The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

ㅦ Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, The

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Title: The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church
Author: G. H. Gerberding
Commentator: M. Rhodes
Release Date: July 13, 2005 [EBook #16285]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE WAY OF SALVATION IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH.
BY
REV. G.H. GERBERDING, A.M., PASTOR OF ST. MARK'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, FARGO, DAKOTA. ____________
WRITTEN FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE. ____________
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY REV. M. RHODES, D.D. ____________
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR. ____________
ELEVENTH THOUSAND. REVISED AND IMPROVED
LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY, PHILADELPHIA, PA. ____________
COPYRIGHTED, 1887,
BY
G.H. GERBERDING. ____________
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ____________
TO
THE UNITED ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE FUTURE; JOINED TOGETHER IN THE BONDS OF ONE FAITH, ACTUATED BY ONE SPIRIT, WORKING HAND IN HAND AND HEART WITH HEART IN ONE GENERAL BODY, THIS BOOK IS HOPEFULLY DEDICATED
BY
THE AUTHOR ____________

CONTENTS. ____________
PAGE INTRODUCTION ................................................... 9
PREFATORY SCRIPTURE PASSAGES ................................... 11
CHAPTER I.
All are Sinners ................................................ 13
CHAPTER II.
All that is Born of the Flesh must be Born of the Spirit ....... 19
CHAPTER III.
The Present, a Dispensation of Means ........................... 26
CHAPTER IV.
Baptism, a Divinely Instituted Means of Grace .................. 33
CHAPTER V.
The Baptismal Covenant can be kept unbroken--Aim and Responsibility of Parents .................................... 41
CHAPTER VI.
Home Influence and Training in their Relation to the Keeping of the Baptismal Covenant ....................................... 48
CHAPTER VII.
The Sunday School in its Relation to the Baptized Children of Christian Parents ............................................ 55
CHAPTER VIII.
The Sunday School--Its relation to those in Covenant Relationship with Christ, and also to the Unbaptized and Wandering ................................................ 63
CHAPTER IX.
Catechisation .................................................. 69
CHAPTER X.
Contents, Arrangement and Excellence of Luther's Small Catechism .............................................. 75
CHAPTER XI.
Manner and Object of Teaching Luther's Catechism ............... 82
CHAPTER XII.
Confirmation ................................................... 89
CHAPTER XIII.
The Lord's Supper--Preliminary Observations .................... 97
CHAPTER XIV.
The Lord's Supper, Continued ................................... 103
CHAPTER XV.
The Lord's Supper, Concluded ................................... 109
CHAPTER XVI.
The Preparatory Service, Sometimes Called the Confessional Service ......................................... 120
CHAPTER XVII.
The Word as a Means of Grace ................................... 130
CHAPTER XVIII.
Conversion--Its Nature and Necessity ........................... 138
CHAPTER XIX.
Conversion--Varied Phenomena or Experiences .................... 145
CHAPTER XX.
Conversion--Human Agency ....................................... 154
CHAPTER XXI.
Justification .................................................. 163
CHAPTER XXII.
Sanctification ................................................. 174
CHAPTER XXIII.
Revivals ....................................................... 183
CHAPTER XXIV.
Modern Revivals ................................................ 191
CHAPTER XXV.
Modern Revivals, Continued ..................................... 200
CHAPTER XXVI.
Modern Revivals, Concluded ..................................... 209
CHAPTER XXVII.
True Revivals .................................................. 220
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Conclusion ..................................................... 229
My Church! My Church! My dear Old Church! ...................... 238

INTRODUCTION.
I take pleasure in commending this unpretentious volume to the prayerful attention of all English-speaking ministers and members of the Lutheran Church. The aim of the author is to present a clear, concise, and yet comprehensive view as possible, of the way of salvation as taught in the Scriptures, and held by the Lutheran Church. That he has accomplished his task so as to make it throughout an illustration of the truth as it is in Jesus, and a correct testimony to the faith of the Church of which he is an honored minister, I believe will appear to all who read with an unbiased mind, and a knowledge of the sources of information from which he has drawn. There is always need for such a candid and considerate statement of fundamental truth as this. The signs of the times clearly indicate that there is no security for the Church save in maintaining the Apostolic faith and spirit--not the one without the other, but the one with the other. The supremacy of the Scriptures needs to be recognized with a mightier emphasis, not only of the intellect, but also of the heart. This vital conjunction is maintained in this book. I am certain that a clear view of the way of salvation as taught by the Scriptures and held by the Church will go far not only toward correcting wrong impressions, but will tend to the relief of much mental perplexity, and to the increase of that much-needed spirit of unity throughout our Church, the want of which is not only the greatest reflection on her noble history and holy faith, but the greatest hindrance to her important mission. A kindly Christ-like spirit pervades this book, which is no small testimony to its worth.
Those who stand up for the truth do not always illustrate its spirit. Not all who might desire greater unity in the Church are qualified to promote it. The author of this little treatise has not only manifested the proper spirit, but he has shown as well the faculty of using it for the increase of harmony, without the least disloyalty to the Scriptures, or to the standards of the Church. The appeal throughout is to the Word