Dear Weekly Readers!
God’s Peace!
The below article is very short.
However, I want to call your attention to it, because the teaching that
we have available of old is so helpful for today.
The Word of God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! It will never change. We must not be looking for new and fancy
understandings, but rather be trusting and believing in the old time doctrine
and beliefs as laid out in the Holy Word.
We must also understand that the Bible is not of private interpretation,
and we should be thankful that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses! (God’s People!) Let us share the Word with one another, and
be willing to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd as it comes through our
brothers in faith!
Please know that we are most happy to share the Doctrine of Jesus
Christ as taught by the Apostolic Lutheran Church of America with you, as well
as other writings. There is not money to
print all around the world, but I can surely email you many of these, and you
can just print a few copies to study as your schedule allows! Just email me at foreignmission@comcast.net
and you will receive emails of such!
May God Bless your week!
John R.
On Faith and Good Works — from the Augsburg Confession
“We begin by teaching that our works cannot reconcile us with
God or obtain grace for us, for this happens only through faith, that is, when
we believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who alone is the
mediator who reconciles the Father. Whoever imagines that he can accomplish
this by his works, or that he can merit grace, despises Christ and seeks his
own way to God, contrary to the Gospel.
“This teaching about faith is plainly and clearly treated by
Paul in many passages, especially in Ephesians 2, verses 8-9: For by grace are
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast.
“It is also taught among us that good works should and must
be done, not that we are to rely on them to earn grace but that we may do God’s will and glorify Him. It is always
faith alone that apprehends grace and forgiveness of sin. When through faith
the Holy Spirit is given, the heart is moved to do good works.
“Consequently this teaching concerning faith is not to be
accused of forbidding good works, but is rather to be praised for teaching that
good works are to be done and for offering help as to how they may be done.
They cannot be done without the help of Christ, as He Himself says in John
15:5: For without me ye can do nothing.”
May these excerpts from the teaching of the early reformers help
us to better understand and apply the basics in our daily lives.
Pastor Raymond Hilman
Greer, South Carolina
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