# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S483
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

JNTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 483

,the sins of the world — must be relegated to the rear.
ood works never precede faith, but are always and in
instance the result of faith in the Gospel, it is evident that
nly: means by which we Christians can become rich in good

(and God would have us to be rich in good works, Titus
ig unceasingly to remember the grace of God which we have
ed in Christ, Rom. 12, 1; 2 Cor. 8, 9. Hence we reject as

tian and foolish any attempt to produce good works by the
ulsion of the Law or through carnal motives.

Of the Means of Grace.
- 21, Although God is present and operates everywhere through-
out. all creation and the whole earth is therefore full of the tem-
ral bounties and blessings of God, Col. 1,17; Acts 17, 28; 14, 17,
till we hold with Scripture that God offers and communicates
to men the spiritual blessings purchased by Christ, namely, the
‘orgiveness of sins and the treasures and gifts connected therewith,
#fonly through the external means of grace ordained by Him. These
“means of grace are the Word of the Gospel, in every form in
which it is brought to man, and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism
and of the Lord’s Supper. The Word of the Gospel promises and
plies the grace of God, works faith and thus regenerates man,
d gives the Holy Ghost, Acts 20, 24; Rom. 10, 17; 1 Pet. 1, 23;
Gal. 3, 2. Baptism, too, is applied for the remission of sins and is
therefore a washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy
Ghost, Acts 2, 38; 22, 16; Titus 3, 5. Likewise the object of the
Lord’s Supper, that is, of the ministration of the body and blood of
Christ, is none other than the communication and sealing of the
forgiveness of sins, as the words declare: “Given for you,” and:
“Shed for you for the remission of sins,” Luke 22, 19, 20; Matt.
26, 28, and: “This cup is the New Testament in My blood,” 1 Cor.
11, 23; Jer. 31, 31—34 (“New Covenant”).

22. Since it is only through the external means ordained by
Him that God has promised to communicate the grace and salva-
tion purchased by Christ, the Christian Church must not remain
at home with the means of grace entrusted to it, but go into the
whole world with the preaching of the Gospel and the administra-
tion of the Sacraments, Matt. 28, 19. 20; Mark 16, 15. 16. For the
same reason also the churches at home should never forget that
there is no other way of winning souls for the Church and keeping
them with it than the faithful and diligent use of the divinely
ordained means of grace. Whatever activities do not either
directly apply the Word of God or subserve such application we
unchurchly activities, which do not

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condemn as “new methods,”
build, but harm, the Church.

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