Abstract

Being protestant means to listen to and receive the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Sola Fide – it is by faith only that humans can be justifi ed. People get involved with God that is they put their faith in him and experience redemption and deliverance. People give glory to God, and acknowledge him as God and creator and themselves as creatures. By this he, who praises him, receives dignity. People are unable to justify themselves in God’s view – Sola Gratia: it is by grace only that human beings receive salvation, not by their own deeds. God is the one who presents faithful humans with a relationship to himself. Neither good deeds nor saints nor sanctifi ed priests can mediate between God and human mankind. Again: It is by grace only that God enters into a relationship with humans, notwithstanding the fact that the latter do mistakes and behave incorrectly. Solus Christus – only Christ. Due to the fact that Christ came to us as human mankind, people don’t need to bother with religious methods and principles in order to please God and come to him. Soli Deo Gloria – it is God alone who is worthy to receive all honour. Th e way Abraham put his faith and trust into action shall be an example for people nowadays. This and comparable stories “clearly demonstrate that there is successful and well-accomplished life within broken lives. Sola Scriptura – it is the Holy Scripture only that is the basis of Christian faith – that is what Martin Luther insisted on. By reading biblical texts people get a glimpse of what it is like if God bails someone out or if God does unexpected or miraculous things. Th e Scripture gives evidence of God’s influence on this world if people seek to understand it in a religious sense. An attitude that is willing and able to receive love and grace, this is the attitude of an open and trustworthy person. Such a person can address God as father, mother or friend and is prepared to receive God’s love and care without being forced to please him. Th is is what the Scripture calls “faith”: an attitude of expectation and hope rather than pure eff ort. It means letting God do good to you and in the pretty much the same way dropping yourself into him.