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They thus understand this formula in a way that excludes baptism. Some-particularly Baptists-claim that if baptism were to play a role in salvation it would violate the “faith alone” formula. Various Protestants-including some Calvinists, Anglicans, Methodists, and others-believe baptism plays a role in salvation, but others sharply disagree. In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther asks, “What does baptism give? What good is it?” His answer: “It gives the forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, just as God’s words and promises declare.” Lutherans, for example, don’t see the idea that baptism grants salvation as conflicting with this. In practice, Protestants give different meanings to the “faith alone” formula. The idea is that in order to come to God, be forgiven, and be declared righteous, you don’t need to do anything to earn your place before God except have faith in Jesus Christ. When Protestants use the phrase “faith alone,” they are describing how we are justified. Catholic theology would say that there is more to justification than that, but it is true that at the beginning of the Christian life God forgives a person’s sins and declares him righteous.
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This is occurs at the beginning of the Christian life, when a person first turns to God.Īs far as it goes, this description is accurate. The way typical American Evangelicals use the term, when God justifies someone, he declares that person’s sins forgiven and proclaims the person righteous. Unfortunately, there is considerable disagreement about what justification involves. The New Testament uses the word justification to refer to one of the things that God does for us by his grace. It occurs in a specific context-the doctrine of justification. The discussion of faith and works doesn’t take place in a vacuum.