Lutheran versus Reformed

This has been really difficult for me to work out in my mind. I was part of a PCA Church plant in Rogers for obout 8 years and very involved. Now we're in the Lutheran Church ( LCMS ) for about 4 years and I'm really missing the love of and exposition of the Scriptures...exhortation, encouragement, etc. that I remember from years past.

I keep hearing this mantra of sorts over and over to the effect of "you're a saint and a sinner and thanks be to God, now go love your neighbor". There is not much speaking towards the realm of sanctification. And I'm not the only one seeing this, an ex-Calvinist now Lutheran pastor is seeing it as well http://justandsinner.blogspot.com/2013/04/progressive-sanctification-lutheran.html .

I'm also seeing tendency in the LCMS to be more like Rome, or be more like a non-denominational church. Kinda bizarre the tendency to push to the extremes. Those longing for Rome worry me, especially since I lost a good friend to Rome over the past year. My studies in the RCC and the Reformation lead me to a new appreciation for the various aspects of the Reformation and the differences between Luther and Calvin.

This all led me back to reading and listening to Ligonier, Westminster, RTS, you name it and I have been really enjoying it. I thought I should go back to the basics, so I started thinking about soteriology and I realized that Lutheranism seems awfully Arminian to me. 

Comparison
http://threehierarchies.blogspot.com/2005/08/lutheranism-between-calvinism-and.html

Reformed View
http://www.ligonier.org/blog/charles-spurgeon-calvinism-definite-atonement/

Lutheran View of Calvinism
http://www.orlutheran.com/html/calvinisttheology.html

sola scriptura

Random digging, uncovered this from a debate James White did with Patrick Madrid on the topic of Sola Scriptura

"We further see, the Scriptures can equip the man of God for every good work.  Now, Mr. Madrid, do you not believe that it is a good work to pray to Mary?  Yet, the Scriptures nowhere teach this.  Do you not believe that it is good to believe and teach that Mary was bodily assumed into Heaven?  Yet, the Bible does not teach this.   Do you not believe that the man of God should teach, in the Church, that the pope, in Rome, is infallible in his teaching office?  Yet, the Scriptures know nothing of such a concept.

 

We see then, that the Roman position is contradicted by that of the Apostle.  For he knew of no other rule of faith that was necessary so that the man of God could be equipped for every good work.  No other rule of faith, that is, than the Scriptures."

Election

Looking back through some of the Reformed material from my years before coming to the Lutheran church. Found this online describing Election and Predestination in the Lutheran Church

"What can we gather from the Lutheran Confessions here? First, it's very clear that grace in Lutheranism actually saves, apart from our 'acceptance.' We must receive it, to be sure. Yet this receiving is passive and is given by God alone (monergism) not in response to our willing (synergism). The main principle in Lutheranism regarding election is Christ crucified for us, given to us by grace alone in Word and Sacrament. Christ is all in all. Thus, in terms of election to salvation, we concur with the Calvinists. The elect are saved, by God's choice, by grace alone through faith alone. The Solid Declaration is clear that election is itself a cause. (SD, XI, 8)
We do not, however, accept the Calvinist doctrine of reprobation, as the Solid Declaration makes abundantly clear. (SD, XI, 78-82) Whereas election to salvation is all of grace and all of God, reprobation is all of sinful man and the devil, not of God. There is no reprobation to perdition in Lutheranism."

Convo's

I may start these back up. Early in the life of this blog, I would put email dialogues between myself and a friend of mine. Usually on theological topics.

There was a time when I looked at the Catholic Church...with a fondness? Not sure how to describe, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. So I decided to investigate and my friend did so as well.

What follows is a series of emails between us...sorry, they will not be in order. Unless I can put them in order. In fact, what I may do is date the posts the same date(s) as the emails, that would make the most sense.