The two sides of faith

The Christian faith has two sides: It is both trust and doctrine. These two cannot be separated from each other. It has often been asked: Is it not enough to believe in Christ? Is confession also necessary? To this we must reply that faith in Christ cannot exist without a revelation of what Christ is and of what He has spoken to us.

The Apostle Paul said: "I know whom I have believed." We cannot know Christ unless we have a revelation of Him. This revelation is the Holy Bible. Paul emphasizes this fact: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." Trusting in Christ as the Savior from sin and the One who forgives sin is possible only when faith has content or doctrine. "By which (the Gospel) also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you," says the Apostle (1 Cor. 15:1?5). Disparaging or ignoring doctrine leads to the abandonment of the Christian faith.

John the Baptist confessed his faith and was true to the divine revelation (John 1:20). So too every Christian must confess and not deny, for his Savior has redeemed him with a precious price and also wants to save others through his confession.

It follows, therefore, that the Church in this world also needs a confession whose every article consists of Christian doctrine taken from the Bible.

The Lutheran Church has Confessions. It is ready to give an answer to everyone who asks him concerning the basis of our hope (1 Pet. 3:15). The Lutheran Confessions provide a firm foundation in matters pertaining to faith to every sincere seeker - even in this present time. We only have to study them diligently. In our present age, with its many different schools of thought, it is difficult to survive unharmed unless we have a right understanding of the foundation of our faith.

We need a "confessional revival".