A Lutheran is a Christian who strives to live the teachings of Jesus and trusts in God’s love, grace, and mercy. You might ask, “But don’t all Christians believe that?” What makes Lutherans distinct from other Christians is in how we understand and practice our beliefs. An essential piece of Lutheran teaching is our understanding and practice about salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) God’s grace toward us is a gift. There is nothing we can do to earn it and there is nothing we can do to cause God to withhold it.
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism that identifies with the teachings of Martin Luther. His writings spread internationally and divided Western Christianity. He lectured on the Bible and its teachings, and between 1515-1517 CE studied the Epistle (Letter) to the Romans.
Paul’s letter encouraged that justification, being put back into right relationship with God, comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and not through anything we do. It is all a gift of God’s grace.
