a Lutheran’s Confessions

   That’s the finding of a new study by Baylor University, entitled “What Americans Really Believe.” The study shows that traditional Christian religion greatly decreases belief in everything from palm readers to Bigfoot.
   It’s no surprise, then, that as traditional Christian belief decreases in our culture (and it has), belief in flying saucers, the paranormal, government conspiracies and communication with the dead only increases.
   People are eager to believe in something and, in the absence of the credible evidence which Christianity provides, people will gravitate toward cults, pseudoscience and superstition.
   Fight superstition! Stay connected to the historic Christian faith and invite your friends and neighbors into the house of God! They will not only find solid reasons to believe in the Truth, but they will be better protected against all the irrational alternatives springing up around them.

   Imagine a large water tower with the words, “City of Columbus” on the tank, which is full of clean, safe drinking water (probably safer than the bottled water you buy in the store).
   It’s in the tank, but you cannot drink it, because even though it is in there for you, it hasn’t been delivered to you. It must first be delivered through a pipeline directly to you.
   Delivery systems are vital, not only for city water, but also for the Water of Life, Jesus Christ. Christ has died on the cross for you and already obtained all the forgiveness you’ll ever need, but you don’t benefit from that forgiveness unless it is delivered to you personally.
   How does God deliver forgiveness to you personally? He does it through the preaching of His life-giving Word, through Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These means are the pipelines through which God delivers His gifts to you.
   Thank God for water towers. Thank God for the cross. But, ultimately, it makes no difference unless God delivers the goods to you personally, and He does that through pipelines.

Luther writes:

“A Sacrament, to be a sacrament and be so called, must have some external, tangible sign or substance. Through this sign God deals visibly with us that we may be sure He is at work. For God does not want to deal with us without some external means, merely by a secret inspiration or a special revelation from heaven. However, the external work and sign alone mean nothing, nor do they effect anything if His Word is not added. Through the Word these signs receive power, and we perceive what God is working in us through them. But both of these must also be joined by a divine command by which we become assured of His will and work in these signs and in this Word.”