John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Here is a summary of our Christian faith

All human beings are sinners, guilty before God and therefore subject to His wrath and punishment. The punishment of sin is death -- temporal, spiritual, and eternal. From this penalty people cannot free themselves, because they cannot wipe away their guilt.

But God in His mercy sent His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ to take our place, to take the place of sinful human beings. God put Jesus under the divine Law and imputed to Him the guilt of all the world's sin. Jesus willingly placed Himself under the divine Law and the Father imputed to Him the guilt of the world's sin. In obedience to His heavenly Father, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the divine Law and suffered and died as the substitute for all human beings. In this way He atoned for their guilt and redeemed them from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

The resurrection of Christ is the public declaration from God the Father that in Christ He has -- not that He  will, but that He has-- once and for all forgiven all the sins of all the people.

God announces in the Gospel that He has once and for all forgiven all people all their sins in Christ Jesus. Whoever believes the Gospel has the forgiveness of sins, that is, that person is justified before God.

This subjective justification is by faith alone, without the works of the divine Law. All works of the Law before or after conversion are excluded. When God justifies the sinner, that person has forgiveness of all sin and shall not come into judgment but has eternal life. Salvation is therefore by grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ.

In order to prove our faith before others, now and on the day of Judgment, good works are necessary. They are also a necessary result of justification. However, we dare not trust in our own righteousness, but must at all times trust in, and rely on, Christ's righteousness through the grace and mercy of God in Christ Jesus, and believe in the forgiveness of sins procured by Christ. Anyone who relies on personal righteousness has fallen from grace.

In applying this doctrine to ourselves and others, it is necessary that we properly distinguish between Law and Gospel. If we do not properly distinguish between Law and Gospel the truth of Scripture will be denied or corrupted. We will deny or corrupt Scripture if we do not diligently hold fast to objective reconciliation and justification as accomplished fact.