Justification by the Word: Restoring Sola Fide

by Jack D Kilcrease

God's Word creates what he commands

In Justification by the Word, Jack D. Kilcrease reintroduces Martin Luther's key doctrine. Though a linchpin of the Reformation, Luther's view of justification is often misunderstood. For Luther, justification is an expression of God's creative Word. To understand Luther on justification, one must grasp his doctrine of the Word. The same God who declared "let there be light"—and it was so—also declares "your sins are forgiven." Justification is an objective reality. It is achieved in Christ's resurrection and received through an encounter with the risen Christ in Word and sacrament. Justification turns us outward, away from our own unsteady feelings and limited understanding, to look to Christ. And the church must preach justification, lest we so easily forfeit the joy of the gospel.

Justification by the Word inspires readers to reencounter the radical doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Genres: Theology

675 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2022

Reviews

[Don Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not Lutheran myself, but Christians of any tradition can benefit greatly from this presentation of justification from a Lutheran perspective.

[Bob Hiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional book.

[Kyle Tomlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic exposition of the biblical theology of justification, the history of justification, Luther’s understanding of justification, and how the Protestant tradition has largely diverged from Luther in its understanding of justification because of its failure to grasp the sacramentality of the Word and to understand the Sacraments as the effective means of grace. As such, this book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to get a good, biblical understanding of the doctrine of justification.

That said, the only negative about the book is the poor editing from the good folks at Lexham. I’m not sure what happened but the book is riddled with typos and grammatical mistakes. It’s unfortunate because it’s a such a great book. Perhaps later printings can correct this.

[Mr Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best theological books I have read. I read it carefully and will be returning to it again and again in the future.

[Jerry Tangren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just about the best book for Lutheran theologians and others written in the 21st century.