Article IV of The Augsburg Confession: Our churches also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works but are freely justified for Christ’s sake through faith when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ, who by…
The Sacrament of the Altar Part 2 What is the benefit of this eating and drinking? These words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life and Salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins,…
The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul write: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you. This do in…
Nicene Creed …And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for…
What Luther’s Small Catechism Says about Baptism What is Baptism? Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word. Which is this word of God? Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: “Therefore go and make disciples of all…
Many protestant groups in America reject infant Baptism, such as the Baptists, Pentecostals, and so-called non-denominational churches. I would like to explain from Scripture why Christians should get their babies baptized. Grace Before we can address whether babies should be baptized, we need to understand what the Bible teaches about grace. Grace is a…
“Baptism doesn’t save, because faith alone saves.” I’ve heard this many times. It is an axiom, almost a mantra of many evangelical Christians, whose theology has descended from Reformed theologian Ulrich Zwingli as well as the Anabaptists of the sixteenth century. And it sounds so convincing to many, because Scripture clearly says that a…
The Gospel: The Most Important Teaching in Scripture Summary of the Distinction between Law and Gospel Scripture uses the word Gospel in two ways. The Gospel Teaches that Christ Made Atonement for Our Sins on the Cross 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;like a lamb that is led to…
There are dozens of churches in my town. There are literally thousands of denominations to choose from. How can you possibly know which is the right one? Some say Baptism saves, others say Baptism is just an act of obedience. Some say we are saved by faith alone, others say we are saved by…