LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1977, Page 131

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RESOLUTIONS 131

WHEREAS, During the years since the initial opinion
delivered by the Supreme Court of the United States
declaring abortion on demand constitutionally per-
missible, except for certain minimal restraints, the
CTCR and its SCC have reaffirmed the Synod’s
position and continue to oppose the legalization of
nontherapeutic abortions; and

WHEREAS, The Social Concerns Committee has
initiated a life-concerns program for various segments
of the constituency of the LCMS, providing resources
and conducting life-concerns workshops at colleges and
in forums in some of the Districts of the Synod; and

WHEREAS, Within the last year in testimony before
the Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights of
the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives of the United States 94th Congress,
members of the Synod’s Social Concerns Committee
restated our Christian commitment to all of life,
submitted their testimony in opposition to abortion,
and urged the Representatives on the Subcommittee to
enact such measures into law as will afford a proper
protection of the rights of as yet unborn human beings;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage all of its
members to support both corporately and individually
programs designed to speak for the living but unborn
child and to protest publicly the sin of abortion on
demand; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod urge its members to
support efforts by public officials and private citizens
at every level—national, state, and local—to provide
protection for all human life, including the living but
unborn, under our judicial concept of well-ordered
liberty; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS encourage its members to
become involved in the development of “alternatives to
abortion programs,” offering compassionate counsel
and assistance to pregnant women who are in spiritual
and material need; and be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS, under Law and Gospel,
urge it members to become yet more sensitive to the
dilemmas of individuals who contemplate abortion and
stand in need of a Christian community that will deal
pastorally with them as they have made or are making
decisions under God that bear on this important
matter.

Action: Adopted as amended (12).

(The convention replaced “evils” with “sin” in the first
resolve and substituted throughout “living but unborn” for
“unborn.” It declined to place the words “abortion on
demand” in quotation marks and to remove “corporately and”
from the first resolve. It also refused to incorporate in the
resolution paragraph b of the first resolve of Overture 3-71 A.)

To Declare Fellowship with SELK
RESOLUTION 3-09
Report 3-01 UX (TB, p. 20)
WHEREAS, Three Lutheran Free Churches in Ger-

many formed the Selbstaendige Evangelisch-
Lutherische Kirche (Independent Lutheran Church) on
June 25, 1972; and

WHEREAS, The Synod has for many years enjoyed
altar and pulpit fellowship with these three Lutheran
Free Churches; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in gratitude to God
officially declare itself to be in altar and pulpit
fellowship with the Selbstaendige Evangelisch-
Lutherische Kirche, thereby continuing fellowship it
has enjoyed for many years with the member bodies of
this church.

Action: Adopted (12).

To Clarify the Synod’s Position
Regarding Charismatic Teaching

RESOLUTION 3-10A
Overtures 3-62—3-67B (CW, pp. 87—89)

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church has a rich heritage
of Spirit theology in its confessional writings, in its
exegetical studies, and in its hymns and prayers; and

WHEREAS, “We are grateful to God for the renewed
interest which many Christians in all generations take
in the work of the Holy Spirit” (“The Lutheran Church
and the Charismatic Movement,” 1977); and

WHEREAS, Scripture so clearly teaches:

1. That we are justified alone by the atoning work of Jesus

hrist.

2. That the forgiveness of our sins on account of Christ,
promised and offered in the Gospel, is our righteousness
before God.

3. That it is by faith alone that we accept God’s promised
offer of forgiveness and are justified.

4. That the faith by which we accept God’s forgiveness on
account of Christ is the work of God’s Spirit through the
external means of grace, namely, the preaching
(teaching) of the Gospel, Holy Baptism, Holy Absolu-
tion, and the Lord’s Supper. Through these external
means the Holy Spirit works faith in the heart when and
where it pleases God. Through these external means of
grace the Holy Spirit, together with all that is necessary
for life and salvation, is given to those who believe.

5. That faith, which is the work of God’s Spirit, is the
confident assurance that for Christ’s sake we are
forgiven and accepted by God as righteous. Through
this confident faith in the promise of God the accusing
voice of conscience is quieted and the troubled heart
finds rest.

and

WHEREAS, Certain doctrines held and taught by
some individuals and groups in the charismatic
movement are mere human opinion, not clearly taught
in Holy Scripture and therefore contrary to the Holy
Scriptures, and therefore dangerous to the salvation of
men to teach:

1. That God desires every Christian, following Baptism, to
have a ‘second experience’ such as the ‘baptism with the
Spirit.’

2. That the so-called ‘gifts of the Spirit’ are external signs
by which we can assure ourselves that we have faith,
are living in God’s grace, or have the Spirit of God.

3. That God promises every Christian such gifts as
speaking in tongues, healing, discerning of spirits, and
prophecy and that God has given such a promise as a
part of the ‘full’ or ‘complete Gospel.’