Lutheranism and "Law & Gospel"

[Guest]

Steve,
I was wondering what you think of the Lutheran view of "Law and Gospel". A good condensed book on this put out by the Lutheran church is called God's No and God's Yes, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel by C.F.W. Walther.

They seem reluctant to accept anything that sounds like law and preach it like "love your neighbor as yourself" because law brings wrath, and law is the tutor that leads to Christ. So when they see "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is" they say that that is proof it's impossible and not meant to be tried because trying to do good would be like "saving yourself" by the flesh, etc.

I'm just wondering if you or anyone else can clarify the Lutheran position on this. I listen to a Lutheran radio program in the area and they are very good except when they talk about this issue. I've talked with Lutherans that point out in the Bible all the "bad" things Jacob and Isaac and David did but God didn't seem to mind this. One time on the radio program the guy said "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that sin really doesn't matter. I mean, some sinners go to heaven and some sinners go to hell. The belivers are the ones that go to heaven." I was also told by a Lutheran pastor that since nothing we do saves us, nothing we do can break the covenant Jesus made with God.

Seems almost like antinomianism to me.

[Guest]

Your question is a good one. I have attended a Lutheran Church now for almost 2 years (Its my wifes church, I attend the 8am service at a congregational Church first) and I know exactly what your are talking about. Their emphasis is totally on grace. I have not once heard the preaching of God's Judgement, God's wrath or God's Holiness. I was once told by the pastor that Lutheran's believe that they can neve be rightwith God but they are to live their life working on their relationship with him. I found this to be interesting and a little disturbing. Often I find it difficult to sit in services because of the lack of teaching the entire personality of God not just the "Good Stuff." I found it interesting that when I was researching a paper for my Bachelors in Ministry I came accross this quote by Martin Luther, it really made me wonder if the Lutheran Church as gotten off track

Martin Luthur the father of the reformation once said,

"Satan, the god of all dissension stirs up daily new sects. And last of all
which of all others I should never have foreseen or once suspected, he
has raised up a sect such as to teach that men should not be terrified by
the law, but gently exhorted by the preaching of the the grace of Christ."