Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

Walther said it best: “The doctrinal contents of all Holy Scripture, both of the Old and the New Testament, consist of two doctrines that differ fundamentally from each other.  These two doctrines are LAW & GOSPEL.” The Law is God’s will. We need the Law as He show us our sins and calls us to repentance. The Gospel is God’s work of salvation through His life, death, and resurrection. These doctrines need to be kept distinct and kept clear according to His Word. Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Minot, ND, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to discuss the law and the gospel. To learn more about St. Paul in Minot, visit anchoredminot.com. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Good works are the fruit of the Spirit, not of the disciplined life. Good works are an overflow from our union in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Although we are to discipline the body, righteousness produces good works. A summary statement of good works might be this: “Good works are free acts of justified persons, performed through the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit, according to the prescription of the divine Law, with true faith in Christ preceding good works, to the honor of God and edification of others.”  Rev. Dennis McFadden joins Rev. Brady Finnern to continue our study of the doctrine of good works. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Good works are necessary for the Christian and follow true faith just as fruit grows on a good tree. Yet good works are completely separate from salvation and justification before God. Christians look to God’s Law to understand a good work (primarily in the 10 commandments), to see not only where we fail, but how, by the work of the Holy Spirit, we are able to live a good and holy life to His glory. Rev. Dennis McFadden joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study the doctrine of good works. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Christ alone is our righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30). Theologians attempted, and still do, to make additional explanations of how one becomes righteous. However, to add anything to our salvation besides Christ is nothing but vanity and a chasing after wind. A common mistake of the Old Adam is to believe that God does the first step, and the person completes justification through works of love. This equation sounds pious, but leads people to false belief, despair and other great shame and vice. Cling to the clear words of Scripture that we are saved by Christ alone, grace alone, and faith alone.  Rev. Adam Degroot, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church, Rio Rancho, NM, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to continue our study of the righteousness of faith before God. To learn more about Calvary Lutheran, visit calvarylcms.com. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

We believe “by grace you have been saved through faith”. However, is faith in Christ the cause of our righteousness or the instrument by which we receive Christ’s righteousness? Is there a distinction between Christ’s divine and human nature when it comes to our righteousness? The Concordians were bold to teach the Truth that it is Christ alone who is our Righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30). While Christians have weaknesses and defects, we do not doubt our righteousness based on our actions; yet faith is never alone, but always bears fruit in love and hope (I Corinthians 13:13).  Rev. Adam DeGroot, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church, Rio Rancho, NM, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study the righteousness of faith before God. To learn more about Calvary in Rio Rancho, visit calvarylcms.com. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

There are only two causes for a person’s conversion: The Holy Spirit God’s Word as the instrument of the Holy Spirit.  Scripture assures us that we are purely passive in our conversion. Although our natural instincts desire to have some kind of part in our conversion (after all, we have to work for everything else in life), we cling to the promises of God’s grace revealed to us by God’s Word.  “Lord help us to cling to Your full-sufficient salvation won for us by Christ’s cross and by the Holy Spirit. Amen”  Rev. Dr. Rick Serina, Associate Executive Director of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, St. Louis, MO, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to continue our study of free will. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, humankind is completely blind in spiritual matters and an enemy of God (1 Corinthians 2:14 & Genesis 8:21). Our only hope is for the Holy Spirit to make us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5). In the 16th century, just like today, the Concordians battled against man’s inherent desire to have some credit for his salvation. Conversion occurs by means, the Word and Sacraments, and it is God’s will that ALL would hear the Word and believe (Psalm 95:8; Romans 10:17).    Rev. Dr. Rick Serina, Associate Executive Director of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, St. Louis, MO, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study free will. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Original sin is not a minor blemish. We don’t possess even a spark of good. Even when sin is not public, the corruption of our nature remains. Like a terminal disease, original sin cannot be removed by human effort. We must carefully distinguish human nature from original sin without separating them. Original sin corrupts our nature, but it is not the essence of humanity; otherwise, God would be made the creator of sin. Christ came to redeem our corrupted nature, and the Holy Spirit works to heal that corruption. Yet original sin is not fully eliminated in this life. We await Christ’s return, when original sin will be destroyed once and for all.  Rev. Dr. Brian Kachelmeier, pastor of Crown of Life Lutheran Church, San Antonio, TX, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to continue our study of original sin. To learn more about Crown of Life, visit crownoflifesa.org. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Jesus is NOT sin incarnate. God creates; Satan corrupts. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. When Christ took on our nature, He did so without sin. Although we are new creations in Christ, our corruption is not minor. Our corruption is so deep we need a perfect Savior with perfect blood to die an innocent death. This understanding is difficult to grasp according to reason, but it is a comfort to know that in this broken world, we can know with confidence that Christ has made us a new creation—one that awaits the perfect life in heaven at the final resurrection. Rev. Dr. Brian Kachelmeier, pastor of Crown of Life Lutheran Church, San Antonio, TX, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to continue our study of original sin. To learn more about Crown of Life, visit crownoflifesa.org. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Original sin is the deep and thorough corruption of our human nature which requires God Himself to overcome for our salvation.  The Concordians were careful to teach that original sin was not the essence of a person; if that were the case, God would be the creator of sin. According to Scripture, we are God’s creation but inherit this corruption from Adam’s fall. This corruption is real, but even more real is God’s love revealed by the blood of Christ!  Rev. Dr. Brian Kachelmeier, pastor of Crown of Life Lutheran Church, San Antonio, TX, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study original sin. To learn more about Crown of Life Lutheran, visit crownoflifesa.org. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].