Have You Ever Wondered ...

If you’ve ever asked yourself this important question, you will find the following few paragraphs helpful. Feel free to get in touch with us for further information.

Rev. Holger Sonntag

On Creation. The whole universe as it is today, including man, was created by God through His Word, in six ordinary days.^a It is therefore not the result of a lengthy process of gradual development (uniformitarianism) coupled with evolution driven by natural selection. – ^a Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17.

On God. There is only one true God,^a who has revealed Himself as God in three equal Persons,[1] Father, Son and Holy Spirit.^b God is therefore not three gods in three persons, or one god who appears in three different forms, or one god in one person with, or without, three different personalities. The true God is also not simply the human consciousness. Oft-used shorthand for the self-revelation of the one true God is “Holy Trinity.” – ^a Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6. ^b Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19.

On the Son. The eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Word of God, the true Image of God,^a became man by the power of the Holy Spirit through Mary, the virgin,^b that is, without a human father. Jesus Christ, as He is known, is therefore not simply a good man or teacher like Buddha or Socrates. Nor has he been merely adopted by God at some point in his life. Jesus Christ is the one true God made man.^c Being the only Son of God, Jesus presents to man the only access to the Father and, therefore, to eternal salavtion.^d – ^a John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17. ^b Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:34-35. ^c John 1:14; Colossians 2:9; 1 John 5:20. ^d John 1:18; 14:6.

On Man. Man and woman differed from the rest of creation. Both were created in the image of God.^a This means that in their whole being; in their thoughts, words and actions Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, lived as God would have them live: They were content with being God’s creatures. That means, they lived fully out of God’s gracious, free giving, serving one another freely according to God’s will.^b Being made in God’s image, man also had fellowship with God, and was immortal.^c – ^a Genesis 1:26. ^b Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10. ^c Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12.

On the Loss of God’s Image. Tempted by the devil, Adam and Eve broke fellowship with God, the Giver of their life, by breaking his word to them.^a They were no longer content with what God freely had been giving them. The result was the loss of God’s image,^b and therefore a life of thinking, speaking and doing in opposition to God’s ways.^c In other words, fallen man no longer wants to depend on God’s giving. He wants to live independently out of his own resources. He wants to be his own creator and god.^d The term used to describe such a self-centered way of living is sin. The consequence of sin was expulsion from the presence of God, the beginning of the destruction of all creation, hard labor, tension between man and woman, and mortality.^e – ^a Genesis 3:1-7. ^b Genesis 5:3. ^c Isaiah 53: 6; Hosea 10:13. ^d Genesis 3:5. ^e Genesis 3:16-19, 22-24; Romans 5:12.

On Sin. Being expelled from the presence of God, being forced to labor to survive, man soon lost sight of God’s, and his own, identity and how God would have man live; creatures become more important than the Creator.^a Yet man continues to be created with a conscience, that is, with the knowledge of what God would have man be and do, even though he is now powerless to be and do this as he ought.^b Certainly, even after the fall man does much good; most people are decent citizens, not criminals. Yet even the best life of fallen man falls short of God’s Law, because the sinner does not trust in the one true God as his gracious Creator, which is the first and most basic demand of the Law.^c – ^a Genesis 4:3-12; 6:1-7; 11:1-9; Romans 1:18-32. ^b Romans 2:14-15; 8:3. ^c Romans 3:10-20.

The Law. To reinforce that which was written on man’s heart, God gave the Law again to man on Mt. Sinai; Moses put it in writing.^a This Law reaffirmed what man’s conscience told him to be the way to be and live. The Law which reflects life lived as God’s creature in the image of God is called the Ten Commandments. It is summarized in two commandments: love of God and love of neighbor.^b In his desire to be independent from God’s gracious giving, man either rejects God’s Law as a whole or in part; or he abuses God’s Law to earn his own salvation from sin. In either case, the Law as unchanging image of man’s life as God’s thankful creature remains unfulfilled.^c The chief bit of evidence convincing even the greatest philosophers of this fact: Man has remained mortal.^d Man dies because he cannot see the basic truth about himself: at this point in history, the image of God in man has to be re-created, and this re-creation has to come as a free gift from the Creator.^e Only in this way would man become once again willing to live fully out of God’s gracious giving. – ^a Exodus 20:1-17; 34:28. ^b Mark 12:28-34. ^c Matthew 19:16-21; James 2:8-12; Galatians 3:10-11, 21. ^d Romans 6:23; 8:20. ^e Galatians 2:16, 21; Ephesians 2:8; 4:24.

