LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 149

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 149

And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for
you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom
the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39) and “Therefore, who-
ever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the
Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread
and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without rec-
ognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on Him-
self” (1 Cor. 11:27-29); and

WHEREAS, In each of our congregations when we see members
not worshiping or leaving the LCMS to worship in congregations
that fail to meet the criteria of the teaching of God’s Word in its
truth and purity and the proper administration of the Sacraments,
we make an effort to bring those individuals back to the right
course for the sake of their souls. “My Father, who has given them
to Me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of My Fa-
ther’s hand” (John 10:29); be it therefore

Resolved, That the LCMS encourage the congregations of the
Synod to renew and re-educate their members in returning to the
basics of the theology of teaching God’s Word in its truth and pu-
rity and properly administering the Sacraments by conducting a se-
ries of sermons on the basic theology, discussing the issues in Bible
class(es), through faith renewal programs, and by contacting those
who stray from the church or are delinquent in their attendance.

St. John
Laurel, MT

3-05

To Encourage Renewed Study of Lutheran Confessions

WHEREAS, The report of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for “‘Fund-
ing the Mission” noted that division in our Synod and the resultant
mistrust is a significant roadblock for our work together; and

WHEREAS, The Constitution of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod commits us to the “Symbolical Books of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposi-
tion of the Word of God”; and.

WHEREAS, The Confessions of the Lutheran Church identify them-
selves as “a genuinely Christian symbol which all true Christians
ought to accept next to the Word of God” (FC SD Preface 4); and

WHEREAS, The Confessions contained in the Book of Concord
uniquely define our walk together as The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, thereby forming a foundation for unity and trust;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the congregations and the called workers of the
Synod be encouraged to begin in-depth examination of the Con-
fessions by studying the Three Chief Symbols in 2008, the Augs-
burg Confession in 2009, the Apology to the Augsburg Confession
in 2010, the Smalcald Articles in 2011, the Treatise on the Power
and Primacy of the Pope in 2012, the Small Catechism in 2013, the
Large Catechism in 2014, and the Formula of Concord in 2015;
and be it further

Resolved, That the districts be required to encourage and pro-
mote such study to the best of their abilities; and be it further

Resolved, That the CTCR be directed to produce study docu-
ments on each of the Symbolical Books suitable for use in pastors’
meetings and in congregational studies; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod President be directed to support and
encourage this renewal in the study of the Confessions of the
Lutheran Church through the official periodicals of the Synod.

Christ the King
Billings, MT

3-06

To Reaffirm Belief in the One True God
and Salvation in Christ Alone
WHEREAS, We are surrounded by a society increasingly con-

fused about the one true God; and

WHEREAS, Many have been led to believe that all religions lead
to salvation; and

WHEREAS, Many others have been led to believe that Christians,
Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God; and

WHEREAS, It has been publicly stated by some members of the
LCMS that Muslims worship the one true God; and

Wuereas, While the Scriptures do teach that all men have a nat-
ural knowledge of God (Romans 1|:18—20; 2:14—15), the Scriptures
do not teach that such knowledge leads to the worship of the true
God but rather idolatry (Romans 1:21-25); and

WHEREAS, The Scriptures clearly teach that there is no salva-
tion apart from Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12); and

Wuereas, The Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus Christ alone is
“the way and the truth and the life” and that “no one comes to the
Father except through [Jesus]” (John 14:6); and

WHEREAS, The Scriptures clearly teach that whoever rejects
Jesus rejects the Father who sent Him (Luke 10:16); and

WuereEasS, The Lutheran Confessions rightly teach that “there
is one undivided essence, and that there are nevertheless three dis-
tinct and coeternal persons of the same divine essence, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. We have always taught and defended this doctrine
and we believe that the Holy Scriptures testify to it firmly, surely,
and irrefutably. We steadfastly maintain that those who believe oth-
erwise do not belong to the church of Christ but are idolators and
blasphemers” (Ap I); therefore be it

Resolved, That the Nebraska District, its pastors, and congrega-
tions clearly confess and publicly proclaim in word and-deed that
scriptural doctrine that there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ
and that it is impossible to worship the one true God apart from
saving faith in Jesus Christ; and be it further

Resolved, That the Nebraska District memorialize in conven-
tion to the LCMS to clearly confess and publicly proclaim in word
and deed the scriptural doctrine that there is no salvation apart from
Jesus Christ, and that it is impossible to worship the one true God
apart from saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Nebraska District

3-07

To Declare Jesus Christ the Only Way to Heaven

WHEREAS, Surveys reveal that the majority of church members
maintain that all religions worship the same true God; and

WHEREAS, Pastors have prayed publicly with Muslims, Jews
and other non-Christians; and

WHEREAS, The Athanasian Creed says: “Whosoever will be
saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic,
{ie., universal, Christian] faith. Which faith except everyone do
keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlast-
ingly. ... And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in
Trinity and Trinity in Unity”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention declare that Jesus
Christ is the only way to heaven, Christianity is the only saving and
divinely revealed faith, and those who die without saving faith in
Jesus Christ are lost; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2007 LCMS convention ask the Board of Di-
rectors of the LCMS to request a series of articles in The Lutheran
Witness exposing the anti-scriptural universalism, which has infil-
trated the major denominations, and defend the fact that Christian-

’ ity is the only saving and divinely revealed faith.

~ Trinity
New Haven, MO