Why Do Lutherans Talk About Justification by Grace Through Faith?
The New Testament clearly affirms that our reconciliation with our Creator can only be thought of as a free gift from God. It is not to be earned, and certainly it is not deserved. God, in love and mercy, offers to everyone a new life, one that begins at baptism and continues beyond death. This discovery of a gracious God who seeks those who are lost, was the turning point in Martin Luther’s understanding of the Christian faith. For him the matter was clear; we cannot climb to God, we cannot even meet him half way. Rather, God comes to us in the person of Jesus, the Lord. We only need in faith to receive God’s acceptance of us. During the Reformation of the sixteenth century this became known as the doctrine of Justification by Grace through Faith, an affirmation of most churches. Lutherans recognize the ease with which Christians tend to forget this central affirmation. We persist in trying to justify ourselves by our own good works, by our own accomplishments. Lutheranism as a Christ
