The Wages of Sin

Those that choose to accept the gospel of affirmation that the ELCA is peddling need to look to Scripture to understand just how our God will deal with those that choose to willfully disregard His law. The ill advised belief that our God is simply all loving and not to be feared, is a very dangerous assumption to make. Yes, we are justified by grace when we truly believe in the Risen Christ, but we are still subject to God’s law. Romans 7:7-12, “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”

Evil remains as part of our human nature. It is much easier for us to disregard God’s law and do what we think is best for ourselves. Without God’s law we, as sinful human beings that continually fall short of God’s glory, would be like a rudderless ship at sea, lost and floundering upon the waves. While the law does open our eyes as to what behavior is prohibited by God, it is our evil nature that chooses to disobey. Without God’s law one may covet someone else’s possessions., steal, lie, or commit adultery, but not understand that those behaviors are wrong. God’s law creates boundaries to help us rein in our desires, and teaches us what is right and what is wrong. It teaches where mere overindulgence ends, and where sin begins. Without God’s law, we are left without a moral compass and will only attempt to justify our wickedness as good in our sight.

So, when a church decides that God’s law is not applicable because it does not fit in with this new and modern society, they choose to willfully disobey and declare that God is now telling them something new. This is as if God, who created the very universe with a word, could not envision what was to come in this age. Our God is all knowing and all powerful throughout all time, and for the leaders and scholars of the ELCA to infer that He did not realize what our society would become today, is demeaning our God and is promoting heresy. When the leaders of Gods’ church decide that God is wrong and that the church should acquiesce to a society that accepts aberrant behavior, they lose their standing as one who speaks for the Lord. We need to be examples for the world, not put down our God in order to lift up the desires of the world.

So many have fallen prey to this misguided doctrine promoted by these self proclaimed enlightened leaders of what will soon no longer be the largest Lutheran Church Denomination in North America. Those that promote the disregard of God’s law and proclaim that all are saved, no matter what you believe, are leading those that accept this new religion away from God. The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Those teaching that God’s law is no longer valid teach a false gospel. Those accepting this teaching stand to lose their very salvation. Romans 6:15-16, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" When one fully gives their life to Christ, obedience replaces our sinful desires. When one continues to be estranged from the Lord, it is much easier to remain selfish and disobedient because it comes so naturally to the imperfect human being that God created. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.” God sets rules and boundaries for His children. He also administers the just punishment for those that choose to willfully disobey.

The leaders of the ELCA encourage those that defy God’s law to continue in their sin and enact doctrine to vindicate their behavior, while they admonish those that remain true to the Lord. How unfortunate for those that place their own sinful conduct ahead of God’s commands. Romans 2:6-7. “God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Continue in prayer for those that mistakenly accept these false teachings, that they may find and accept the truth. Pray that the leadership of the ELCA abandons this love affair with the things of this world, returns to the Lord and once again proclaims the true Gospel of Jesus Christ!