Most Christians, including Lutherans, accept the Nicene Creed as their confession of faith. So how do Lutherans distinguish their beliefs from what most others confess? The answer is the Augsburg Confession. Joy professes the Augsburg Confession “as a true witness to the Gospel.” So what is this Augsburg Confession?

In 1530 the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V called on the Princes and Free Territories in Germany to meet in Augsburg, Germany, to explain their religious beliefs. Elector John of Saxony asked Martin Luther, Justus Jonas, Johannes Bugenhagen and Philipp Melanchthon to prepare a statement of faith. Luther couldn’t go to Augsburg because he had been declared an outlaw in 1517. Melanchthon did more work on the 28 articles before it was presented to the Emperor on June 25. 

Much of the Confession is meant to explain how the Protestants did not differ from the Catholic faith. It then goes on to explain some abuses the Protestants believed they had corrected. Unfortunately, the Emperor rejected most of the Confession leading to a permanent split between Catholics and Lutherans.

What’s in the Augsburg Confession? Here’s a section of Article IV: “people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith.” And some of Article X: “Of the Supper of the Lord they teach that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present, and are distributed to those who eat the Supper of the Lord.”

You can find the whole document here https://thebookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/ Give it a read.

Read Romans 1:17 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne