The Wittenberg Trail
Your Path to the Authentic, Historic & Catholic Faith
Martin Luther
"The saints in being righteous are at the same time sinners; they are righteous because they believe in Christ whose righteousness covers them and is imputed to them, but they are sinners because they do not fulfill the law and are not without sinful desires. They are like sick people in the care of a physician: they are really sick, but healthy only in the hope and insofar as they begin to be better, healed, i.e., they will become healthy. Nothing can harm them so much as the presumption that they are in fact healthy, for it will cause a bad relapse"
"I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith."
"Whilst a man is persuaded that he has it in his power to contribute anything, be it ever so little, to his salvation, he remains in carnal self-confidence; he is not a self-despairer, and therefore is not duly humbled before God, he believes he may lend a helping hand in his salvation, but on the contrary, whoever is truly convinced that the whole work depends singly on the will of God, such a person renounces his own will and strength; he waits and prays for the operation of God, nor waits and prays in vain . . ."
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Evangelical Liturgical Lutheran
Congregations
The Book of Concord - The Lutheran
Confessions
Lutheran Online - Law & Gospel for
the Internet Generation
American Evangelical Theology
"Modern American Christianity is filled with the spirit of narcissism. We are in love with ourselves and evaluate churches, ministers and truth-claims based upon how they make us feel about ourselves.
If the church makes me feel wanted, it is a good church. If the minister makes me feel good about myself, he is a terrific guy. If the proffered truth supports my self-esteem, it is, thereby, verified.
Whence does this error spring? What is its source? One source is the belief that salvation is solely due to an experience of conversion, rather than to what happened on the Cross of Christ.
Most Christians today define their salvation exclusively in terms of what happened to them subjectively, having no notion whatsoever of the objective basis for their salvation. This in turn focuses all of their attention on anxiously caring for that experience." (Wilson)
"Instead of being "Seeker" oriented, the Church ought to be "Sinner" oriented.
"Sinners" include both believers and unbelievers; both the churched and the unchurched, both the religious and the irreligious. And there is one thing I can say about all sinners: Sinners need Jesus. And that means that they need to hear the explicit Gospel message at every opportunity.
…The way to proclaim the whole counsel of God is to proclaim the Law to the unrepentant and self-assured, and to proclaim the Gospel to the repentant and despairing. The way to lay the day-to-day benefits of knowing God before seekers is to lay the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection before them. The way to preach to change lives is to preach the life-changing Gospel clearly, at every opportunity." (Veith)
Lutherans believe that wherever the Word of God is preached there will be real Christians. Therefore, the Church is invisible and there are real Christians in all churches and denominations (please see The Distinction Between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches).
Many people on the Wittenberg Trail are coming from evangelical and non-denominational churches. They are usually surprised to learn that Lutherans were the first to be called evangelicals.
If you are a member of an evangelical and/or non-denominational church, here are ten questions to help you learn more about what Lutherans believe and how it may be different from your church.
For each question, think of your belief (or what your church/denomination teaches) and then click on the link to see how Lutherans answer these questions.
1. What is your authority? How do you know what you believe (i.e. about God, the Gospel, Salvation, etc.) is correct?
2. What value do you place on church tradition and/or the early church fathers?
3. What is the role of God's law?
4. What is the Gospel?
5. How does a person become a Christian?
6. What is faith?
7. What is your view of God's Word?
8. What is your view of Baptism?
9. What is your view of the Lord's Supper?
10. What was the Reformation?
Please visit the separate pages that highlight two of American's most popular and successful pastors (Rick Warren and Joel Osteen). These pages will help the reader understand how Lutherans understand Purpose Driven theology and the teachings of Osteen.
Here are various articles that address some of the differences between Lutherans and evangelicals. In addition, there are some articles that highlight some church issues that concern Lutherans.
Bible-Believing Liberals
Man-Centered vs. Christ-Centered Church
Repentance: Roman Catholicism, American Evangelicalism & Lutheranism
Narcissism Goes to Church
Modern Worship Music
The Theology of the Church Growth Movement
The Pew versus the Sanctuary
A Theology of Glory and a Theology of the Cross
Truth and Theology: Priorities for the Church Today
Lutheran and Arminian Theology: Their Differing Emphases and the Resulting Impact on Worship
Is the Church a Business? Who are we to please?
Cardinal Principles of Lutheranism and “Evangelical Theology
The Six Commandments of the Boomers
The Gospel in the Background (“Seeker Sensitive” Churches)
Visit
The Wittenberg Trail Online Community
Here
are some videos that highlight how Lutherans understand all
the different denominations.
What about all the different denominations?
Rev.
Ernie Lassman, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in
Seattle, WA, posted this video on both his
church website and
on YouTube.
What is the Church?
Rev.
Ernie Lassman, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in
Seattle, WA, posted this video on both his
church website and
on YouTube.
What is the invisible Church?
Rev.
Ernie Lassman, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in
Seattle, WA, posted this video on both his
church website and
on YouTube.
Here
are some videos made by evangelicals who are concerned
about what is happening in some churches today.
Me Worship - It Is All About Me
The Me Church - It Is All About Me
Prosperity Praise
Drive-Through Church
Church Growth - A Recipe For Success
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The Wittenberg Trail