Just Words

In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The ELCA cites our Lord’s name in many of their social justice agendas and committees. The “Reconciling in Christ” task force sounds so appropriate. The Greater Milwaukee ELCA website has a link to the RIC annual report. Our Lord is obviously not the primary focus of this committee. This committee’s primary focus is, “empowered by the gospel we work for the equality and the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the ELCA.” In most correspondence regarding the Gospel of Christ, capitalization is used to underscore the significance it has to the family of Christians. Perhaps they cite a different gospel.

As the ELCA attempts to change the world into the welcoming, tolerant, and accepting place that they believe it should be, they continue to fail our Lord. By lifting their struggle for social justice above the call to lead people to the Gospel of Christ, they fall right into the evil ones trap. Without Jesus Christ as the central authority in our mission, we neglect our responsibilities as disciples of Christ. Words mean nothing if we fail to put them into action. Invoking our Lord’s name to add credibility to the social justice agendas promoted by the ELCA is nothing more than window dressing. Using our Lord’s name without promoting His agenda, is an empty promise to a humanity thirsting for God’s Word, God’s love and acceptance, and to those searching for their salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:8-9, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” As the ELCA discards God’s Word and replaces it with the words that fulfill their human desires, they worship in vain and lead others away from the Gospel of Christ with their human rules. Without our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as the primary emphasis in our mission, we will surely fail. Those that follow the path that the ELCA promotes will also fail our Lord and fall away from Him. Luke 17:1-2, Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone though whom they come. 2 It would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck that for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” Those that promote a false gospel and lead people astray are subject to God’s judgment. Christ’s mission for us is to be His disciples, share the Good News and lead our fellow man to the Lord.

The ELCA uses empty words that promise equality, social justice, acceptance and tolerance without the promise of God’s love and approval. Amending His law by replacing His Word with earthly terms is unacceptable for man, biblical scholars or the church. Our Lord is the sole authority and Scripture is His law for us. Using His name to attempt to justify an agenda that is contrary to Scripture will only cause believers to stumble and others will lose the opportunity to come to the Lord. Psalm 119:160, “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”