Church Synod.
It appears that the ELCA has successfully removed Christ from the heart of their beliefs and replaced Him with themselves and their fight for social justice. Without Christ as the center of our beliefs, to who then do we turn? How can a church make confession and absolution optional in the worship service and replace it with a celebration of baptism? How does eliminating sin and disregarding Scripture by simply passing resolutions help lead sinners to the Gospel of Christ? The ELCA has lost their way and are adhering to and promoting a false gospel. They place man’s opinion and authority over God’s Word using words that sound so accommodating and pleasant. Their Biblical scholars have found a way around Scripture that coincides with the secular values of this world. We must work to open the spiritual hearts and minds of those falling prey to this bound conscience. If we stand up to the misguided doctrine of the ELCA, we will be fighting the good fight for our Lord and His people.
In order for the ELCA to turn away from their ill-advised secular goals and doctrines that attempt to invalidate scripture, their membership must rise up and tell them so. The time to remain comfortable in our cozy local churches has come to an end. Our indifference in allowing others to take on our responsibilities has given the ELCA the means to disregard Scripture and replace it with their own selfish desires. 2 Timothy 2:25-26, “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” This bound conscience is of man and not Scripturally valid. The first step to eliminating this false gospel is to raise our voices and educate other members about bound conscience. There is a reason that so many congregations are not discussing the actions taken by the national assembly last August. If people are kept in the dark, this false gospel will be allowed to take root, grow, and eventually overwhelm the church, taking its members with it on a path to destruction. As Christians, we simply cannot sit back and allow this false doctrine to overtake the Lord’s Church.
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