Ted asks about how you can have certainty that you’re saved as a Christian. Rod talks about, from the Lutheran perspective, what do the Scriptures say about baptism and the sacraments, and how it can help to know the culture into which we’re born—our present culture is a ‘therapeutic’ one which puts great weight on our feelings, but for centuries prior, the generations instead looked to the written Scriptures and the promises of God with questions like these. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

Talks with Dad Rod

How can I be sure that I’m saved?

Ted asks about Dad’s long-used email signature and what it means. Rod talks about the history of how the Catholic church spoke of justification in the 16th century, and what Luther and Melanchthon began to focus on at the beginning of the Reformation—imputed righteousness—and how it’s the only righteousness that saves, and that it is enough for us sinners. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

What does ‘under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness’ mean?

Ted asks about the similarities between God’s grace in Jesus Christ and presents we receive under the Christmas tree. Rod talks about Ezekiel in the valley of the dry bones and how it’s a perfect picture of how dead we are in our sin, and how it reveals how much we need the Gospel preached to us constantly, both for conversion, and for repentance and consolation in our faith. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

How is God’s grace like gifts under the Christmas tree?

Ted asks about what it means when Christians repeat sins that they’ve already repented of. Rod talks about the concept of repentance in the passive voice, in which case our repentance is a gift as well, and how sinners can discover the real depth of their sin through the law and the true extent of God’s forgiveness for sinners, in part through absolution, over and over and over. The Gospel is for Christians, too. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

If I continue to do it, have I really repented?

Ted asks about struggling with how often and how frequently he sins. Rod talks about how sinners are truly ‘stuck’ in their sinful condition, and that we are truly condemnable under the law. But also, how God is SO gracious that—through His Son Who was sent to die to save sinners—He has no limitation on how repetitively He forgives us of our sin, even as Christians, even ones committed consciously and willfully, and for our whole lives long. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

How often is God willing to forgive me?

Ted asks about the possibility of Lutherans delivering hard-hitting sermons. Rod talks about what Lutheran pastors are called to do, contrasts that with what can be preached in other churches, and discusses the differences between the law and the Gospel and what Scripture calls preachers to deliver to Christian believers. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

Can Lutherans be counted on to deliver a good hard-hitting sermon?

Ted asks about the struggle with the effects of sin in our lives, even though we have been forgiven of those sins in and through Christ. Rod talks about how hard the struggle can be, in part because it’s not the same concern as receiving God’s forgiveness. Rod also again tells us the story of his car accident and his dad when he was young, and how sometimes we can have miraculous grace modeled for us in this kingdom. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

What do I do when I’m forgiven but still haunted about the ongoing effects of my sin on others?

Ted asks the idea of reaping rewards for our good works in this life. Rod talks about holding to Solus Christus (Christ Alone), and not adding to that, recognizing that Christ’s dying does the saving, and nothing from the sinner, and how the book of Galatians addresses those who are tempted to add to Christ’s death and resurrection as though they weren’t sufficient. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

Do I need to be lucky or successful to be rewarded for my good works?

Ted asks about where Lutherans are in relationship to Roman Catholicism and other denominations. Rod talks about a number of different denominations, particularly in relation to Roman Catholicism, and what makes Lutherans unique among the set. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

Do Lutherans lean more towards Rome or non-Denominational churches?

Ted asks about the idea that God communicates directly with us in these days after Jesus came to us. Rod mentions a verse in Jude, “contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints”, and talks about that idea vs. “the yearning of God to talk to me”, which is our yearning for direct revelation from God separately from His word in Scripture. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

Does God talk to us outside of Scripture?

Ted asks about ‘failing’ in the Christian faith and seeming to sometimes get worse. Rod talks about American pragmatism and how we tend to measure our faith and the status of our salvation by measuring how close we’re getting to achieving perfection, and contrasts that with the Christian life focused on Jesus Christ instead of ourselves. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

Why isn’t Christianity working for me?

Ted asks about the concept of ‘blind faith’, having faith in something with little to no evidence to support it. Rod talks about how the idea is alien to the Christian faith, and why it’s important that the Biblical understanding of Christianity makes it possible to argue for it being true, making Christianity stand out among other religions. SHOW NOTES: https://shop.1517.org/products/sensible-christianity-mp3 Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

You Lutherans talk about faith a lot, does it have to be blind faith?

Ted asks about how the state of my faith, and particularly struggling with doubt, affects God’s willingness to forgive me, a sinner. Rod talks about God’s promises connected to the Lord’s Supper and baptism, and how He grants His forgiveness even while we’re doubting, which is our natural (fallen) condition. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

When I ask for forgiveness will God forgive me even though I doubt?

Ted asks about the possibility of deriving spiritual help from the things we touch, smell and taste. Rod talks about the idea that Christians are betting their salvation on the death of a particular Man at a particular place and time and the actual blood that flowed from His body, and the assurance and consolation we can receive from that Object of our faith, outside of ourselves. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

Can you get spiritual benefits from physical elements?

Ted asks about struggling with sin in the Christian faith and what it could mean, even eventually. Rod talks about St. Paul and what he says about the Christian life in Romans, and what the reality is regarding ‘progress’ or ‘growth’ in one’s faith, out of the Reformation, in spite of what our fears tempt us to believe. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate

I believe but I keep on sinning so I don’t actually believe, right?

Rod Rosenbladt was well known for the free-flowing conversations with students, family, and friends on his back deck in Irvine, Ca. Join Rod and his son Ted as they recreate this experience 6 min at a time on Talks was Dad Rod.

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Talks with Dad Rod

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