Taking a stand often leaves you feeling alone. It doesn’t always win you friends and might even make some enemies. But if an idea is both true and profoundly important, those who take a stand for it have a bond that nothing can break. This week, we turn our attention to the stand Lutherans take on “Faith alone.” It’s natural for us to assume that we can be right with God on our own—as a result of our own goodness and virtue. Thankfully, God first gives us his law to show us our sin. Like a sharp sword, it cuts open every facet of our lives and exposes our shortcomings. But after the law has done its work, the gospel shows us Christ and works in us the faith to trust in him alone.