LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 114

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114 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-54
To Reject Anti-Scriptural Universalism

WHEREAS, Jesus taught that He is the only way to heaven
(John 14:6; Acts 4:12); and

WHEREAS, The Athanasian Creed declares: “Whosoever will
be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the
catholic faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and
undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the
catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and
Trinity in Unity.... This is the catholic faith; which except a
man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved”; and

WHEREAS, The anti-Scriptural notion that all men, regard-
less of their religion, will ultimately get to heaven, has
thoroughly infiltrated modern Protestantism, Lutheranism,
and Roman Catholicism:

1. Vatican II left the door open for the salvation of the
heathen and atheists (The Christian News Encyclopedia, pp.
1491, 1502).

2. Modern Protestantism teaches that Christianity is not
the one and only true and saving faith (see ‘Evangelism When
Certainty Is an Illusion” by Bishop John Shelby Spong, One,
pp. 890—891).

3. Even many leading evangelicals hesitate to affirm that
there is a real hell for those who reject Christ (see “Why is
Christianity Today Silent? The Universalist Impulse in
Evangelicalism,” One, p. 1689): and

WHEREAS, The anti-Scriptural notion of universalism des-
troys true mission work and does not show true love toward
non-Christians when it leads them to believe that they can get
to heaven without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod con-
fesses in its “A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional
Principles,” adopted in 1973, that “We believe that Jesus Christ
is the only way to heaven and that all who die without faith in
Him are eternally damned. We believe that those who believe in
Christ will enjoy a blissful relationship with Him during the
interim between their death and His second coming and that
on the last day their bodies will be raised”; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
warn against the anti-Scriptural notion of universalism; and
be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS warn against the view held by so
many church members that a person can get to heaven as long
as he does good works regardless of his religious convictions;
and be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS declare that Christianity is the
one and only true and saving faith and that the Holy Trinity is
the only God who actually exists and can hear and answer
prayer.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Mo.
Orville Mever, Secretary

FELLOWSHIP
3-61

To Restore Altar and Pulpit Fellowship
with The American Lutheran Church
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

restore altar and pulpit fellowship with The American Luther-
an Church.

English District
Paul E. Bacon, Secretary

3-62
To Redeclare Fellowship with ALC

WHEREAS, The termination of fellowship with The American
Lutheran Church by the 54th regular convention of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is

1. a disappointment to many members of Synod who have
found a common confession and ministry with the congre-
gations of The American Lutheran Church, as well as other
Lutherans;

2. an embarrassment to our witness because it is perceived
as a judgment on the faith and confession of other Lutherans
despite the protestations to the contrary;

3. a resolution which does not permit the free exercise of
conscience for those who disagree, as did the resolutions which
declared fellowship in 1969;

4. an action which many feel goes beyond the requirements
for the ministry of the church established by the Augsburg
Confession, Art. VII; and

5. an action which many feel is contrary to the spirit of our
Lord’s High Priestly Prayer (John 17:20-23) that His disciples
might be one even as He and the Father are One; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
gathered in convention in St. Louis, Mo., on July 8—15, 1983—

1. Reaffirm the 1969 resolution declaring fellowship with
The American Lutheran Church;

2. Declare fellowship with such Lutheran bodies as share
our confession officially, such as the Lutheran Church in
America, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches,
the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, etc.; and

3. Make immediate efforts to participate and join in the
Lutheran union which is now being planned by most other
Lutheran bodies.

Jehovah Ev. Lutheran Church
St. Paul, Minn.

R. J. Krew, Chairperson

Ruth Bartling, Secretary

3-63

To Establish Fellowship
with Other Lutherans

WHEREAS, The Lord Jesus when He suffered, died, and rose
won for us full fellowship with God; and

WHEREAS, God’s fellowship comes to us and others through
Word and sacraments; and

WHEREAS, Our fellow Lutherans—those in the Lutheran
Church in America, The American Lutheran Church, the
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, the Wisconsin
Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and other Lutherans—also share
this fellowship with God in the Word and sacraments; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the LCMS redeclare full fellowship with the
ALC; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS take steps to be ready to establish
official fellowship with the new Lutheran body when it is
founded; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod encourage member congregations
to give expression to the fellowship we share with other
Lutherans.

Epiphany Lutheran Church
Northfield, Ohio

James Simler, Chairman
Cindy Welter, Secretary

3-64A
To Declare Fellowship with All Lutherans

WHEREAS, We confess that “it is sufficent for the true unity
of the Christian church that the Gospel be preached in
conformity with a pure understanding of it and that the
sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine
Word” (Augsburg Confession, Art. VII, Par. 2, Tappert, p. 32);
and

WHEREAS, The basis for fellowship exists among all Luther-
ans in the United States, who have accepted and are bound by
the written Word of our Lord, the Ecumenical‘Creeds, and the
Lutheran Confessions (even though there may be differences