# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S345
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 845

ely and wholly through Christ. Over against the teaching
organizations the testimony of the Church must be clear
squivocal. By proclamation and by salutary discipline all
be shown and must be made to face the fact that they
erve two masters. To compromise with work-righteousness
danger the whole Church; and each and all must share the
' safeguarding the faithful, of extricating those who have
involved in organizations which proclaim salvation by
‘aud of denying fellowship to those who stubbornly refuse to
the Word of God by continuing in their anti-Christian
fons. Synods as well as Christian congregations cannot re-
Yadifferent or inactive in the exercise of salutary discipline
af ted by such divided loyalty. This task, like all the tasks
‘Church, must be done in holy fear and in holy love.
12:1-12; Matthew 16: 24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-12.
esians 6: 10-19; Romans 1:18—2:16; 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31.
itians 1:8-9; 2 Corinthians 6: 14-18; Matthew 18:15-18; 6:24;

x. THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD TO COME

-. he Church in all its activities in the world remem-
bers that its life in Christ is eternal. The fact that
the Church exists, that men believe on the Lord
ist, is due ultimately to the eternal election of God, who
en us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world,
ould be holy and without blame before Him,” Ephesians
‘hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
mn of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto He
rou by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our
‘Christ,” 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14. God by His Word and
t calls men to faith and keeps them in that faith unto
Remaining humbly and gratefully conscious of its origin
flective will, the Church is preserved from the fatal
that it is a self-caused and self-sustaining institution;
ividual member lives and works in the blessed assur-
thing shall separate him from the love of God in Christ

The Church remembers also that it is the beginning of
the new world in the midst of the old, that the goal of
all its working and striving is not in this present world,

nsible expectancy and striving, and measures all its ac-
a inescapable and just judgment of Christ upon those
a life cannot fail to be a life of daily repentance.