My childhood took place in a small community, about 30 years ago. The town was home for Northwestern Prep College for WELS coed high school and pre-seminary for males, Bethesda Lutheran Hospital for mental illness, and Maranatha Baptist College. We had a whole lot of religion going on. I am taking this back about 30 years ago. I was in WELS grade school, about 5th grade and I was aware my mom was having an affair. I lived in fear of losing friends and going to hell. At home, everything I was told at school was contradicting. It was similar to living with an alcoholic, my mother. The abuse, dysfunction, deception, and my own personal war of confusion became my norm. Oh, but how I knew it was not right. It is common knowledge in my world we are all sinners, therefore we sin. We are sin. I knew I would go to hell for my sins, particularly one in general. I was keeping my mother’s adulterous affair a secret. I did not know fact from fiction. I do now know the difference. As an adult Christian, I want to know what the truths are of my sinful life. I still have trust issues but am choosing to take God’s word as my only source for truth. I want God and His words to help transform my old thinking patterns into the truth. Psalms 71:5 For, thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. Sin is part of history, the present, and will continue through the future. I can the answers from the bible, the source of truths. The Missouri Lutheran Synod teaches sin came into the world by the fall of the first man, as described in Genesis 3. By this Fall not only he himself, but also his natural offspring have lost the original knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, and thus all men are sinners already by birth, dead in sins, inclined to all evil, and subject to the wrath of God, Rom. 5:12, 18; Eph. 2:1‐3. (Doctrinal declaration of Missouri synod on man and sin, 1957, Concordia pub., St. Louis, ms, pg.44 vs.217)
1 John 1:7-9
Cited: 1. The Truth which makes us free Martin Sommer,1932, concordia publishing 2. The Biblical Doctrine of Man in Society, ernest wright,1954, camalot press 3. Doctrinal declaration of Missouri synod on man and sin,1957,Concordia pub.,st.louis,ms, pg.44 vs.217) 4. Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of Missorui Synod, 1932, Concordia Publishing 5. Called to Believe 6. The Inspirational Study Bible, Max Lucado, Concordia publishing 7. World of Ideas, Jacobus, 2002,Bedford/St.Martins 8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_sin