# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S2
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

2 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

of Scripture. Above all our church leads us to the Cross of Christ,
urges us to accept Him as our personal Redeemer, and assures us
of eternal life by faith in Him.

Then will follow the marvelous experience which the apostle
expresses in the words: “Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” We now enjoy the
precious privilege of approaching God in His great glory and maj-
esty without the veil of the Old Testament priest, without any
intermediary, and without the semblance of fear. This is by no
means because we ourselves are good and holy and acceptable to
God. Far from it. We are poor, miserable sinners. As Luther has
correctly stated: “We daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing
but punishment.” Under no condition could we dare to approach
God as we are, with all our spots and stain of sin, any more so than
the Old Testament priest dared to enter the Holy of Holies made
with hands without the veil and without blood. We enter “by
a new and living way which Christ hath consecrated for us.” The
apostle says: “through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.”

This is truly a new way. God’s own Son became a true human
being. He assumed our flesh. He was found in fashion as a man.
This God-man, veiled in the flesh, assumed our transgression and
guilt. He brought the great sacrifice to atone for them when He
permitted men to rivet Him to Golgotha’s accursed tree. He shed
His holy, precious blood, which cleanseth us from all sin. That
is what renders us spotless and acceptable in God’s sight. Further-
more, Jesus as our Substitute fulfilled God’s holy Law. He fulfilled
every jot and tittle of it. He fulfilled it perfectly and thus procured
for us the garment of perfect righteousness. Clad in that garment,
we meet God’s approval and can stand in His presence. We can
“enter into the holiest” “in full assurance of faith.” The true High
Priest has sprinkled our hearts from an evil conscience. He has
washed and cleansed us from all sin and transgression. We are
permitted “to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” That
is the new way. Jesus Himself is the Way. He does not merely
show us the way; He is the Way which leads us to the Father.
In Him, for His sake, in His merits we have direct access to the
Father and may enter into His presence with boldness.

What a wonderful blessing! What infinite grace! And let us
not forget that in our dear church this is offered in all its fullness.
You know definitely that you are permitted to enter the holiest,
to approach the holy God directly and with all boldness, because
you come with the blood of Jesus. There is nothing grander and
more glorious anywhere. God grant that we may ever appreciate
it as infinite grace bestowed on us.

The ~

God’s i
faith. It is
It arouses 1
produces de

You wil
set forth the
exhortations
draw near.”
the blessing:
paralleled b
for eternity.

Next the
faith withou
sacrifice whi
which He ac
He effected f
eternal, unch
Peter: “Lord
life; and we |
of the living

The faitk
Christ, the v
demption wh:
taught. We n
in My Word,
the truth, anc
in His great s.
and then adde
same prayer |
but for them
Jesus Himself
“The Scriptur
ment: “Teach:
manded you.”
should profes:

All this i;
ciously remen
for 109 years.
this grace. W
However, at t
the Synodical
causing divisic