Theme: Justification

Justification by faith alone is the hinge on which the Protestant Reformation turned, and it is still the truth that most needs to be sung. The declaration that because of Christ's righteousness imputed to us, we stand before God not as accused but as beloved and righteous — this is the good news that every human heart most needs to hear. Songs about justification do the pastoral work of dismantling the performance-based approach to God that is so deeply embedded in human nature and so resistant to sermon alone. When these truths are sung by a congregation, week after week, they create a community of grace — people who know they are accepted not because of what they do but because of what Christ has done.