For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables.
— 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Contemporary religious culture is saturated with these three unbiblical ideas:
- Pietism
… My own good works and the purity I feel in my heart are more important than what I believe.
- Revivalism
… A conversion experience is necessary to be a Christian. My new life in Christ starts with an act of my own will.
- Mysticism
… God talks to me outside of what is written in the bible.
These three things are at odds with scripture and with Lutheran teaching and practice.
Here Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller talks with the host of the Long for Truth channel about them.
As Pastor Wolfmueller points out, pietism brings people to take their own fragile feelings and apparent goodness as proof of their salvation. Doing this leads away from looking to God’s biblical promises to us. It places the emphasis on what we do for Christ, rather than what Christ has done for us. It also makes it easy to forget that repentance and humility are lifelong projects for each of us, due to the sinful nature that remains in each of us as long as we are on earth.
Similarly, revivalism is not part of our belief or practice. The first step toward becoming Lutheran is baptism, which carries God’s biblical promises of regeneration through a lifetime in the Word. Then after study, older children and adult converts publicly declare their faith, becoming communicant members.
None of this necessarily involves a one-time conversion experience. If you ask a Lutheran when he or she was saved, you’ll usually hear one of two answers: (1) “About two thousand years ago on the cross;” or (2) “When I was baptized.”
Confessional Lutherans do not believe a conversion experience, emotional or otherwise, is a biblical requirement to be a Christian. Similarly, we emphasize that believers should trust in Jesus Christ and his promises, rather than requiring that they must have a “personal relationship” with Him. We trust that reading God’s Word, remembering it, hearing it preached, believing it, and receiving it in the sacraments, lead to — and maintain — saving faith.
As for hearing God’s voice, when people claim this ability, sadly, they often come away with ideas that are not in the bible, or that even contradict the bible. As a result, they not only mislead themselves, but they also mislead others.
One of the hallmarks of Lutheran belief is sola scriptura — scripture alone. This was not just for the Reformation. It is for us now, as well. We believe the bible is God’s entire revelation to us. We believe it gives people all that God has graciously shared, and will share, of His Word this side of heaven. And for that great blessing, we give Him thanks.
The Word of the Lord endures forever.