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Why am I a Lutheran?

  I suppose one answer to that question is to say, “Well, my parents were, and my grandparents, and my great grandparents. It’s just our family’s faith.” Whether you are Lutheran or not, hopefully you’ve put a bit more thought into that question. 

  As for myself, I suppose I could tell you that I appreciate the Lutheran concepts of Sola Scriptura (the teaching that Scripture is the only source and guiding rule of our faith, John 8:31, 17:17), Sola Gratia (the teaching that we are saved by God’s grace alone, and not by our works, Eph. 2:8-9), or Sola Fide (the teaching that the benefits of God’s grace are ours only through faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, Romans 3:28). These are all wonderful teachings of the Bible emphasized by the Lutheran Church.

  I suppose I could tell you about my appreciation for confessional Lutheranism’s conservative approach to Scripture, believing that it is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, containing no errors even in matters of history, science, and morality. 

  I suppose I could tell you that I have an appreciation for the historic liturgy and for the robust hymnody of the Lutheran church with its emphasis on Christian doctrine.

  But I have to say the number one reason that I am a Lutheran is because of our emphasis on the Gospel. I’ve listened to and watched a number of services of other denominations. Some of them have contained false teaching. In many though, I‘ve felt that the preacher did a good job of explaining the text, or provided good encouragement in how to live a Christian life. Yet, so often I have been left thirsty for the Gospel: the good news of salvation. The truth that Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world (mine included) and rose again to guarantee victory over sin and death. 

  Some 500 years ago, Martin Luther was in agony over the guilt of his sin and in terror of God’s righteous judgment. He could find no comfort for his soul He searched the Scriptures and got stuck on Romans 1:17, which says, “the righteous will live by faith”. Eventually he realized the meaning, he was right with God not by his own righteousness, rather the righteousness of God was his through faith in Christ. He discovered the Gospel and this alone brought comfort for his soul: He was right with God, not by his works, but by grace through faith in Christ.

  Luther cherished the Gospel so much that he desired that the church which held to the Augsburg Confession be known as Evangelical (focusing on the Gospel). Since his enemies pejoratively referred to those churches as Lutheran, eventually they took the name Evangelical Lutheran. 

  I am a Lutheran for a number of reasons, but this is the biggest one: the focus on the Gospel, which brings comfort to my soul.

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