The Church

For Luther, the church received not only its orientation but also its life from the Word and the Spirit, creating a community of believers, a “communion of saints,” that lives according to the promise of the forgiveness of sins. This spiritual community includes participation by believers both in the blessings of Christ (forgiveness and new life, given through the Word and sacraments) and also in a holy community that embodies those blessings in communicative and reconciling relationships. This embodiment itself can be a witness to the world.