Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.
Not unnecessary at all: I had not heard about this matter until Ad Crucem brought it up. I am grateful to this site for doing sound journalism and commentary.
I was a Yancy fan back in the day, and a few others of his ilk. The teaching tickles the ear, and leaves scars later. Thankful the Lord saw me through it.
I don’t disagree with what you’ve said about Yancey’s theology. However, when I belonged to an LCMS church, the vast majority of sermons centered on justification. How faith should impact what someone does or avoids wasn’t really a focus.
Too many pastors do seem to be afraid of rebuke or exhortation. Especially lately, I have never seen so many people trying so hard to hide and excuse public sin as I have recently in and among our church officials. It makes me very sad, and demonstrates a lack of trustworthiness.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but our Large Catechism explains, “Where the sin is public, the punishment ought to be public so that everyone may know how to guard against it.“ LC I.284. Public punishment of a public sin is how God tells His church to equip everyone to guard against the devastating spiritual damages of these sins. Public punishment of public sin is God‘s way of protecting his children. Withholding that protection is manifest cruelty. The Confessions assume where there is a public sin, church officials will punish it, but what happens when our church officials judge the public sin to be sin, yet refuse to punish the public sin? Does that mean the intent of God‘s Word does not apply to them? Of course not. God‘s Word also means the judgment that the public sin is sin (that judgment itself being a mild form of punishment) and/or the judgment of how a public sin will be dealt with, even if that means a decision not to punish the public sin for some reason, should be public so that everyone may know how to guard against the sin. That transparency is God‘s clear desire for His church, taught plainly in our Lutheran Confessions to which LCMS officials supposedly subscribe.
When officials are refusing to obey God’s Word on this, whether they are afraid of backlash, or trying to cover up the judgments they know defy God‘s Word, they are putting so many souls in danger. Like I said, it makes me very sad to see it.
Very well stated. Not judging public sin is also public sin, and the consequences just pile on. We've seen instances where those who are supposed to judge public sin are afraid of those they should be judging, because those willing to do these things can be quite threatening. Pastors and church leaders without the courage to do this are putting the faithful sheep in grave danger. Some sheep just run for their lives. The LCMS doesn't even consider this as a cause of attrition, and when we mentioned this to our DP, he just ignored it.
An unnecessary “piling-on”.
2 Peter 3:17
Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.
Not unnecessary at all: I had not heard about this matter until Ad Crucem brought it up. I am grateful to this site for doing sound journalism and commentary.
I was a Yancy fan back in the day, and a few others of his ilk. The teaching tickles the ear, and leaves scars later. Thankful the Lord saw me through it.
I don’t disagree with what you’ve said about Yancey’s theology. However, when I belonged to an LCMS church, the vast majority of sermons centered on justification. How faith should impact what someone does or avoids wasn’t really a focus.
Unfortunately, true.
Many pastors seem to be afraid of rebuke or exhortation for fear of becoming "legalistic". This leads to unfortunate consequences.
Too many pastors do seem to be afraid of rebuke or exhortation. Especially lately, I have never seen so many people trying so hard to hide and excuse public sin as I have recently in and among our church officials. It makes me very sad, and demonstrates a lack of trustworthiness.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but our Large Catechism explains, “Where the sin is public, the punishment ought to be public so that everyone may know how to guard against it.“ LC I.284. Public punishment of a public sin is how God tells His church to equip everyone to guard against the devastating spiritual damages of these sins. Public punishment of public sin is God‘s way of protecting his children. Withholding that protection is manifest cruelty. The Confessions assume where there is a public sin, church officials will punish it, but what happens when our church officials judge the public sin to be sin, yet refuse to punish the public sin? Does that mean the intent of God‘s Word does not apply to them? Of course not. God‘s Word also means the judgment that the public sin is sin (that judgment itself being a mild form of punishment) and/or the judgment of how a public sin will be dealt with, even if that means a decision not to punish the public sin for some reason, should be public so that everyone may know how to guard against the sin. That transparency is God‘s clear desire for His church, taught plainly in our Lutheran Confessions to which LCMS officials supposedly subscribe.
When officials are refusing to obey God’s Word on this, whether they are afraid of backlash, or trying to cover up the judgments they know defy God‘s Word, they are putting so many souls in danger. Like I said, it makes me very sad to see it.
John 3:19–21 (NASB)
Very well stated. Not judging public sin is also public sin, and the consequences just pile on. We've seen instances where those who are supposed to judge public sin are afraid of those they should be judging, because those willing to do these things can be quite threatening. Pastors and church leaders without the courage to do this are putting the faithful sheep in grave danger. Some sheep just run for their lives. The LCMS doesn't even consider this as a cause of attrition, and when we mentioned this to our DP, he just ignored it.
A very unnecessary piling on. Maybe the LCMS should focus on the antinomians within our own ranks.
We can be Christian rather than tribal with these infections.