LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1977, Page 135

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RESOLUTIONS 135

To Study Issues of Human Sexuality

RESOLUTION 3-19
Report 3-01, I, B, 4 (CW, p. 38)

WHEREAS, The Commission on Theology and
Church Relations (CTCR) of the Synod has in process a
study of issues of human sexuality; and

WHEREAS, A moral decadence is sweeping across our
land resulting in a debasing of God’s gift of sex, a
cheapening of relationships, and a perversion of basic
sexuality; and

WHEREAS, This decadence manifests itself in sexual
abuses of many kinds which tear at the fabric of family
life and social structures; therefore be it

Resolved, That the CTCR continue to study all
issues of human sexuality; and be it further

Resolved, That the results of this study be shared
with the membership of the Synod as soon as possible;
and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod witness to the
wholesomeness of God’s gift of sex and urge its
members to resist anything that would debase,
cheapen, or pervert this gift of God.

Action: Adopted (15).
(“Illness” was changed to “decadence” by common
consent.)
To Encourage Fellowship Discussions
with All Lutheran Church Bodies

RESOLUTION 3-20

Report 3-01, I, F-I (CW, pp. 44—45); Overtures 3-
172A—3-178, 3-180—3-182E (CW, pp. 118—121)

WHEREAS, The unity of the church is the work and
gift of the Holy Spirit as He calls, gathers, enlightens,
and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and
keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; and

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon God’s people to work
for the visible expression of our unity in the confession
of Christ on the basis of the Holy Scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments as the inspired revelation of God
and the witness to the salvation He has given us in
Christ; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage its President,
in consultation with the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations, to initiate and/or continue dis-
cussions with all Lutheran church bodies regarding
fellowship; and be it further

Resolved, That the President of the Synod and the
Commission on Theology and Church Relations be
requested to report to the Synod on the progress and
results of these discussions.

Action: Adopted (12).
To Reaffirm Christ as Word
RESOLUTION 3-21

Overture 3-92 (CW, p. 97)
WHEREAS, Both the Holy Scriptures and the

Lutheran Confessions use the term “Word” to describe
the Holy Scriptures as the written Word of God; and
WHEREAS, Both the Holy Scriptures and the
Lutheran Confessions use the term “Word” also to
describe Christ as the “Incarnate” Word; therefore be it

Resolved, That we reaffirm our understanding of the
use of this term; and be it further

Resolved, That we reject any understanding of the
term “Word” that would limit its use to one sense or to
the other.

Action: Adopted (16).

To Preserve a Proper View
of the Doctrine of the Law

RESOLUTION 3-22
Overture 3-98 (CW, p. 98)

WHEREAS, In The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod “we believe, teach, and confess that the Law is
properly a divine doctrine, which teaches what is right
and pleasing to God, and reproves everything that is
sin and contrary to God’s will,” and that “for this
reason, then, everything that reproves sin is, and
belongs to, the preaching of the Law” (FC, V, 2, 3); and

WHEREAS, In The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod “we believe, teach, and confess that the
preaching of the Law is to be urged with diligence, not
only upon the believing and impenitent, but also upon
true believers, who are truly converted, regenerate, and
justified by faith,” and that “thus the Law is and
remains both to the penitent and impenitent, both to
regenerate and unregenerate men, one (and the same)
Law, namely, the immutable will of God; and the
difference, so far as concerns obedience, is alone in
man, inasmuch as one whois not as yet regenerate does
for the Law out of constraint and unwillingly what it
requires of him (as also the regenerate do according to
the flesh); but the believer, so far as he is regenerate,
does without constraint and with a willing spirit that
which no threatenings (however severe) of the Law
could ever extort from him” (FC, VI, 2, 6); and

WHEREAS, “All Scripture should be divided into
these two chief doctrines, the law and the promises”
(Ap IV, 5); therefore be it

Resolved, That we reaffirm that the Law, as well as
the Gospel, is the Word of God and therefore a divine
doctrine; and be it further

Resolved, That we reaffirm our Scriptural and
confessional Lutheran position with respect to the
threefold use of the Law:

1. as a curb, to check coarse outbursts of sin (1 Tim.
1:9-10);

2. as a mirror, to show us our sin (Rom. 3:20);

3. as a rule, to guide us in living a God-pleasing life
(Ps. 119:105).

Action: Adopted (16).

(“Scriptural and” was added to the second resolve by
mutual consent.)