Justification and Merit

Abstract

"The teaching of justification of the sinner solely by faith is the "heart" of the Reformation. Martin Luther viewed it as the "main teaching" of Christianity and demonstrated this assertion by the concepts of the sole agency of God and of the consecutive character of good works. Since he could concede neither the cooperation of man nor the "final character of works" (meaning works achieved with an ultimate end in view), his struggle was mainly against the Church's traditional doctrine of merit"