The Re-creation of Man. In order for man to be recreated in the image of God, to be content with being a creature again, the Creator Himself became a creature. The Son, Jesus Christ, who by nature is God’s Image, became man.^a Because he is the Image of God, Jesus Christ obediently lived in the image of God until He voluntarily gave up His life for the life of the world on a cross outside of Jerusalem around A.D. 30.^b Man’s recreation, his salvation, is an accomplished fact through the life and death of the Image of God, Jesus.^c His resurrection after three days shows that God accepted this sacrifice for the whole world.^d This means that re-creation, like creation, is God’s own free, perfect gift to man. The proclamation of this gift is known as the Gospel, a term which means “Good News.”^e – ^a John 1:14. ^b Galatians 4:4-5; John 10:17-18; Galatians 3:13. ^c Romans 5:6-11, 18; Colossians 1:14; 1 John 2:2. ^d Romans 4:25. ^e 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Mark 16:15.

On the Gospel. The proclamation of the re-creation, the salvation, the reestablishment of the fellowship of man with the Triune God is the Gospel. The Gospel powerfully conveys Christ and His accomplished salvation to those who hear and believe it.^a The Gospel is therefore not just a plan that tells us what we need to do to be saved, either by our own efforts or in cooperation with God. For this would make a law out of the Gospel. The Gospel gives what it says: Re-creation, forgiveness, eternal life, through Jesus Christ. Yes, as God first created the world through His Word, He now re-creates man through His Word: His Word of the Gospel.^b He also uses what has been called the visible Word, that is, the sacraments. – ^a Romans 1:16-17; Galatians 3:1-2; Ephesians 3:17. ^b 1 Peter 1:23-25.

On the Sacraments. As creation itself was used to re-create man (the Creator became creature), so too does God continue to use creation to convey this re-creation to all mankind: God’s Gospel comes to us in created forms. This is true for the word of the Gospel which comes to us in created, human words. This is especially true for Baptism and the Lord’s Supper which are special forms of the one Gospel, instituted by Christ himself.^a They are called “sacraments.” In them the Word of re-creation and reconciliation is connected to visible, created things, that is, to water (baptism), and to bread and wine (the Lord’s Supper). As the Word of the Gospel, both sacraments actually convey the forgiveness of sins to those whom they are administered.^b The additional gift of the Lord’s Supper is the true body and blood of Jesus Christ in the bread and in the wine.^c The sacraments are therefore not primarily things we do, but the means and vessels of God’s action: Through them God actually conveys forgiveness of sins and salvation. The center of the Christian life is to be found where these gifts are given through word and sacrament, that is, in the church service. Here God comes to serve his people by freely giving Christ’s precious gifts. These gifts are to be received by faith. – ^a Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. ^b John 3:5; Titus 3:3-7; Matthew 26:28. ^c Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:27.

On Faith.  The only adequate response to the Gospel of Christ is faith.^a Faith trusts that the life, death, and resurrection of Christ reconciled the world to God. In other words, faith believes that all that Christ has done he has done specifically for me!^b Faith doesn’t add anything to what Christ has accomplished on the cross and offers in the Gospel; it simply receives what Christ gives in the Gospel: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation – the recreation of God’s image in man.^c Faith, furthermore, is not a decision of the fallen will of man, but a gift of the Holy Spirit of God^d who gives the gift of faith to people young and old.^e He does that through the Word of God. Man is therefore not saved simply because Christ died for all. Nor is man saved simply because he is baptized and attends church. Nor is he saved because he believes in the existence of Christ. Man rather is saved, he is recreated and brought to new life, by believing the Gospel promise that Christ saved the whole world by His life and death. – ^a Mark 1:15. ^b Acts 16:30-33. ^c Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16, 20-21. ^d John 1:12-13; 3:6; 15:16; Galatians 3:2; Ephesians 2:4-9. ^e Matthew 18:1-6; Luke 18:15-17.

On the Word of God.  As God used His Word to create the world, so too does He continue to use His Word to recreate mankind in His image. Through His Word the Holy Spirit first convicts our consciousness of sin; this is the work of the Law.^a He then comforts our convicted consciences by bringing Christ to us as our Savior from all sin; this is the work of the Gospel.^b This is how He, through the Word of the Gospel, creates faith in the hearts of man.^c – We have this Word of the Spirit in the Bible in a normative way. For the Bible is the very Word of God recorded for us by men at God’s command for the purpose of recreation in Christ.^d Because it is the inspired Word of God, the Bible is not a collection of 66 outdated Near-Eastern writings. It is without theological or historical error.^e It is the only source for accurate knowledge about God and His work in the world.^f It is both inspired and inspiring.^g Anyone who at any time restates the content of the Word of God in their own words also speaks the Word of God. Thus, Bible translations are the Word of God,^h as well as sermons in church which proclaim and apply what the Bible teaches.ⁱ – ^a John 16:8-9; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6. ^b John 14:16-18, 23, 28; 15:26; 16:14. ^c Romans 10:17; Galatians 3:2; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8. ^d 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13. ^e John 10:35; Psalm 119:160; Titus 1:2. ^f John 8:31-32. ^g Romans 1:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13. ^h Acts 2:4. ⁱ Acts 26:22-23; Ephesians 2:17.

