Episode # 14 - Law and Gospel - Pt. III
Josh and Scott wrap up a series on the Law / Gospel distinction as we discuss Luther's Heidelberg Disputation.
tumblr dot com
DEAR READER
dirt enthusiast
styofa doing anything
Peter Solarz
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
I'd rather be in outer space đ¸
Not today Justin
will byers stan first human second

Kiana Khansmith

if i look back, i am lost

⣠Chile in a Photography âŁ

â

romaâ
NASA

izzy's playlists!
Today's Document
Show & Tell

seen from Spain
seen from Australia

seen from Canada

seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malta

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Sweden

seen from Malaysia
seen from Italy
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Romania
seen from United States

seen from Singapore
seen from Australia
seen from United Kingdom
@alivelutheran
Episode # 14 - Law and Gospel - Pt. III
Josh and Scott wrap up a series on the Law / Gospel distinction as we discuss Luther's Heidelberg Disputation.

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Episode # 13 - Law and Gospel - Pt. II
Josh and Scott continue a  series on the Law / Gospel distinction so critical to understanding Lutheranism. This week we discuss Walther's first five theses on Law and Gospel.
Episode # 12 - Law and Gospel - Pt. I
Josh and Scott begin a two-part series on the Law / Gospel distinction so critical to understanding Lutheranism.
Why Losing Is Winning Life can deal us a difficult hand at times. Financial difficulties, health issues emotional setbacks, accidents, flood, storms...the list goes on and on. None of us are immune from lifeâs difficulties. As a believer in the Gospel, however, we can take comfort in the fact that, while we often feel like we are losing, in fact we are winning. Let me explain. When we are in the midst of extreme hardship and difficulty, and we feel we have lost everything, we are in a great place. And that is because we are free to lose. We are free to not win every fight. We are free to ignore the inner voice that tells us weâre worthless, or it is all our fault, or it is our punishment. While we cannot know Godâs hidden reasons for allowing us to be inflicted, we take solace in the fact that Jesus died for our iniquities, freeing us to not win every fight, argument, or even every tragic life event. The Gospel frees us because we donât have to have it all together. In fact, if we do, something is wrong. Then, our dependence is no longer on God, but on ourselves. We then remain bound to our own ways, methods, and ideas. It is the most difficult issues in life that show us that, no matter what we want to tell ourselves, we are vulnerable people. We live in a sinful world. And we cannot escape eventual difficulty and pain. But we can take comfort in Jesus, who endured excruciating pain and difficulty so that we might have life. And when we received Word and Sacrament, we are nourished. So feel free to lose, because thatâs when we gain the win.Â
We Donât Need to Know Everything There Is to Know About God I love studying theology. It is a good thing to know more about our God, who He is, and what He has done on our behalf. But there comes a time when we must remember that He doesnât love us based on our desire to study theology. He loves us because He loves us. Period. And he desires to save all. So the next time you think: âthis person knows nothing about the faithâ, keep in mind that all a person needs is the faith of a mustard seed. We donât need to be âsuper Christians.â There isnât such a thing. We ned Jesus, given to us in Word and Sacrament. If you love studying, thatâs great. But donât judge those that canât, donât, or wonât. There may be a reason that you arenât aware of.

