# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S31
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1924. 31

planations friend and foe and thus everyone can clearly gather that we are not minded, for the sake of temporal peace, quiet and unity, to yield anything of the eternal, immutable truth of God (as it is also not within our power to do so) [to give way on anything of God's truth, to give it up], which peace and unity, since it would be meant against the truth and for its suppression, would also have no permanence; still less are we minded to adorn and cover up falsification of the pure doctrine and open, condemned errors; but that we have hearty desire and love for such unity and are heartily inclined and eager to promote it on our part to the utmost of our ability, by which God's honor remains unimpaired, nothing is yielded of the divine truth of the holy Gospel, not the least error is conceded, poor sinners are brought to true, right repentance, raised up by faith, strengthened in new obedience, and thus become righteous and eternally saved solely through the one merit of Christ." (Art. XI.)

Is there then no means at all to heal the disruption of the Church? Are we to do nothing to unite those who belong together? Is there no way, no means, no method which the upright servants of Christ could apply to bring together those who are separated? Yes, certainly, we have a remedy, or rather, we have the only means of healing the disruption; we have the only method by which anything can be accomplished, by which much has already been accomplished and is still accomplished every day. To this method, the only right and successful one, we will now turn.

Let us first consider what our Lord teaches us. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. 12:3. To confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, to believe it with the heart and confess it with the mouth, is Christianity. But whoever says this must also mean what he says. He must not say "Jesus is the Lord" merely to gain the advantage of being regarded as a Christian, while he then does according to his own will and believes what he pleases, or, in order to be recognized by certain higher officials or the so-called head of the Church (such as the Pope), believes and does what these prescribe to him. The faithful Christian who says "Jesus is the Lord" thereby surrenders himself to the Lord and confesses that he is a servant of Christ. Redeemed with the blood of Christ from the bondage and service of Satan, he is now a freedman of the Lord, free from all bonds and all service of the devil and of men, free to serve the Lord alone, 1 Cor. 7:22.

Such a one is spiritually united with the Head of the Church, Christ, and with Christ's body, the Church; and he is also willing and ready to give outward expression to this inner unity by now also joining outwardly with his brethren; for among those who are Christ's and obey His voice there shall be mutual love, esteem, affection, consideration, one faith and one confession of the faith. "One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren," Matt. 23:8. "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye hold