69. As for the notion that when we are undergoing conversion we are like a log of wood, this is a teaching that the church of today acknowledges — in a great many words — as its own legitimate offspring. For example, it says that human beings are completely powerless in spiritual matters; see §15 a, b, c. It says that in the process of being converted we are like a block of wood, a stone, or a statue; we cannot adapt or accommodate ourselves to grace; and we are like something that has no senses; see §15 c, d. It says that we have only the power to move our bodies and attend public worship, where we can hear the Word and the gospel; see §15 e. But it does say that the reborn, using power from the Holy Spirit, cooperate to some extent with him through the new capabilities and gifts they have received; see §15 k. And many more teachings of this kind.

We are told that this is how we are in regard to our conversion and in regard to our repenting of the evil things we have done; but this is yet another offspring, hatched from the same egg and the same womb — namely, justification by faith alone. The purpose in their saying this is to remove altogether the works that we do and prevent our works from coming into any contact whatsoever with our faith.

[2] Yet this attitude goes against the common sense we all have about repentance and about the process of our conversion; so they add the following statement to the others: “There is a great difference between baptized and unbaptized people. According to Paul’s teaching, ‘All those who have been baptized have put on Christ,’ and are therefore truly reborn. They now have a ‘freed choice.’ For this reason they not only hear the Word of God but are also able to assent to it and embrace it with faith”; see §15 m and the Formula of Concord, page 675.

I call on the wise to consider whether this last statement aligns at all with the others. Is it not a contradiction to say that all Christians go through their process of conversion like a log of wood or a stone, so much so that they cannot accommodate themselves to grace, and yet all Christians have been baptized and baptism entails being able not only to hear the Word of God but also to assent to it and embrace it with faith?

Therefore the comparing of a Christian to a log of wood or a stone must be eradicated from the churches in the Christian world. It must disappear, just as every strange phenomenon we see while we are asleep disappears when we wake up. It is highly offensive to human reason.

[3] In order to clarify what the new church teaches about our process of conversion, I would like to copy some words from an account of a memorable occurrence in Revelation Unveiled.

Surely we all see that every human being has the freedom to think about God and the freedom not to think about God. We all, then, have just as much freedom in spiritual matters as we do in civic and moral matters. The Lord grants all of us this freedom continually. We ourselves, then, are responsible and accountable for what we think.

It is this ability to choose what we think that makes humans human. It is the lack of this ability that makes animals animals. Therefore we possess the power to reform and regenerate ourselves seemingly on our own, provided we acknowledge at heart that this power comes from the Lord.

All who practice repentance are reformed and regenerated. We do this reforming and regenerating seemingly on our own. Even the ability to do things “seemingly on our own” comes from the Lord, because it is the Lord who gives us the will and the power and never takes them away from anyone.

It is absolutely true that we cannot contribute anything to our own regeneration. Nevertheless we were not created statues. We were created human beings so that we would be able to do this regenerating seemingly on our own but actually with the Lord’s help. This responding through love and faith and forging a partnership with him is the one and only thing the Lord wants us to do for him.

Briefly put: Take action on your own, and yet trust that the Lord is helping you. This is what it means to take action seemingly on your own.

The ability to act on our own is not an attribute we were created with. Being able to act on one’s own is an attribute that belongs to the Lord alone. He constantly grants it to us.

If we do what is good and believe what is true seemingly on our own, we become an angel of heaven. If we do what is evil and believe what is false (which are also things we do seemingly on our own), we become a spirit of hell. (The fact that this, too, is something we do seemingly on our own is attested to by our prayers asking to be protected from the Devil, so that he does not lead us astray and bring his evil into us.)

