LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 73

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CONVENTION BIBLE STUDIES

God, we receive His gift of forgiveness and take on the righteousness of Christ .
Our second challenge in reconciliation is to forgive those
who sin against us . If we do not recognize our own need to
confess sin, then we can pretend that there is nothing to forgive on the other side . After all, those people are just ignorant
and make stupid mistakes . It’s not really sin, is it?
Conflict is not necessarily bad, and not all conflict is caused
by sin . Disagreements may be caused by misunderstandings,
differences, or competition . Resolving those differences is
important . We need to debate about our differences to reach
godly decisions . We have real material issues to discuss and
belief issues for which we need to seek agreement .
At the same time, it does not take long for two passionate people to sin against one another in their disagreements .
On the material issues, it may look like this: we argue over
our differences and then take an action to resolve the problem . There, the conflict’s over . We took a vote and that’s that .
But if we fail to reconcile our relationship through confession and forgiveness, a seed of bitterness sprouts, and mistrust
grows among us . The next disagreement seems to reveal a little more tension . Our words about each other become more
biting . We manage to find some sort of resolution and move
on again . We can resolve all sorts of issues that way, but without reconciliation, we allow relationships to wither and die .

Our Source of Hope
In the Convention Workbook, the “Progress Report of the
Task Force on Synodical Harmony” identifies aspects of the
present disharmony in Synod, some of which include:
• Inability to deal with diversity
• A lack of civility
• A politicized culture
• Distrust
The Synod in convention can move all sorts of resolutions
to solve our problems, and many may prove to be helpful .
But reconciliation can never be voted upon . Trust cannot be
built through taking a vote . Can we as a people justify such
things as “a lack of civility,” “a politicized culture,” and “party
lines”? Or are we willing to confess that some of what we do
in the name of “church” is described as sinful in Scripture?
• “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are
you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human
way? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another,
‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human?”
(1 Corinthians 3:3b–4) .
• “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that
you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:15) .
• “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but
kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,
correcting his opponents with gentleness . God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of
the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape
from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him

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to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:24–26) .
• “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for
one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16a) .
Influenced by our sinful world, Christians may become
desensitized to sin and fail to recognize the sinfulness of
behaviors we personally experience and see around us . At
times, we accept worldly rationalizations or excuses to avoid
acknowledgement of sin . When this happens, we doubt that
the Gospel is powerful and effective for addressing life’s
tough issues . Instead, we seek to resolve problems using
worldly means without applying what God’s Word teaches
regarding sin and grace .
Martin Luther said, “The more you minimize sin, the more
will grace decline in value .”4
Is there any hope for harmony in a church that prides itself
in being people of the Word?
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a
manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with
one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace . There is one body and one Spirit—just as
you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is
over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1–6) .

We are one people, forgiven through Christ, who have
hope, because Christ who forgives is present in our conflicts .
Hope is not found in simply resolving conflict . Our hope is
not in convention resolutions . Our hope is not in elections
of certain leaders . Our hope is not in new structures or old
structures .
Together with Edward Mote, we can boldly proclaim:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
No merit of my own I claim
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name .
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand .5
Will godly people sin against God and one another this
week as our work continues? Scripture teaches that we sin
daily . But God will never leave us . He is here among us to
teach and encourage, and to admonish and forgive, again and
again . We are truly one people forgiven through Christ .

The Power of Forgiveness
What do you believe about the power of forgiveness?
In Psalm 103, David reflects:
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
2010 Convention Proceedings