Confessing Christ

Text: Matthew 10:32-33
Date: The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession6/25/06

  This is the 476th anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession by the first evangelicals, the Lutherans, to Charles V, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on June 25, 1530. It is one of the most important documents of all Christian history next to the New Testament and the three ecumenical creeds. For it sought to restore the pure understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at a time when traditions and the teachings of men contradicted and overshadowed the Gospel. As of first importance you need to know that the Augsburg Confession did NOT add anything new to the New Testament or the Creed. It is not a document like the Muslim Koran or the Book of Mormon that “add to” the Bible. As the introduction to the Book of Concord of 1580 says: “Before God and all mortals we once more declare and testify that in the declaration of the controverted articles… we are not introducing a new confession, or one different from that which was presented in the year 1530 to Charles V, of happy memory, but that we wished indeed to lead our churches and schools, first of all, to the fountains of Holy Scripture, and to the Creeds, and then to the Augsburg Confession…in order that the pure doctrine and profession of our faith may, by the help of the Holy Spirit, be preserved and propagated also to our posterity, until the glorious advent of Jesus Christ, our only Redeemer and Savior” [Trig. p. 21]. We are the heirs of this posterity and are today called to likewise preserve, protect, defend and hand on this same pure doctrine and profession of faith. So the Augsburg Confession is important not because it added anything new but because it was a way of rediscovering and restoring the ancient Christian faith.

  Of second importance you need to know that the Augsburg Confession does not address every point of Christian doctrine but only the most fundamental ones and especially those points that were in danger of being lost or contradicted in that day to the detriment, even damnation of any and all who would allow such false teaching.

  The New Testament itself is full of warnings of the necessity of preserving and believing and confessing the Words of Christ against the many false teachings that have arisen from the very beginning. The ecumenical Creeds were formulated partly for this purpose also—besides for the teaching of the faith of the Gospel also for the defending of it from false teaching or belief. Already in the Sermon on the Mount our Lord Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” [Matthew 7:15 (ESV)]. And in today's Gospel he says, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” [Matthew 10:32-33 (ESV)]. On the one hand is the blessed task of acknowledging, confessing, avowing and declaring Jesus Christ to the world. On the other hand is the denial of Christ whether by outright apostasy and unbelief or by simply allowing false teaching to creep in and be tolerated along side of the pure teaching of the Gospel.

  In preaching a sermon on the subject of confessing Christ one could go so many ways. There are, first, the Biblical examples including St. Peter's mighty confession, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God” upon which confession Christ said he builds his Church. Then also are the denials and betrayals of Peter and Judas Iscariot. Then there are all the warnings against false teachers such as that of St. Paul to the Romans, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” [Romans 16:17 (ESV)]. There are the examples of the martyrs who died for the faith in the rest of the New Testament and early church history. There are examples from all of Church history including the amazing and inspiring story of Martin Luther, beginning with his posting of the 95 Theses in 1517 and, of course, his mighty defense before church and state at the Diet of Worms. It is that event along with the witness of the bold laymen in presenting their confession of faith to Emperor Charles V on this day that inspires us to sing those words of Psalm 119, “I will speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame” (v. 46). Finally, however, a true celebration of this event must come down to the task of our own confessing Christ in our day. While almost all of the articles of doctrine or issues addressed by the Augsburg Confession are still under attack today and in need of our continued clear teaching, preaching and confession, there are a few newer issues that call for a like clear defense. Some have even suggested the need for an additional Augsburg-like confession for our day.

  The word “confess” literally means to speak or say the same thing, to proclaim the Gospel all using the same words agreeing on the same meaning. So today we confess the Christian faith using the same words of the three ecumenical Creeds and words such as those presented at Augsburg. We need to know that we still need to make that confession today.

  The Augsburg Confession would make an interesting outline for an evangelism call, sharing the Gospel of Christ with others. It also makes a good, full and complete sermon.

  Most of the articles of the Augsburg Confession are still under attack in our day, and need to be confessed and preached. Of first importance is the identity and confession of the one and only true God. When God said in the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods,” he knew how sin and the devil constantly tempt us to look to and serve other things as that to which we look for our greatest good. But there is only one, true God, the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yet we live in a world where some try to call God “Allah,” or by some other name. It's almost unbelievable that we should have the controversy even in our own Missouri Synod fellowship where otherwise “official” voices would ever say that the Muslims worship the one, true God. Luther never believed that no matter how you attempt to twist his words. Even back in 1530 the “Mohammedans” as they are called there were condemned as heretics. Likewise, how many times have you heard the spiritually and Biblically ignorant opinion stated that somehow all religions lead to the same God? They do not.

  Secondly, we believe, teach and confess that all men are born with the inherited disease of sin, without the fear of God or trust in God, the sin that condemns to eternal death. Condemned are those who deny this and obscure the glory of Christ's merit by arguing that people can be justified, that is saved, by their own strength and reason.

  Thirdly, we believe, teach and confess the identity and entire work of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is not just a human example for us to follow. He is fully God and Man in one sinless Person who “truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, that He might reconcile the Father unto us, and be a sacrifice” for all sin; who “descended into hell, and truly rose again the third day,” ascended into heaven and forever reigns over all creation. And we do well to add today, he did not take Mary Magdalene as his wife or have children. He alone is our hope and confidence in the forgiveness of all our sins and the gift of eternal life.

  The chief article of our confession goes against all human wisdom, namely, that “men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith. This faith God imputes for righteousness in his sight.” Furthermore, in order to obtain this faith we confess that it is only through the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments. “For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given, who works faith, where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel.” Condemned are all who think that the Holy Spirit or faith comes to people apart from and without the external Word, through their own preparations and works.

  Now, to say that a person is saved by God's grace through faith alone without the works of the Law does not mean, however, as the Roman Confutation rebutted, that we teach against good works! The sixth article states, “this faith is bound to bring forth good fruits, and that it is necessary to do good works,” not in order to be saved but, rather, because we are saved, because faith is an active and living thing.

  Furthermore, this faith and salvation comes through the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments in the Church, which is “the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.” And it is the actual preaching of the Gospel and not just some static doctrine sitting on the shelf somewhere. Of this church we confess that it consists essentially only of saints and true believers, but the eighth article also confesses that outwardly “in this life many hypocrites and evil persons are mingled therewith.” The preaching and the sacraments are not dependant for their validity upon the holiness of the pastor.

  With the Confessors of 1530 we confess that Baptism is necessary for salvation, including infants, and that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present and are distributed to those who eat in the Supper of the Lord. This was simply stated in Augsburg as something both parties agreed to, but needed to be expanded later against the radical reformers who denied that anything real was happening in the sacraments.

  Once again we say in the conclusion of the Augsburg Confession, we speak of these things “in order that it might be understood that in doctrine and ceremonies nothing has been received on our part against Scripture or the Church Catholic. For it is manifest that we have taken most diligent care that no new and ungodly doctrine should creep into our churches.” And the church has always had and will always have “the creeps”!

____________________
Rev. Allen D. Lunneberg

Contacts:

deblocascio.stmark@sbcglobal.net

Pastor: Rev. Allen D. Lunneberg
7979 Commerce Rd.      (1/4 mile east of Union Lake Rd.)
West Bloomfield, MI 48324
Phone: 248.363.0741
Fax: 248.363.4755