Father Knows Best

After decades of political infighting, the ELCA has, with a total disregard of Scripture, altered doctrine to allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained and same-sex unions to be blessed. There are so many that are all worked up over this issue alone. For some this is the overriding factor when deciding whether or not to break fellowship with the ELCA. Some in the LGTB community are still angry that there are those that cling to Scripture and continue to disapprove of their lifestyle. Anyone who stands up for God’s Word is derided and mocked as a homophobe, hateful or hypocritical by those who state that they only want to be loved and accepted for what they are, God’s children. When one reads from some of the progressive blogs, there is so much anger in the LGTB community that one would be led to believe that the 2009 Church Wide Assembly voted NO! Brothers and sisters know this, the evil one is in utter bliss over what has transpired within the ELCA. Sex is not the major issue. It is only the tip of the iceberg in the ELCA’s misguided assault on the Christian faith! We all fall short of the glory of our Lord and we all fall into sin regularly. Yes, all of us! But, we are no longer under the law-we are under God’s grace. If we simply fail to obey His law, we will not fall from the path of salvation because our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin. His ultimate sacrifice was the final atonement that permanently paved a path to our salvation, as long as we truly believe. No matter what we do, so long as we truly believe, that path will remain open for us.

But, when one truly places Christ at the center of his or her life, that person will gladly obey His law and live one’s life according to God’s will. Our selfish desires, whatever they may be, will lessen in importance. We will do whatever we can to please our Lord and begin to live our lives to give glory to Him. When we look to prop up our selfish nature by using our “bound conscience” to believe what we want, contrary to God’s intent, we commit the gravest of sins against our God. We place ourselves above our Lord and worship, not the God of all creation, but ourselves, our identities and our accomplishments. Thou shall have no other gods before me. Matthew 22:37-38, “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” This just may be the deal breaker for our Lord. How sad this is for those that accept and are led astray by this false gospel. Man’s law forbids certain behavior and if you choose to disobey, you get arrested and go to jail. Our Father’s law forbids certain behavior, but now we are told that we can disregard His law because some ELCA scholars believe that God is telling us something new. But, because God loves us so much, He forgives us and invites us to live with Him in His house despite our willful disobedience. The leadership of the ELCA has, by adopting the doctrine of bound conscience, placed man in authority over God. These petulant children, the leaders and scholars of the ELCA, think they are more enlightened and know better than God, who can with a word, create the universe or destroy it. It appears that they are playing with fire here.

Nothing that is happening now, has not happened before. Our Lord has dealt with His disobedient children all too often. When the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Scripture, it was all part of His plan for us. His plan is made known to us through the Scriptures. Those that choose to ignore God’s Word do so at great peril. The ELCA is called to safeguard our church's doctrine, or that which we believe and profess, not question the long held truths of the Christian faith. The ELCA is called to enforce discipline against those that teach false doctrine and to guard the historic and orthodox Christian faith, not adopt doctrine that contradicts Scripture. As the leaders and scholars of the ELCA question the long held truths of the Christian faith, their arrogance betrays them. The leadership of the ELCA is engaged in this self-destructive pursuit of secular values while denying the very God they profess to worship. Luke 17:1-3, “Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.” Unfortunately, there are those that are falling prey to these heretical teachings. Pray for those unaware of these destructive teachings, that their hearts and minds be opened to resist this false gospel. Pray that those true to the Spirit awaken and rise up to leave this misguided denomination. Continue to reach out in Christian love to all our brothers and sisters so that all will come to believe and know the Lord.