# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1860_S45
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— Page 45 —

given [to me] again — no, the gifts of grace are of an entirely
different character: they are continually being given and received.
As long as we walk in faith, there is always a
giving and a taking of them going on. Faith, after all, is nothing
other than a taking; from this it follows that the gifts of grace are
always being given — God gives them to faith again and again. It is
true that in Baptism I received the forgiveness of sins, life, and
salvation, and therefore I have them; but if God did not go on
giving again and again, we would have nothing. My absolution
consists in this, that I give — that is, God gives through me. I
cannot say: I have, therefore I can only be reminded of what I have;
no, I must be given to again and again. But God gives to me by
having His Word held before me; faith lays hold of the Word and
thereby receives what the Word contains within itself. If I say:
what I have, I have in faith in the Word, it does not follow from
this that absolution can be nothing but a mere reminder; rather,
only this follows: absolution gives me nothing further than what I
already have. The Word always gives, faith always takes. The
resolution of the difficulty is: faith is a continual taking of the
treasures in the Word; therefore the Word must always be preached,
and it cannot be preached to people enough, they cannot be absolved
enough, cannot receive the holy Supper enough. Here we live by
faith, which must always be taking; in the life of sight hereafter it
will be otherwise. Also useful for understanding this is what is
written in Luke 7 about the great [sinful] woman: the Lord Christ not
only testifies and reminds her, "Your sins are forgiven you many
[times over]," but also speaks the absolution to her once more,
specifically and individually.

To the question why, since the world was already absolved 1800
years ago, one does not simply say that the world's sins are
forgiven, the following answer was given: If one said, flatly and
without explanation, "The world's sins are forgiven," this would be
liable to misunderstanding; many would take it to mean that all
people were converted, believed, and would come to heaven. If,
however, one says: "On God's side, the world's sins are forgiven,"
that is rightly spoken. But what good does it do me if God tells me,
"I am your friend," while I think He is my enemy? God is indeed
reconciled with us, but we are not reconciled with Him — hence the
apostle says: "Be reconciled to God." God must extend to us the hand
of reconciliation if we are to be reconciled with Him; and He has
extended it — He is reconciled with the world — but we simply do not
believe Him, and therefore we fear Him; that is why He says through
the Gospel: You need not be afraid, I am reconciled to you, only
believe, and all your sins are forgiven you. People usually think
that the Word is merely a means by which such a change is brought
about in the heart that a living faith arises, and they regard this
faith as such a splendid work that God is moved by it to be gracious
to the sinner — without considering that faith in itself is an empty
hand, which can only be filled.

One member of the Synod remarked: that the Gospel and the
pronouncing of forgiveness of sins are one and the same thing was
clear to him; but if one only