On the Church. All those who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ are saved and are thus members of the Christian Church.^a Since faith in the heart is not visible to the human eye, the Church is not identical with one denomination or church body. There are Christians wherever the Gospel is preached.^b However, Christians, who are now living their lives in Christ, are not at liberty to remain with those who, in the name of Christ, teach what God’s Word does not teach, lest they be led to confess God’s Word falsely to the point of the destruction of their faith.^c The Word of God itself calls upon all who desire to be Christian to test all teachings of the congregation where membership is held to see if they are in agreement with the Word of God.^d If they are not, the Christian is obligated to find a congregation where God’s Word is taught in all its truth and purity.^e – ^a John 10:27. ^b Isaiah 55:11. ^c Galatians 1:6-9; 5:7-9. ^d 1 John 4:1-6; Acts 17:11. ^e Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Romans 15:5-6; John 8:31-32; Matthew 10:32-33.

On Life in Christ.  In that Christ has done all that has to be done in order for man to once again have fellowship with God as his creature, and in that faith in Christ causes that forgiveness of sin, that life and salvation to be credited to the Christian, the Christian is now free to live His life in Christ: by faith he once again begins to live out of God’s giving as God’s thankful creature. Faith that receives God’s gifts of life and salvation is active in love.^a The thoughts and actions of the Christian are also called fruits of the Spirit of God because faith is a gift of the Spirit.^b What love is, how love looks, how it acts is defined by the Ten Commandments.^c God’s Law continues to give an image of living as a creature that depends on God in all things. Far from being holy in his inner being, the Christian continues to be in need of Christ’s forgiveness for his salvation.^d Even after conversion sin is still a power in him to be reckoned with. Even though the believer will struggle against it in the power of the Spirit, sin will make him stumble again and again.^e The fruits of the Spirit displayed by the Christian are not optional. They give evidence of the faith of the heart and serve fellow man in willing love until the Christian dies or Christ returns.^f – ^a Galatians 5:6. ^b Galatians 5:22-23. ^c Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:23; Matthew 22:36-40. ^d Psalm 143:2; 1 John 1:7-10. ^e Romans 6:11-14; Galatians 5:16-18. ^f John 15:2; James 2:17-18; 2 Peter 1:5-10.

On the Return of Christ. On a day appointed by God, Jesus Christ will return visibly to earth to bring the restoration of creation to completion.^a On that Last Day, the bodies of all the deceased will rise again and everyone who has ever lived within the creation will stand in judgment before Christ. Those who died in faith in Christ will enter eternal life in heaven; they will also have truly good works, the fruits of their faith. Those who did not will enter eternal damnation in hell; they will have no good works.^b The return of Christ will not be preceded by a period of a thousand years in which the righteous will rule the earth with Christ. There will be no rapture of believers marking the beginning of the millennium prior to Christ’s return.^c There will be no mass conversion of citizens of the State of Israel.^d There will be no second chance after death.^e There is no purgatory.^f Before that last and final day of the old creation, the world will not become a better place; it will grow worse.^g There will be no universal salvation of all “good” people regardless of their faith. For according to the Word of God, salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. – ^a Mark 13:26, 32; Acts 1:7, 11; 3:21; 17:31. ^b John 3:18, 36; 5:24; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:4-11; Revelation 20:12-13. ^c Matthew 24:30-31, 42; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. ^d Romans 9:6; 11:1-7, 20, 23. ^e Hebrews 9:27. ^f 1 Corinthians 3:13; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8. ^g 2 Timothy 3:1; 1 John 2:18.

On the Restoration of Creation. Jesus Christ taught that all who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior will inherit eternal life.^a This means that on the Last Day the souls of all who believe in Him will be reunited with newly fashioned bodies which will never wear out or die.^b There will be neither marriage nor the begetting of children.^c Instead, man will simply enjoy once again being completely and totally in the image of God, in the fellowship of God. Neither death nor sin will prevent us from forever living as perfect creatures because God will be all in all.^d – ^a John 3:16. ^b 1 Corinthians 15:51-57. ^c Matthew 22:30; Romans 7:3. ^d Revelation 21:2-5; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28.