<> Ask the Pastor Fr. Walter Snyder Q: My wife has a question that's been bothering her mind for a bit of time, we have not been able to get a response on the subject yet. A lot of Christians say that the Blood of Jesus can cover us of any danger (accident, murder, etc.) but we have not found in the Bible any verse that states this. We have found only the cleansing and removal of sins. Why do some Christians say, "I cover you with the Blood of Jesus," all the time? A: The circles I most travel in don't use this expression the way in which you are describing it, although I've heard people talk of the Savior's blood in this way. To do so is to totally misunderstand the death of Christ, human sinfulness, and divine forgiveness. One of the great mysteries of the Faith is how we can be washed in Jesus' blood, yet be made clean and white. This isn't the way laundry day at the Snyder house operates! If blood gets on our clothing, we use all manner of cleansing agents, depending upon the fabric, to remove the stain. However, in theology, we are told that each of us is stained from conception and birth (see Psalm 51). As with the wife of Shakespeare's Macbeth, even if we see the stain, we cannot wash it away. Our inherent sinful natures mark us as "untouchable" by God and unworthy of his presence. Our blood-guilt is only removed by the innocent blood shed by Jesus. This cleansing comes through the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" in Baptism (Titus 3), the preaching of the Gospel of forgiveness, and the Absolution (forgiveness by God through his called ministers). In the Lord's Supper, we are not only "covered" with the blood of Jesus, but we also consume it and are made one with him through this eating his body and drinking his blood. God's protection of his children is first and foremost a protection from the consequences of our own sinfulness. The Scriptures remind us that ours is the Way of the Cross, and we are not to expect all earthly troubles to vanish. However, we overcome and triumph because our being covered by the blood of Jesus has dressed us in righteousness and opened the gates of heaven to us. Q: Why do some churches believe that everyone who doesn't belong to them is going to hell? Also, why do many of these same churches not allow musical instruments to be played in their Church? A: In certain "restoration" churches in Protestantism, a capella singing is the only music used in worship. This singing, unaccompanied by mechanical instruments of music, is believed to conform to the music used in the apostolic church and for several centuries thereafter. I've seen Ephesians 5:19 used as a proof text. However, this passage not only mentions singing, but also making music--which may also mean musical instruments. They teach that there is no authority for engaging in acts of worship not found in the New Testament. This eliminates not only instrumental music, but the use of candles, incense, and the like. Thus, more liturgical churches, such as Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism (Episcopalianism) are considered to be especially distant from the New Testament Church. It seems that the reason focuses on a desire to get back to whatever the early church did. Unfortunately there is no record of exactly how the early church conducted the service. Most likely, details varied widely from place to place. Usually, these churches also de-emphasize the Old Testament, considering its purpose to be complete; thus, references to musical instruments in the worship of the Lord are ignored. Such an abandonment of Scripture in its entirety is condemned both by the early church and by the New Testament, wherein Jesus, Paul, and others constantly reference the books of the Old Testament. As examples, Jesus speaks of how they point to him, while Paul reminds Timothy (and us) of their continuing value in salvation and living a Christian life. As an aside, trousers with zippers, bound Bibles, and special buildings established for Christian worship are also among those things not mentioned nor commanded by the New Testament, yet most of these churches have special buildings wherein the men wear modern pants and where most carry bound copies of the Scriptures. As for condemnation of those who believe differently, this is often the mark of such bodies. They practice rigid "spiritual discipline," and consider the lax to be lapsed. Works are viewed to be almost as important as God's grace (undeserved kindness toward sinners). Thus, if we are not actively involved in doing those things seen as necessary for salvation, including a return to the perceived worship practices of the apostolic church, we are outside the faith and destined for perdition. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.