Stop Being so Reactionary

“I don’t believe in progressive sanctification”

“There is no experience of the Holy Spirit”

“There is no such thing as ‘living the gospel'”

“Prayer doesn’t change God, but only changes the Christian”


These are some phrases I have heard from Lutheran Christians, and have heard with some regularity. The problem with such phrases (I could address each of these statements individually of course) is that they are purely reactionary.

Lutherans have a tendency to identify themselves in opposition to other Christian traditions. Yes, Lutheranism does have a unique approach to the Christian faith, one which I think is correct and Biblical. But there are problems when one’s theology is formulated precisely as not being something.

For example, many of the generation who were heavily involved with the LCMS in the 1950s through the 1970s have a very clear reactive attitude toward Roman Catholicism. It is common for older LCMS members, for example, to oppose having a corpus on a crucifix because it is too “Roman Catholic.” This is also claimed about such practices as private confession and absolution, and wearing chasubles. 

The Lutheran tradition historically has used crucifixes, and has never opposed such things as vestments, and private confession. Yet a fear of Romanism has guided our people rather than Biblical, Confessional teaching.

In some contemporary Lutheran circles I have often seen the same kind of overreaction, not to Romanism, but to Pietism. Because of the unfortunate subjective “sanctification” focus to the neglect of the objectivity of the cross and God’s declarative word of justification, some Lutherans have labelled any desire for holiness, and any preaching of the third use of the Law, as Pietistic.

I have been labeled by some Lutherans as a “Pietist” simply because I don’t drink alcohol (with the obvious exception of consecrated communion wine). Somehow attempting to refrain from something which I fear could be a vice is “not Lutheran” and makes someone a legalist. It’s as if we’ve decided that the fundamentalists don’t drink, and Lutherans do. Therefore, if you don’t you must be a fundamentalist. 

I have heard some faithful Lutheran pastors preach the third use of the Law, only to be accused of being legalistic, and missing the gospel. That can’t be Lutheran because the Presbyterian church down the street also preaches the third use of the Law! 

As Lutherans, we are defined by our Confessions. It is unfortunate that oftentimes we define ourselves as “not being baptists” or “not being Calvinists” or “not being Romanists”, rather than defining ourselves by our Confessional heritage. When this is done, we usually miss the rich theology of our Confessions, and consequently, the clear teachings of Scripture. 

This is an encouragement to Lutherans to define ourselves by the Reformation tradition, not by whatever bad experiences we have had with some other Christian tradition.