By any Other Name

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." This often quoted phrase from the William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, is typically used to explain that is doesn’t matter what something is called, it matters more what it really is. The word Lutheran describes a Christian denomination, founded by Martin Luther almost 500 years ago. Since its’ inception this church has evolved, mostly due to schisms or disagreements over doctrine, into several sub-denominations, ranging from the very traditional WELS to the progressive ELCA. No matter what doctrinal issues we disagree with, even the uber liberal ELCA is still part of the body of Christ, aren’t they? Well, what makes a Lutheran a Lutheran? Spiritually, grace by faith alone and doctrinally, Sola Scriptura or Scripture alone defines the Lutheran faith. Nothing we can say or do can earn us salvation, it is by God's grace we can enter His kingdom when we believe in His one and only Son. Whenever any “new thing” arrives, we must look to the Bible to ascertain whether it is of the Spirit or of man. In the ELCA, many new things, some challenging the very Truths of Christianity, have arrived. Doctrine, meant to lift up worldly things, has become central to the teaching of the ELCA.

1 John 4:1-3, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” It seems as though every new theological opinion is incorporated into the ELCA’s “big tent” of diversification. Most recently, the validity of the Virgin Birth has been the target of ELCA theologians. Disputing that Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit, carried the Son of God seems to me to fit what the Apostle John writes about above. But, of course, this is not the official teaching of the ELCA, even though seminarians, who are the ELCA pastors of the future, are indoctrinated with these new ideas. Yet, the leaders of the ELCA continue to tout that diversity is making their denomination all the stronger. Let’s see, over 1 million congregants and over a thousand churches have fled the “Apostasy Gone Wild” ELCA over the last 3 years and somehow, this makes them stronger? Water down your faith and question the very truths they have sworn to uphold and somehow this adds strength to your organization? I guess if you drink the proper Kool-Aid it will make more sense. Any organization that disregards its’ governing documents or adheres to false doctrine, gains no advantage, and only weakens their position. And when the chairman of the board is the Lord of Hosts, creator of the universe, leading the faithful astray is frowned upon.

 

 

As the ELCA tramples upon the solid foundation of Lutheranism and replaces it with what is more pleasing to the world, it drifts further away from God and into the deep end of the pool of heresy. The bishop of the ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod, meeting with our church council after our first vote to leave passed, said that “sometimes it is appropriate to dive into the deep end of the pool of heresy.” Apparently he believes that there is nothing wrong when he, who is charged to maintain order and make certain that proper doctrine is followed in his synod, advocates for his flock to go astray. I guess we all need to sow our wild oats from time to time, and why not give your flock the permission of the church to do so. Jesus said in Matthew 18:6-7, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” Our Lord and Savior plainly makes it known what will happen to those who encourage His children to dive into the deep end of the pool of heresy.

So, does the “This is not the official teaching of the” ELCA pass the smell test to still be considered a Lutheran church? While there remains islands of faith within the sea of apostasy that is the ELCA, they are becoming more and more marginalized. Those new and enlightened pastors that preach a gospel other than the Gospel our Lord taught, are lifted up as the face of the ELCA. The broader ELCA is not only no longer Lutheran, much of what is taught in their seminaries and spouted by their so called theologians is not even Christian. The idea that there are many valid paths to salvation is gaining steam in the ELCA as evidenced by their inter-religious relations with the Islamic faith. Embracing that Islam offers another valid path to salvation and by neglecting the call of Jesus to make disciples of all nations, shows that the ELCA willfully chooses to ignore our Lord and Savior’s call to bring the lost to Him. Just as they allow their members to be affirmed within their sin without repentance, they allow those who do not know Jesus to go happily on their way.

No, the ELCA is no longer Lutheran. Their goal is to placate the world, not to please the Lord, and the world is the realm of the evil one. Will the leadership of the ELCA ever wake up and truly serve the Lord? We can only continue to pray, because if they continue on this path, more of our brothers and sisters in Christ will have been lost. 2 Peter 2:17-21, “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” This is why is so important to continue to proclaim the Truth, so that those who are found, do not become lost again.

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me. This phrase, spoken at those who intend to demean or humiliate another, are meant to say that the person verbally assaulted is secure enough to see themselves as they are, rather than as the hurtful words spoken against them. In this new enlightened age words are judged to be just as violent as the actions taken to cause actual physical harm against another. Say what you will. Those that feel the need to belittle someone else in order to make themselves feel superior does not bother the vast majority of their targets in the least. Unfortunately, those few that are actually offended and especially those that take umbrage for other “protected” classes, drive society’s attitudes. The word police are out in force as more and more words are added to the list of “hate speech” as society creates more and more protected classes. With all the “haters” that are branded by our evermore intolerant culture, it is a wonder that humanity can coexist at all. But, it is even more telling as to who, and why someone can become labeled as a “hater”. Phil Robertson, patriarch of the “Duck Dynasty” reality TV show family, really stuck his foot in his mouth, according to those more enlightened than I.

Seems that stating a personal conviction, based upon his Christian faith, upholding the authority of Scripture by quoting the Apostle Paul, was beyond the pale of acceptable behavior and speech today. As our society accepts an ever expanding list of what was previously unacceptable and aberrant conduct, it casts its’ aspersions in an unrelenting wave of skepticism against those they view as naive and gullible enough to profess faith in the Risen Christ. Those enlightened in our society look at Christians as judgmental, homophobic, exclusionary, hypocritical and hateful as they stand in judgment of those who dare to hold an opinion contrary to their own. While, we as Christians, stand convicted, we have a Savior who took our sins upon His shoulders, endured our punishment upon that cross, and now sits upon the throne, advocating for us to our Father. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

So, in this day and age where truth is confused and the selfish cravings of a sinful humanity overtake our society, how does a Christian maintain sanity in this upside down world? Do we simply turn the other cheek and let those who would do us harm, slap us down, again and again? Especially troubling are the supposed leaders of God’s churches that look to ingratiate themselves with the world by minimizing or disregarding His will for us. Is God’s kingdom advanced when the leaders of the ELCA continually support the terrorist regime, Hamas, and Palestine, while casting stones at Israel? Is God’s kingdom advanced when the leaders of the ELCA support a women’s choice to end her pregnancy, or what is in reality, complicity in the murder of her unborn child? Is God’s kingdom advanced when the leaders of the ELCA lift up the homosexual lifestyle while chiding those that support the sanctity of marriage and call for the protection of a family with one man as the father and one woman as the mother?

The secular world looks down upon Christians as backward dim-witted rubes, easily duped by a religion they believe is simply meant to control them, while their own religion, that is all about pleasing oneself, is acclaimed as ideal. By invoking doctrine meant to affirm the selfish nature of humanity, it would appear that the leaders of the ELCA would have their members embrace the same ideals as secular society. In Robertson’s incident, reason prevails and “Duck Dynasty” is made whole again. This all has been played out before. The ending to this story has already been written. Evil does not win. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is victorious over the forces of the evil one and will ultimately usher in a new beginning for all believers. We needn’t be concerned with the small victories that the evil one wins here on earth because he will not win the war. Proclaim the power of the Gospel throughout the world. Let the love of Christ pour out of your heart. Let everyone see Him in your actions. Let everyone hear Him when you speak. Pray long and hard for our brothers and sisters in Christ to be delivered from the clutches of the ELCA and other misguided churches. Matthew 16, 24-29, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” Stand strong for the Lord and when He comes, you will receive the ultimate reward, eternal life with Him.