St. Peter Lutheran Church
2929 F.M 972 (at F.M. 1105)
Walburg, Texas 78626
Office: (512) 863-
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Last Updated:
Nov. 30, 2023
St. Peter Lutheran Church at Walburg, Texas
2023 -
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ Texas District
John 3:16 -
1 Cor 1:21 -
Saved by Grace Through Faith
“The doctrine of Justification is the summary of Christian doctrine, the sun which illuminates God’s holy church. ... The doctrine of justification is nothing else than faith in Christ... It excludes all self-
“Thus the righteousness granted to the sinner is not his own produced by himself, but an ‘alien’ righteousness belonging to Jesus Christ. ... Man cannot earn this for himself, but can only permit it to be granted and given to him through God’s free grace for Christ’s sake. ... The righteousness of the sinner is, accordingly, not an ‘active’ righteousness, but a ‘passive’ righteousness which he can only ‘suffer’ and receive. ...
“The fact that God declares the unrighteous to be righteous transcends all human understanding and reason. God’s judgment contradicts the judgment of man and each man’s judgment of himself. ...
“Justifying faith is more than just being convinced that the facts of salvation are true, ... [but also includes being convinced that what has happened has been done] ‘for me’. This ‘for me’ is the decisive and essential factor in justifying faith...
“God justifies man by giving him faith. ... Faith is the only way in which Christ can give himself to me. ... Christ is not only the ‘object’ of faith but is himself present in faith. ... Faith does not justify by itself but only because Christ makes himself present in us through it. ...
“Although faith is not to be considered as a ‘work’ in relationship to our justification, it remains the source and fountain of ‘good works’.
“In faith a man becomes a new man. Justifying faith means being born again from God. ... The already present righteousness ... is complete when viewed as acceptance by God and is partial as man’s new being and new obedience. ... The Christian daily needs forgiveness of sins.
“[We are] at one and the same time a righteous man and a sinner: a sinner in fact but a righteous man through faith in the promise and through hope of its fulfillment.”
[Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther, p.224ff]