Salvation by grace through faith in Christ
Augsburg IV teaches justification freely for Christ's sake through faith, rather than our merits. Westminster XI treats faith as the instrument receiving Christ's righteousness, accompanied by a transformed life. Southern Baptist Faith and Message IV describes repentance, faith, and new birth as works of grace. These sources differ in their fuller accounts; none makes an animation a means of salvation. Church of England Articles X–XII, The Wesleyan Church Articles 8 and 11–13, Assemblies of God Fundamental Truth 5, and Rethinking Hell’s statement give further named accounts of grace and faith. Their own source explanations remain distinct; the dropdown is not a claim that all Protestant soteriology is identical.
Scripture
- Ephesians 2:8-10 — Salvation is God's gift, and the redeemed are created for good works.
- Romans 3:23-28 — Paul connects justification with grace, redemption in Christ, and faith.
Primary sources
The Lutheran confession teaches that people:
Augsburg IV teaches justification freely for Christ’s sake through faith.
are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith
Passage context and translation
A Lutheran confession in a Reformation dispute; it is not the wording of every Protestant denomination.
Before the excerpt
by their own strength, merits, or works, but
After the excerpt
when they believe that they are received into favor
Sources and further reading
- Assemblies of God · Fundamental Truths 5 and 13–16
- Augsburg Confession IV · Justification · Concordia Publishing House
- Church of England · Thirty-nine Articles IV, X–XII, XXII
- Lutheran · Augsburg Confession IV · Justification
- Reformed · Westminster Confession XI · OPC
- Rethinking Hell · Statement on Evangelical Conditionalism
- Southern Baptist · Baptist Faith and Message IV · Salvation
- The Wesleyan Church · Articles of Religion 8, 11–13, 20–22