By Robert C. Blezard
Study guide
Lutheran words: They have power F
or 500 years Lutherans have championed the freeing power of God’s love and grace over
and against theologies that place Jesus’ followers in bondage to guilt, despair, hopelessness, obligation and fear.
Our witness remains as strong—
and necessary—today as it did in 1521 when Martin Luther refused to recant his theology at his heresy trial, saying: “I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.”
Exercise 1: Lutheran words Rolf Jacobson explains some impor- tant fundamentals of Lutheran faith (page 20). How do they challenge or inspire your understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? Are or were these Lutheran ideas well known to your study group? How well have these concepts been integrated into the faith life of your congregation? How can your congregation do a better job of teaching these ideas? Brainstorm and give a list of suggestions to your church leadership.
Exercise 2: No guilt or shame For many, the Christian walk means living with guilt, shame and doubt. Have you witnessed this in others or yourself?
Lutherans believe God’s forgive- ness through Christ frees us from guilt, shame and doubt. The pas- tor’s prayer of absolution is clear and sweeping: “… as a called and
ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I there- fore declare to you the entire for- giveness of all your sins …” (Evan- gelical Lutheran Worship, 96). Where is there room for guilt?
Shame? Doubt? Fear? Why do so many people cling to these things? Do you?
Exercise 3: Freedom for holiness Released from guilt, shame and doubt, we are free to follow paths of holy discipleship, not because we fear God’s wrath but rather in grateful response for God’s mercy and love. For you and your congre- gation, what is spiritual freedom in Christ? What does a holy life look like? What does it mean to live for God and neighbor? What is a good vision for holy
living? Is this type of vision well articulated in your congregation? How can it be better shared?
Exercise 4: Free, but responsible Lutherans live in a space between absolute freedom from the rules (antinomianism) and rigid adher- ence to them. God’s ready forgive- ness through Christ frees us from the power of sin, yet we are still respon- sible for doing our best to avoid obvious wrongdoing. To do other- wise would misuse God’s mercy. As Paul put it: “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means” (Romans 6:1-2a). How can we draw a balance
between our enjoyment of God’s for- giveness and abusing it? What does it mean to live responsibly as a free person of God?
This study guide is offered as one example of the more than 350 that are currently available on The Lutheran’s website. Download guides—free to print and Web subscribers—at
www.thelutheran.org (click “study guides”).
Exercise 5: Justification What must people do to be saved by God? Do we have to (choose any that apply) live piously, repent, confess, accept Christ as our personal savior, be baptized, live without sin or some- thing else (what?)? Do you know Christians who say that we must do something like these to receive God’s justification?
Lutherans believe we are saved not by any action on our part but as God’s gift to us. It’s not cheap, it’s free. How has this idea been taught or preached in your church? Why is this hard for many to comprehend?
Exercise 6: Perfect faith? Lutherans believe we are saved not by works but by our faith. But what is faith? How would you describe your faith to someone else? Is faith something we “do”? Do we decide to have faith? Can you, by force of self-will, compel yourself to have faith? Isn’t the mere desire to have faith, by itself, an indication of faith? If we are saved by faith, do we need to have perfect faith to be saved? Does perfect faith really exist? Read the story of the spirit- possessed boy in Mark 9:14-25 for clues to faith. How can the boy’s father claim in verse 24 to have faith when he also asks for help with his unfaith? How can the two coincide? Have you experienced this? How is your faith tested every day? Is it comfort- ing to know that Lutherans believe faith is faith; that it’s all good; and God honors it?
Blezard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Arendtsville, Pa. He has a master of divinity degree from Boston University and did subsequent study at the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.) and the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia.
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