When we believe we are acting on our own, we are always at fault, whether what we do is good or evil. When we believe that we are acting seemingly on our own, we are not at fault. Whatever we believe we are doing on our own becomes a part of us. If it is something good, we view it as our property and claim it as our own, when in fact it belongs to God and comes from him. If it is something evil, we again view it as our property and claim it as our own, when in fact it belongs to the Devil and comes from him. [Revelation Unveiled 224:9– 10]

For the purposes of this brief survey I will forego explaining a number of other things, including the point in the proposition above about adopting [false] principles of reason that are based on the teaching that we are justified by our faith alone and the teaching concerning the person of Christ, and using those principles to judge the uses and benefits of the sacraments (baptism and the Holy Supper); and the point that from the earliest centuries of Christianity until now, heresies have been leaping forth from a single source: the body of teaching based on the idea that there are three gods. These points will be presented and demonstrated in the work itself.

59. Brief Analysis

The statement that the intellect has to be held under obedience to faith serves as a kind of standard opening disclaimer for the tenets of the church of today. (See §54 above for an indication that what lies within them are mysteries or secrets so “transcendent” that they are incapable of flowing into the higher regions of the intellect and making sense.)

When still in school, ambitious ministers in the church who long to have a reputation as outstandingly wise and to be considered oracles in spiritual matters give special attention to teachings that are beyond the grasp of others. Although these teachings are very difficult for them to learn, they pursue them avidly. When, as a result, they gain a reputation for being wise, and become rich and famous because they possess these hidden treasures, they are granted the caps of distinguished professors or the robes of bishops.

In their thinking and in their teaching from the pulpit they focus almost exclusively on the mysteries concerning justification by faith alone and the good works that serve as faith’s lowly servants. Drawing on all they know about faith and good works, they have an amazing way of separating the two at one moment and bringing them together at another.

It is as if they were holding naked faith in one hand and works of goodwill in the other. At one moment they extend their arms wide to separate them; at another, they bring their hands together and combine the two.

Let some examples serve as illustrations. They teach that good works are not necessary for our salvation, because if we ourselves are doing them, we are doing them for some reward. Yet at the same time, they teach that good works do necessarily follow the faith that, for them, is the same as salvation itself.

They teach that faith without good works is alive and justifies us. Yet at the same time they teach that faith without good works is dead and does not justify us.

They teach that faith is not preserved or maintained by good works. Yet at the same time they teach that good works flow forth from faith like fruit from a tree, light from the sun, and heat from a fire.

They teach that good works, when appended to faith, bring it to fulfillment. Yet at the same time they teach that when good works are united as in a marriage or constitute a single form, they deprive faith of its essential ability to save us.

They teach that Christians are not under the law, and yet at the same time they teach that Christians must have a daily practice of following the law.

They teach that our good works are harmful if they become entangled in our being saved by faith — for example, if they become involved in our being forgiven our sins, justified, regenerated, brought to life, or saved. Yet they teach that our good works are profitable to us as long as they do not become entangled in our faith.

They teach that God gives us good works and crowns them with rewards, including spiritual rewards, but not with salvation or eternal life, because these are the rewards with which he crowns a faith that is separate from good works.

They teach that this faith of theirs is like a queen, who parades in magnificence because she is attended by good works as servants following along behind; but if these good works embrace her face-to-face and give her a kiss, she will be dethroned and called a whore.

Especially when they teach about the interaction between faith and good works, they suggest that from one point of view the interaction is beneficial and from another point of view it is not. They carefully choose particular words and skillfully weave them together in such a way that what they say has two meanings. There is one meaning for lay people and another for clergy. The meaning aimed at lay people covers up what they are really saying, but the meaning aimed at clergy reveals it.

Consider, if you will, whether any of the people who hear messages like these will be able to extract any teaching that will lead them to salvation? Will they not instead be blinded by the apparent contradictions in what is taught? And once blinded, will they not grope around for the means of salvation as if they were walking in total darkness? Based on the evidence of our own actions, which of us can tell whether we have any faith or not? Who knows whether it is better for us to do good works, because we fear missing out on the reward if we do not; or not to do good works, because we fear losing our faith if we do?

My friend, disentangle yourself from teachings like these. Abstain from what is evil because it is sinful, do what is good, and believe in the Lord. If you do these things, you will experience a process of being justified that will actually save you.