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Being Defeated Helps Us In many ways, Christianity is directly opposite of life here on earth. Up is down, down is up, left is right, and right is left. When we think of God as mighty and powerful, he comes to us as a defenseless infant. When we think of living for God and impressing him, we eventually find out that it is impossible. Which takes me to defeat. This is such a word that carries with it so much anathema from the world, especially here in America. We cheer on sports teams as if our lives depended on it. We push for our political will to be so that the one we want to win, actually wins. We cringe at the thought of being defeated. But how about we think of defeat as normal, or even, desirable? A radical thought, to be sure. But Jesus himself allowed Himself to be defeated by His enemies who sought to kill him. He gave Himself for us so that we may not pay for our sins. So the next time you experience a defeat - whether financial, relational, or other - embrace it, rather than fight it. Our value system is not Godâs. We are free to be defeated. God doesnât judge us on a sliding scale of merit. And because of this, we can be defeated and not fear. Jesus paid it all so that we might live. And when this life is over, we will no longer experience defeat. Because he has bought the victory for us. Amen.
Donât Overthink Christianity When I was training for a job back in my native RI, the person training me got annoyed with some of my questions. So one day she blurted out: âdonât overthink this.â We can also be guilty of this as Christians. We obsess about what God might want us to do, how to do it, and often ask ourselves: âwhat if Iâm wrong?â. We must keep in mind that God gave us reason. But reason is a gift from God. We ought to use it as best as we can.We donât want to force the Christian faith to pass our âreasonâ test. But we must also not âoverthinkâ when it comes to our faith. Especially doctrine and practice. This doesnât mean I think that we should never study or think about our doctrine. But I also think we ought to defer, inasmuch as possible, to our Christian forefathers (who, incidentally, forgot more than we will ever know about the faith, in many cases). So we need to exercise a certain amount of trust in them, rather than become skeptical about what the church has thought about matters for generations. When we overthink, we can cause ourselves many difficulties. I think, specifically, of Ps. 131:1: âA Song of Ascents. Of David. O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.â This is particularly directed to those theologically-minded individuals (like myself). Relax a bit. Know that the Gospel is primary and rest in it.
Is a Focus On Sanctification More Roman Catholic than Lutheran? Often, a problem may be solved by looking at what something looks like in its whole, rather than by the sum of its various (and often moving) parts. With that in mind, I would like to issue a gentle challenge to my Lutheran brothers and sisters who are riding the sanctification bandwagon. Ask yourself: what does this look most like? Does this approach look more Roman Catholic, or Lutheran? You may recall that Rome believes that we are justified by faith plus works set in motion by love. Weâre all clear on that. But what of the zeitgeist of a focus on sanctification? Doesnât that make the Lutheran look more Roman Catholic, in that it promotes looking within to see how much progress Iâve made? Or how much better I am than those OTHER Christians who donât exercise spiritual discipline like I do? I think you get the point. I could go on and on. When we stress sanctification, we fail every time. When we stress justification, sanctification does indeed follow by His grace alone. But not by my increased focus or effort. If you want to look like a Lutheran, that is.
New Yearâs Resolutions and Realism People love a fresh start. Thatâs why, I think, that New Years and its corresponding resolutions are so popular. Itâs as if some magic counter has been reset back to â00000âł, much like an odometer on a car dashboard. The problem with this type of thinking is that it is completely removed from reality. The bare fact is...our sin nature has not hit a reset button. In fact, we may very well sin more in our efforts to get the fresh start we think we deserve. For me, this past year hasnât been great. At all. I have been kicked out of a church and denied a new pastorate all in the same month. I have also suffered severe financial setbacks. Will 2016 be different? Maybe. But maybe not. We as Lutherans are nothing if not realists. We live in the real world of disappointments, sicknesses, injury, surprise trials, and a myriad of sinful inclinations and proclivities. We do not live in the land of Oz, where good things always triumph over evil things, and where the bad guy gets theirs. Iâm not making a ânew lawâ against New Yearâs resolutions. But many Christians are very Pollyannish about life. Letâs not join them. We will only receive permanent rest when we are with Jesus.
Lutheranism Is Not For the Curious We Christians can be a curious lot, especially regarding theology. Whether it is books, or other theological traditions, our need to know more can be a good thing. But, often, it can lead to some issues. Take, for example, those that become curious about Lutheranism. Many, especially of the Reformed persuasion, become curious about our tradition. This is not alone a bad thing. But often, I think, the reason is not Gospel-oriented, but puzzle oriented.  In other words, âhow can I unravel this Lutheran puzzle and seeming contradictions between Godâs sovereignty, Christ dying for all, and its related paradoxes.â That is not the reason for coming to Lutheranism, however. The reason to come to Lutheranism is a deeper appreciation for the Gospel, and a desire for the Gospel to be the center. Not a phony center on paper, put a TRUE, central theme in all that you think and do. You know the old adage: âcuriosity killed the cat.â But while curiosity about Lutheranism wonât kill anyone, that alone wonât help anyone looking at Lutheranism. Only a desire for THE denomination/theology that is most reflective of the Gospel will reap rewards.

