Can An Individual Or Church Spend Too Much Time and Energy on Grace?

Question:

Can an individual or church spend too much time and energy on grace?

Answer:

No.  In the Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism (Answer 224) it states, “The church must always hold and teach this doctrine of justification because it is the chief doctrine of the Christian religion; it distinguishes the Christian religion from false religion which teaches salvation by works; it gives enduring comfort to the repentant sinner; and it gives all glory to God.”  Furthermore, Tim Ysteboe in the book We Believe states, “We believe that the central doctrine of the Bible is justification by faith.  We might say, ‘if you don’t get this, you don’t get the Bible.’”  Finally, the Augsburg Confession states that the chief part of the Gospel is the doctrine of grace.  In other words, the church’s main focus should and can be the doctrine of Justification by Grace through Faith… everything flows into and out of this doctrine.  The person and work of Jesus is the whole counsel of God.