# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1886_S12
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

12 Proceedings of the eleventh convention

except the spirit of the man which is in him, how can a man know what was and is in God's heart from eternity! Added to this is that only divine assurances of grace can bring peace into the poor sinner's heart. For the accuser in the bosom stands also on divine ground, on the holy law of God, in so far as he judges rightly. Then the poor heart wants also divine ground for its absolution from sins. Therefore the Apostle writes, Rom. 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 1 Cor. 2:5: "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." What good would it do, either, if only Peter or Paul assured us that we have the forgiveness of sins, that God has thoughts of peace toward us, that the Lamb of God has borne our sin and that we have in him an advocate with the Father? God must tell us this himself. And with what face would the teachers of Christendom wait on their office if they could not stand on divine ground, which can also be shown to be such? For the prophet Micah writes, 3:7 ff.: "Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God." Concerning himself, on the other hand, he can go on: "But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin." Therefore the LORD says to Jeremiah, chap. 1:7: "Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." — How could we dare to step up to grave and coffin and point the mourners to the resurrection of the dead and to eternal blessedness, if we had no divine ground for it? If one asked us: How do you know that? would it dry a single tear if we then had to say: that is just my opinion, that is what I think, that is what I feel in my breast? And how could we dare to call out to an uneasy, awakened conscience, which is terrified before God's wrath now that death is at hand: Believe that God forgives you your sins by grace for Christ's sake, believe that no death can kill you, — if we could not tell it: this your God himself says, and sooner than this comfort should fail, God would sooner cease to be the truth? Only when we can say: Thus saith the LORD! can we confront strange doctrine with confidence, without regard to person and learning; only then can we reject false doctrine joyfully. And that is then no conceit or dogmatism. Yes, only when we can say: Thus saith the LORD! can we also exercise proper Christian discipline in our congregations with due firmness and full warrant, and confront all spirits that exalt themselves against God.