Apologetics for the Masses #520 - Will Pope Leo XIV Preach John 3:16? Pastor Dan Delzell's Response

(2) "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:26) An apple tree produces apples, and Christ produces good works in the life of every believer.

(3) Man is justified on the front end of his relationship with God, as evidenced by what Jesus told the thief on the cross who placed his faith in Christ: "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) The thief's faith was alive, and so he was washed, saved, redeemed, born again, justified, sanctified, and forgiven right there on the spot.

If Luther and the Catholic church had been able to agree on "Christianity 101," it could have laid a foundation for even broader reform in the church. And it could have led to important discussions about other matters of doctrine as well. Obviously, that is not how it played out.  

You wrote in your newsletter John:

My question for Dan, were I to have the opportunity to ask him a question, is how many times did Jesus "clearly and consistently proclaim and explain John 3:16"? I didn't read anywhere in the Gospels where Jesus said, "Yo, guys, gather round.  Let me clearly explain what it means that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  I did read, however, where Jesus, when directly asked, "What good deed must I do to have eternal life?" answered by saying, "If you would enter life, keep the Commandments."  I don't recall Jesus saying, "Good deed?  What good deed?  You don't need to do any good deeds to have eternal life.  Foolish fellow!  Just accept Me into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior and you will have eternal life." 

John...If you read John 11:25-26, you will see that Jesus affirmed the Gospel message He proclaimed in John 3:16. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

I encourage you John to immerse yourself in Paul's 13 or 14 epistles, as well of course as the rest of Scripture. The Gospel is clearly presented throughout the New Testament. I struggled to find even one example where you presented the Gospel as you critiqued my article. You seem more focused on pointing to the Law as a supposed means of justification. The Law is obviously important, but the Law cannot convert a soul. Only the Holy Spirit can work the miracle of spiritual conversion through the Gospel. Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because IT (the Gospel) is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). In order for you to clear up your confusion John on the critical doctrine of justification, you will need to rely on Scripture alone, rather than depending so heavily on your organization's interpretations. You will be amazed if you come to see the truth of the Gospel as the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to the clear teaching of the Bible. Try immersing yourself in Romans and Galatians. Those two letters are perfect for anyone who misunderstands justification.

You misunderstood John why Jesus told the man to "keep the Commandments" in the passage you referenced above. (Matthew 19:16-22) The man was self-righteous and assumed he was not a sinner. Regarding the commandments, the man said, "All these I have kept." His heart was not yet ready to hear and receive the Gospel due to the hardness of his heart and his self-righteous attitude. Therefore Jesus gave him the Law rather than the Gospel. After all, "The Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ." (Galatians 3:24) The Holy Spirit works through the Word to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. This rich young man was comfortable in his sin, and even considered himself righteous. Jesus knew his heart and the exact spiritual medicine necessary for the situation. Likewise, Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25-34 knew the jailer was afflicted and ready to hear and receive the Gospel. Therefore, they told him simply: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." Contrite sinners need the comfort of the Gospel, whereas callous, arrogant and self-righteous sinners need the threats of the Law. 

We are saved by grace through faith, (on the front end of our relationship with God) and "created in Christ Jesus to do good works." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

I am going to list the titles and links to articles I have written that go through Scripture to explain how justification and sanctification play out in the life of a believer. I hope you will print this list of articles John as part of my response because the issues you raised in your newsletters can only be properly understood and addressed by opening up the Bible and being led by the Holy Spirit to understand what is being taught. (rather than merely relying upon your organization's interpretations) 

Thankfully, numerous Catholics are opening up their Bible these days and studying Scripture, as reported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: "Until the twentieth Century, it was only Protestants who actively embraced Scripture study. That changed after 1943 when Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu. This not only allowed Catholics to study Scripture, it encouraged them to do so. And with Catholics studying Scripture and teaching other Catholics about what they were studying, familiarity with Scripture grew."

I have witnessed this firsthand in the case of my mother; She is 85, a strong Christian, and a lifelong Lutheran. My mom and some other ladies (mostly Catholic) in their real estate office have been meeting for 40 years to study the Bible together. My mom has told me often about her Catholic friends and their earnest hunger for God's Word.

Speaking of Bible study, here are some articles (with links) that I wrote 7 years ago:

"Romans 1 and 2 for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"
"Romans 3 and 4 for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"
"Romans 5 and 6 for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"
"Romans 7 and 8 for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"
"Galatians for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"
"Ephesians for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"
"Philippians for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"
"Colossians for Catholics, Protestants and Every Christian"

 And I wrote this important article a couple years ago:

"Assessing 'Growth in Justification' with Bishop Robert Barron"

Thanks again John for the invitation to respond to the theological issues you raised.

I hope this helps.

In Christ,

Pastor Dan Delzell
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Papillion, Nebraska