Faith Alone

Martin Luther said that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is the article by which the church stands or falls. That may seem like a pretty deep statement, but it is filled with practicality for us. There are two ways to approach and interact with God. The performance model tells us that there are merits that must be earned and a way of going about life that mixes our works with God's works, so that somehow we can earn our place into God's good favor. Every religion is based on this and so is the default posture of our heart. But the Gospel reminds us that there is nothing we can do, because even our good works are like filthy rags. The faith model says that God has done everything in the cross of Christ, and the only thing I can do is end my own self-salvation experiment and trust wholly in Jesus. The performance model will leave us getting only what we deserve, and that is not a good thing. But faith in Christ leads God to justify us, making us right with him.