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Are You a Smiley Face Christian One of the more deceptively annoying things about being a Christian in America is running into the ubiquitous âsmiley face Christian.â You know the type. Always SMILING and saying âpraise God.â Notwithstanding Biblical statements of Christians being joyful, I maintain that these are two different animals. Even this Brethren author seems to recognize that. Joy is not necessarily worn on oneâs sleeve. Joy is not a plastic veneer that one plasters on when we leave for church on Sunday morning, and tears off when we get in the car in the church parking lot. Joy is also not pretending that everything is OK when it certainly isnât. Denial is not joy. For the Lutheran, as I have stated previously, realism sets the tone. Scripture tells us that trouble will come. While we are not to be overly pessimistic or negative when they contradict the facts on the ground, neither are we to smile at all costs. Because of the effects of the fall, life is real, painful, confusing. And the world is full of trouble. And our response to these things is to certainly trust our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in lifeâs stormsâŚ.and wear whatever face is appropriate at the time.
Excessive Study Often Makes Someone Leave Their Tradition I have been a big fan of studying theology over the years. Purchasing books, reading web articles, and talking about it took up a lot of my time. Helping my neighbor..not so much. I studied a lot and have changed traditions often. Donât get me wrong..Iâm glad I did! However, this makes me wonder if some Lutheran laymen are overdoing it. Do they not believe their theology is correct? Do they not know that the Gospel is best expressed here? Often, I have found that Lutherans, somehow not content with where they are, study to the point of going to Eastern Orthodoxy. So my advice to these well-meaning study maniacs? Use care! You wonât find a better Christian tradition that has the Gospel at its center. And take a break from your studying and enjoy the Gospel as expressed in Word and Sacrament! I wouldnât want to see you move to EO just because you found some shiny object in your home office or study!
Lower Your Standards...Really When I was evangelicalism, and in particular, fundamentalism, one thing that was a constant drumbeat was the need for âhigh standards.â Whether it was clothing, music, or work, the necessity for high standards was accepted across the board as Gospel truth. Certainly, we should desire good, solid, theology, and having a high standard in that category is a good thing. But the whole idea of âhigh standardsâ is borrowed from the kingdom of the left. The business world has this as a constant mantra, pushing ourselves more and more to become better and faster. For that to happen, our standards would be necessarily higher. But it is problematic when we take a business mantra and place it firmly in the kingdom of the right where the Gospel is. When we walk around placing high standards on people, places, and things that have to dow ith church and Christians, we are residing in a place where the law should not predominate. And high standards is certainly law. What would happen if we actually LOWERED our standards? Relationships would become much less strained, our expectations less apt to being shattered. Disappointment in others would fade into the background, because, after all, we canât be disappointed when we have low expectations and low standards. This will certainly sound shocking to an American Christianity weaned on âgetting better at all costs.â But that approach has little to do with the Gospel. All this is not to say that we should embrace sinful approaches. But it would go a long way to recognizing the truth of the Fall; that people can and do let us down; that we need to give people a lot of leeway. In a word, we apply Gospel rather than Law. Does this sound dangerous? Perhaps. But it is realistic and the closest thing to a Lutheran approach that I know of.
Santa Claus Is Not God...and Vice Versa When I was Reformed, I poo-pooâd Christmas as an âunnecessary ritual not in Scripture.â Or something. Now, as a Lutheran, I see Christmas as something that should be viewed as a fun time (thanks, Two Kingdoms!). Of course, it is the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  But the issue of Santa Claus can cause some problems. Because Santa is touted as someone who âsees everything, knows everything, and can be everywhere at onceâ, a child can be unwittingly be made to think that Santa is God. Of course, catechization of your children at a young age will likely inoculate them against this. Now, I donât think that Santa is some satanic plot to send kids to hell. But I do agree that, if children are not taught well early on, that they may be susceptible to this false belief about Santa. So, at the risk of being called a radical fundamentalist or a loosey-goosey Christian, Merry Christmas, pass the wine, and (for those of us who know better), ho ho ho!
Worry Is Law One thing that almost everyone does (itâs hard NOT to do it) is to worry, at least to some degree. There have been many techniques to help someone stop worrying, and I have no quarrel with them. When a person worries, most of the time, it is over something that hasnât even occurred yet. And they do say that most things we worry about never occur. However, it can be instructive to understand that, when it all boils down, worry is a type of LAW. Law tells us âyou must.â Our fallen heart tells us âyou must worry,â which we often dutifully follow. But newsflash: the Bible tells us that we need not worry. It is law. That doesnât mean that bad things wonât happen. They will. But, the vast majority of the time, worrying has never helped prevent any of it. Don't confuse worrying with careful planning, though. We ought and must plan ahead to some extent. But that is a far cry from worrying. Some of have more proclivity to give in to worry than others, and this post is in now way intended to condemn what is sometimes compulsive worrying. But it does help to know it isnât needed and discouraged as we trust God, whether we have plenty or little.

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Is Forgiveness Really All We Need?
Evangelicals, in their well-meaning zealousness for God, seem to all too often view forgiveness as something that took place 2000 years ago and has little relevance with today. Juxtapose this view with the Lutheran view, which places forgiveness as the very center of theology. It is not a mere âentry pointâ to the faith, but is the very faith. Could it be that they really, deep-down donât believe they really need it? âAfter allâ, they reason, âI am getting better and sinning less. Therefore, it must mean I need forgiveness less.â This is an unfortunate over-estimation of sanctification as if you move closer to sanctification....thus, further away from justification. (I believe this also plays into the sanctification debate currently going on in Lutheran circles, but that is another article for another time). To answer the question posited in this article, yes, forgiveness is really all we need. Godliness is not becoming better, but realizing our great need for forgiveness and Christ. And forgiveness is at the very center of Lutheran liturgy and worship. This position may not be particularly exciting on the ground, but it is nonetheless true anyway. Jesus never promised that Christianity is supposed to be exciting anyway. Carry on.
Donât Try To Be Above It All In my time as a believer, I have heard folks say things like âIâm neither Republican or Democratâ, âI donât believe in denominations,â âI donât like to judgeâ, and so forth. In a lot of ways, I think this is a desire to be âabove the frayâ, and so much âbetter than those who fight.â Someone needs to tell these well-meaning people (who often are Christians) that labels are good. They help identify what is inside something. Certainly they donât apply that logic to buying olives! Without a label on the olives, how will they know what is inside? It isnât mean or hateful to self-identify with a certain group, denomination, or political affiliation. It helps define what you believe. This is one of the pet peeves I have with liberals. To them, everything is gray, and there is no black and white (except when it comes to agreeing with them!). It is like nailing Jello to the wall. But specifics we must know, believe, and adhere to. Labels have served us well in all areas of life, including religion and politics. So put down your pride. Youâre no better than the rest of us.Â