Conditions of Occupancy

In order to be granted residency in a college dorm, one must agree to a number of conditions, including the requirement to enroll with a full credit load, maintain good academic standing, and to comply with all university rules regarding conduct.  A new or remodeled building must be granted an occupancy permit by the building inspector and must have been built in accordance to the building codes of that state.   Low income housing requires that the occupant earn less than the prescribed amount to be eligible to reside in that residence.  So many rules and regulations apply to all walks of our life in this world.  Most of us have no problem meeting those conditions.  To be granted eternal life with our Father in Heaven, there is but one condition that must be met.  John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  We are required to have faith in the Risen Christ, to believe that He is the only Son of God, that He went to the cross bearing the sin of the world, died as a sin offering for us, and defeated death, was resurrected, and sits at the right hand of the Father.  By this faith, and this faith alone, God grants us our salvation.  Nothing else, it is by faith in the Risen Christ alone.  No matter how many good works in our Lord’s name you may complete, without faith in Christ, you are lost.  Pretty straight forward, or so it would seem.  

But, the leaders and scholars of the ELCA would have you believe that faith in Christ is optional.  In order to promote their belief that God is love, and nothing but love, they teach the false idea that God affirms us, no matter what we believe, and there really is no need for a Savior.  The erroneous assumption that since God loves us unconditionally and would never withhold the gift of salvation, gives birth to the concept of universalism, contrived to support that there really is no sin, or that sin really doesn’t matter at all.  Hell is relegated to the status of an obsolete notion, and those that still believe that God will punish those that are not saved are considered behind the times, trapped within 16^th Century reasoning.  The explanation of Jesus' descent into hell from the Formula of Concord states, “we simply believe that the entire person, God and man, after the burial descended into hell, conquered the devil, destroyed the power of hell, and took from the devil all his might.  Thus we retain the substance [sound doctrine] and [true] consolation that neither hell nor the devil can take captive or injure us and all who believe in Christ.”  (emphasis mine)  The Augsburg Confession, cited by the ELCA as the true witness to the Gospel, states,  "He also descended into hell, and truly rose again the third day; afterward He ascended into heaven that He might sit on the right hand of the Father, and forever reign and have dominion over all creatures, and sanctify them that believe in Him, by sending the Holy Ghost into their hearts, to rule, comfort, and quicken them, and to defend them against the devil and the power of sin."  It is clear that faith in the Risen Christ is not merely a suggestion or optional.  It would appear that the ELCA's tacit acceptance of the false gospel of affirmation and universalism are contrary to their stated beliefs and further, places anyone who accepts this errant doctrine in jeopardy of losing their very salvation.

We have seen that the ELCA will accept pretty much anything in the way of doctrine, Christian or not.  Far too many members that follow the misguided leadership of the ELCA have fallen into the evil one's trap. What kind of audacity does it take to place conditions upon the Creator of the universe?  Who would demand that they will only accept God on their own terms?  Jesus said in Matthew 10:37-39, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”  When one puts conditions on our Lord, they place themselves before Him and by finding themselves, lose their lives.  Must we not give ourselves to Him?  We are made in His image and are subject to His word.  Come as you are, with all of your sins, with a repentant heart and God, who is forever just, will cleanse your sins and lead you toward righteousness.   We must live to please the One we love, not place conditions on God to make us feel more “comfortable, accepted and welcome”.  All are sinners and try as we might, we continue to fail our Lord and Savior over and over again.  Only God has the authority to place conditions upon His children and if we truly love Him, we will, with His help, endeavor to please Him with our obedience.   

When children place conditions upon their parents, they will soon realize that either they will become subjected to parental discipline or if the parents, using their imperfect love, erroneously acquiesce to the child, that child will have difficulty surviving in the real world.  The ELCA acquiesces to any and all “new doctrine” intending to remake God in their own image, disregarding those rules that they deem “no longer pertinent” in this new enlightened society.   The numbers of those accepting these false teachings continues to grow.  More and more of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being deceived by the false teachers of the ELCA.  Continue to proclaim the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and pray unceasingly that those that are or have become lost hear and understand until everyone meets our Lord’s conditions and will live in His house forever!