Understanding the Lutheran Faith Through Three Key Elements
Explore the core aspects of the Lutheran faith through the concepts of grace, faith, and Scripture, depicted in the images and reflections provided. Discover how these fundamental principles shape the Lutheran perspective on God's relationship with humanity and the essential components of belief and communication in this faith tradition.
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GRACE, FAITH, SCRIPTURE PORTRAIT OF A LUTHERAN DANIEL PAAVOLA
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE SOMEONE? Three points make up the essential picture What three things do your neighbors know about you? Is that enough to start their picture of you? What three things would you use to start the portrait of Lutherans?
THREE SOLAS While we might have several other key points for Lutherans, people such as Luther, Chemnitz, and Walther, let s use the three solas Scripture alone as the foundation of God s relationship with us Grace alone as our understanding of why God has chosen to be with us Faith alone as the way in which we can trust this relationship and where it is going
SOMEONE HAS TO SAY THE FIRST WORD Who started your first conversation? Where were you when you had that first talk? What were you each wearing? How long did the talk last?
GOD BEGINS THE CONVERSATION One of the keys of this relationship is God beginning with His Word. He begins with his elective choice before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:3-6 His Word is remarkably clear no middle man needed for interpretation His Word is convincing in itself so that no outside urging by another person makes us believe it
WE NEED TO TALK What frightening words, but needed. But what if we could hear not only the needed words of warning, the Law But what if we could also hear the Gospel, the message of how we are deeply loved? Then we should talk all the more. And this message for all becomes the believed and loved message for us
BOWLING ON THE SECOND DATE Why go bowling on your second date? Anyone can sit through a movie, but bowling shows . So grace is needed and grace alone will show us this relationship with the Trinity We find grace alone in the Father s 6 day creation of the world and his intention of us being the clearest reflection of himself.
GRACE IS NOT A WARNING TICKET Grace is not being stopped for speeding on a 14 degree day Three questions hold up the mystery of grace: How fast were you going? and the white Camry Why were you going so fast? You ve gotta understand If I give you a warning
SO WHY ARE YOU WITH ME? You want to know, but you don t dare to ask this. But with God s grace, it is the very question that lets God point to grace alone as his reason to be with us The answer is in his Son who is with us. (The little, old scratched table and the old four drawer dresser. Grace brings us in from the curb) This is all believable when the Spirit convinces us
WHERE IS THIS GOING? It would be great to know how the relationship is going We have that assurance by faith alone through the gifts of God s Word and also by the gifts of baptism and Lord s Supper. Here is God s answer to the question he wants us to ask
BAPTISM AS THE WASHING FOR ALL TIME Images of baptism as the washing, the perfect cleansing of us as the bride Perfect in his eyes without change or fading It takes faith to trust that the image in the wedding mirror won t change and that it will be perfect in the eyes of the groom.
LORDS SUPPER AS THE CHECK A new car what a birthday gift! Or, a beautiful burden it all depends Show the cancelled check and then it is a gift. Cherish the check for its reassurance. The Supper is the cancelled check giving us the very payment made for our forgiveness. It is the complete, true meal, more than a picture in a cookbook
THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE US Scripture by which God speaks the first word to us and never stops speaking of his love and care Grace by which we are forgiven entirely by his work and the gift of Jesus death and resurrection Faith by which we trust that God s promises are true, especially as baptism and the Lord s Supper remind of his work
