# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S40
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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this business of justification; therefore they hate the doctrine of the vicarious active obedience of Christ (as the Methodists have openly written against it for years) and of his complete redemption, and think that if they are only rid of past sins through Christ, then they would like to become so holy in their own life too that the dear God will be astonished at it. We, on the contrary, confess ourselves lost and condemned sinners and say, God must do everything for our salvation and give us a righteousness at which all the holy angels, indeed at which God's own Son himself marvels. Indeed, this is not said too strongly; he has done it, for in John 3:16 he himself says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son," as if he meant to say: No, who would have thought of such a thing; so, so much, so ardently God has loved the world that he gave his Son to such a crowd of shameful sinners, and indeed in the sense that he says: There you have him, now do with him what you will; he gives his Son over to the rabble and so completely delivers him up that they can do him shame and disgrace, stab him, indeed slaughter him, and God does this so that the world might be redeemed. At this God's Son marvels, in the words: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son." Therefore the Apostle also says, Rom. 8:3, 4: "What the law could not do (in that it was weak through the flesh), God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and condemned sin in the flesh through sin; that the righteousness required by the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." Because he became our brother, flesh of our flesh, the righteousness is therefore fulfilled in us; not indeed in each individual person, but in our humanity. Therefore it is so important that Christ did not bring a humanity with him from heaven, but took it from Mary the virgin, for now our humanity is truly justified in him. This now we are to preach, and whoever grasps it is helped, and is a blessed man. Unblessed, on the other hand, the one to whom this does not appeal, for God cries it out into the world: "All things are now ready"; now quickly come and take grace, salvation and life; but alas, the proud man wants to know nothing of this most precious gift of God, which he offers and extends in the Gospel, yes, rightly understood, also imparts to the whole world. It is better, however, not to use the word "impart" [mittheilen] of the general justification of the world, because in our German language it almost always indicates not only an extending on God's side but also already an accepting on man's side.

Thesis 5: "As through the vicarious death of Christ the guilt of sin of the whole world has been wiped out and the punishment for it endured, so also through the resurrection of Christ righteousness, life and salvation