Proverbs over Pronouns

Why we declare the hope that is within us.

I recently received this email from someone at a church who had ordered an item from us:

Had [Name of Church] known our order would include the "Proverbs Over Pronouns" sticker, we would have never given your company our business. Honoring one's pronouns is loving one's neighbor. Do better. 

This was my response:

Dear [Name], 

I am sorry that you did not realize that we are a confessional Lutheran company. We try to make this clear on our website, in our social media, adverts and blogs, as we seek to declare the immutable truth of God’s Word and our Lutheran Confessions, especially the Apostles’ Creed, to a dying world.

If you would like to cancel your order, please mail it back to me and I’ll refund your account when the ornaments arrive. 

The Good Samaritan our Savior described (Luke 10) did not leave the victim in his brokenness, to wallow in pain, but took him, cared for him and healed him. 

You are so right that we as Christians are called to love our neighbors. As Lutherans, we are compelled to ask, ‘What does this mean?’.  The answer is found in our Luther’s Small Catechism, the 8th Commandment: 

"We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way."

St. Paul describes the life of the Christian:

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works….

...For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (From Titus 2 & 3)

Eternity is ahead of each one of us. 

Christians must take Christ’s warnings very seriously. Christ loves us, and desires for each of us to repent of our sins, turn to Him and be healed. That was why He came to earth to save us. Christ warns us in Luke 12, "Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!”  Romans 1 describes the wrath of God for those who reject Him to embrace their lusts. 

Scripture tells us that we as Christians should be as iron sharpening iron, I pray that what I have said has helped you to see things from a Confessional, historically Biblical perspective, and I thank you for helping me to focus on what it means to love my neighbor. I pray that both of us will grow in the knowledge and love of our Lord. If you are looking for further reading, to test if what I have said is biblical, please consider reading the book of Romans, it is such an important text to us Lutherans - especially this Reformation Day. 

God bless you, 

Wanita