Replies

Here is a treasure from Lutheran hymnody:

All Who Believe and Are Baptized
By: Thomas H. Kingo

All who believe and are baptized
Shall see the Lord’s salvation;
Baptized into the death of Christ,
They are anew creation;
Through Christ’s redemption they will stand
Among the glorious heavenly band
Of every tribe and nation.

With one accord, O God, we pray,
Grant us your Holy Spirit;
Help us in our infirmity
Through Jesus’ blood and merit;
Grant us to grow in grace each day
By holy Baptism that we may Eternal life inherit.

Hymn # 225 from Lutheran Worship
Author: Etlich Christlich Iider
Tune: Es Ist Das Heil
1st Published in: 1689

The divide on this thread, and a few others over the last week or so, is between those who truly believe in Original Sin, and those who view it as something a “nice” god would never consider.

The problem is that if you through out Original Sin, you start asking if you need God at all to be saved, or to say it differently, what is your theology on salvation?

It is coming apparent to me that a great many Evangelicals have no concept of Original sin, or just plain sin for that matter. Some of the Easter threads and discussions have been rather interesting. Everyone seems to want to make a nice idol of Buddy Jesus, who never is mean and never judges. They forget what the real Jesus did to the market outside of the Temple, or what God did to the Canaanites. God is not nice. He is Good. That is the biggest thing many don't understand. God's mercy is why we hope for salvation. God's justice is why we needed Jesus's death to even have that hope, and why we are all damned without it.