Justification

"Furthermore, it is taught that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God through our merit, work, or satisfactions, but that we receive forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God out of grace for Christ's sake through faith when we believe that Christ has suffered for us and that for his sake our sin is forgiven and righteousness and eternal life are given to us.  For God will regard and reckon this faith as righteousness in his sight, as St. Paul says in Romans 3:21-26, and 4:5."

Article IV, Augsburg Confession-Translation from German text-

For those playing the home game...the Augsburg Confession was the confession brought by the princes in Germany to the Emperor to give an account of what they believe in.  This almost never went down.  The Reformation was still fresh, and Rome was still not looking to dialogue.  After meeting with Luther, who was not at the presentation of the Augsburg Confession for safety reasons, the princes brought forth their confession in defiance of the empire, and of Rome.  The confession was written by close friend and confidant of Luther, Philipp Melanchthon. 

Just a little background.  So what does this all mean exactly?  What is the difference between what Lutherans believe and what American Evangelicals believe?  Furthermore what is even the difference between what Lutherans believe and what Roman Catholics believe? Starting with the common American evangelical, they take on a belief that justification has a lot to do with what "we do."  We say the sinners prayer, we "invite" Jesus into our heart.  Why is this wrong?  For starters, to have any notion that we can "invite" God into our hearts is off base.  It gives off this notion that God working through us or in us is contingent upon us "inviting" Jesus into our hearts.  It's as if God cannot work through us otherwise.  "Want your life to change?  Want God to shower blessings untold upon you?  Invite Jesus into your heart."  This makes it a work.  This makes God's blessings a response to the work we do.  This is incorrect.  It is never what "we do" it is always what God does.  Here's the scripture cited in Article IV:

 21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:21-16

5And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Romans 4:5

What to make of all this then?  Roman Catholicism teaches that grace is infused on us by God.  That God infuses Grace on us to work justification in us by transforming our heart.  Luther said that salvation is completely of God, and that the action is found in God, not ones heart.  God transforms us by unconditionally forgiving us of our sins, not by working justification into the heart through infusion.  

Whoa, heavy stuff, heavy language.  But it is essential in distinguishing what Lutherans believe and what other Christian's teach and believe.  Especially in a day and age where we should be out there with our theology, we need to educate people on what the differences are, and how it applies to their life.  True, the Gospel applies to all people regardless of race, gender, or economic background.  But different people have different experiences, and to many (even Lutherans) the above mini treatise on the doctrine of Justification is a foreign concept.  So we need to "get it out there."

More to come...