# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S57
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1916. 57

Through prayer Luther drew strength, courage, fearlessness and joyfulness again and again from God's promises in the Gospel for his earnest and mighty struggle. Through his prayer he became so undaunted a fighter. Through his prayer he became invincible. Let us see to it that we become like Luther in this! Let us not forget to lay before God daily in prayer the distress of his Christendom, which the Antichrist prepares for it, and to implore him for help. Let us daily hold before God his promise, which he has given to his Church, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, that he will be its protection and rampart, its confidence and fortress. Daily let us ask the Lord of the Church to make us undaunted warriors of his Church, faithful confessors of his name also over against the papacy, to make us joyful and willing also to suffer what there is to suffer on that account, whether loss of honor and standing or also of earthly goods. If we are diligent in prayer, then we cannot fail against the papacy. God has given us so many, such glorious promises for our prayer, when we pray in the name of our Savior, in faith. And he is faithful who has promised it, and he will also do it.

And then the third thing: that we proclaim the Gospel, that we say it, speak it and write it. Let us do it publicly and privately, as a fellowship and each one for his own person, wherever and however our God gives us opportunity for it. In our pulpits in the congregations the pure, unadulterated Gospel must resound, and alongside it, in its service, also the clear, killing preaching of the Law, which throws man to the ground under God's wrath and curse, so that he perceives that he needs a Deliverer if he is to be saved, a Savior, such as the Gospel then shows him. Let us guard against modern topics in our sermons, against the moralizing, sentimental mixing of Law and Gospel, which is neither Law nor Gospel but human wisdom, or rather human folly! By that we finally play into Rome's hands. Let us remain with the old teachings of the divine Word, even if they are widely held to be unmodern; the old Gospel let us preach to our congregations, not in lofty words of human wisdom, but plainly and simply, yet in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that our faith may rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Let us see to it that the old and yet eternally new Gospel is not only preached to our congregations but also rules in them, in the homes and hearts of Christians! In just this way we wage the battle against Rome. It is an important part of this battle.

But the Lord has given us the Gospel for the whole world. He says: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel