Almost 500 years ago, after centuries of distorted teaching about indulgences and human merit in the place of the free gift of eternal life through Christ, the biblical gospel was again 'found' and restated. This period of time was called the Reformation. The most important defining statement that Protestant churches hold in common is that "we are justified by God's grace alone, through faith alone, because of Jesus Christ alone." Our understanding and application of the doctrine of justification by faith alone is the single most important thing in any persons life. Without it, we stand guilty before God with no hope of salvation.
This is an academic essay written as part of my theological education. It looks at what exactly the doctrine of justification by grace through faith is, and why it is so important.
