What Is a Confessional Lutheran?

Frank Gillespie at Putting Out the Fire asked:

So, what is a confessional Lutheran and what does that mean?

Here's my answer:

What Is a Confessional Lutheran?

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who believes the Creeds and articles of faith contained in the Book of Concord, because they accurately reflect the doctrine contained in the Scriptures.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who believes in the inerrancy, inspiration, sufficiency, and efficacy of Scripture, believing it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who believes that in Christ's body and blood offered in Communion, and in the water of Baptism, there is forgiveness of sins.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who stands on the mighty solas of the Reformation.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who confesses those same beliefs by sharing them with others and teaching them to their family.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who believes that our Confession is worth defending, because it is Christ’s honor that is at stake.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who renounces secret and shameful ways, avoiding deception and distortion of God’s Word, instead setting forth the truth plainly for all to see.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who proclaims God’s saving message through their vocation, both in what they say and in what they do.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who is willing to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching, even at the cost of being called "unloving," when our Confession is ignored or distorted.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who recognizes that God’s strength is manifested in weakness, and that suffering is often the calling of a Christian.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who is always watching from the wall, constantly vigilant for those who cause divisions and create obstacles that are contrary to the teaching we have learned.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who stands on our Confession, renouncing theologies of glory that would follow the ways of the world in such things as women’s ordination, open Communion, and the like.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who rejoices because they have been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who recognizes that they serve God when they serve their neighbor.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who is daily baptized into Christ’s death, so that also being baptized into Christ’s resurrection he might be forgiven, walking in newness of life for Christ’s sake.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who demolishes arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who Confesses.

In short:

A Confessional Lutheran is someone who loves his church and the Confession on which it has, through the centuries, taken its stand, and he looks forward to the day in which all Christians will be united with one voice under Christ’s banner at the banquet feast on high.