Knowra Justification by faith Justification by faith Justification by faith is the Christian doctrine that God counts sinners as righteous through faith rather than through their own works. Christian traditions differ on how faith, grace, and good works relate in this process.
Grace in Christianity : In Christianity, grace is God’s freely given favor and aid, not a reward earned by human merit. Justification is understood as a gift grounded in God’s grace.
Paul the Apostle : Paul the Apostle was an early Christian missionary and author of letters included in the New Testament. His arguments about faith, law, and righteousness became foundational for the doctrine.
Justification by works : Justification by works is the view that human actions or obedience contribute to being declared righteous before God. It names the position the doctrine opposes when works are treated as grounds for justification.
Lutheranism : Lutheranism is a Protestant tradition that emphasizes justification by grace through faith on account of Christ. It makes justification by faith a central article of Christian teaching.
Protestant Reformation : The Protestant Reformation was a sixteenth-century movement that divided Western Christianity and established Protestant churches. Disputes about justification by faith became a major cause and marker of the Reformation.
Faith in Christianity : In Christianity, faith is trust in God and reliance on the claims and promises of Christian belief. Faith is the means by which the doctrine says sinners receive justification.
Epistle to the Romans : The Epistle to the Romans is a New Testament letter in which Paul develops an account of sin, grace, faith, and righteousness. Its treatment of justification became a key scriptural basis for later debates.
Imputed righteousness : Imputed righteousness is the theological view that Christ’s righteousness is credited to believers by God. Many Protestant accounts explain justification by faith through this credited righteousness.
Reformed Christianity : Reformed Christianity is a Protestant tradition shaped by the theology of the Reformation and its later confessions. Its confessions give a distinct account of faith, union with Christ, and justification.
Indulgence : An indulgence is a remission of temporal punishment for sin, granted by the Catholic Church under specified conditions. Luther’s protest against indulgence practices helped bring questions of merit and forgiveness to the fore.
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