"The objectum fidei is not the dogma about Christ, but rather Christ Himself." Sasse

Corresponding to the concept of faith as “holding something to be true,” the object of faith is, for a Catholic, always dogma, for example the dogma about Christ. Corresponding to the evangelical concept of faith as fiducia, as trusting the divine promise of grace in the gospel, is the fact that, for the Lutheran, the objectum fidei is not the dogma about Christ, but rather Christ Himself; not the dogma about the Trinity, but rather the Triune God; not the Bible as such, but rather God, Who speaks to us in each word of the Scripture. This important distinction was mis-used, by Ritschl and his school in his time, but then by the entirety of modern liberalism, in order to get rid of dogma in general. What a misuse was created with simply one phrase of Melanchthon’s, his famous phrase that recognizing Christ means recognizing His benefits, but not His natures and form and manner of the incarnation! As if the benefits of Christ would exist without the mystery of His incarnation, His true divinity and true humanity! As if one could believe in Jesus Christ, without believing that he is the God-man! No, the Lutheran church did not set dogma aside, but rather gave to it its proper place, and thereby brought it to be honored, as it is honored in no other church.

Hermann Sasse

Letters to Lutheran Pastors 25