Confessional Lutheranism in the context of "Divine Service (Lutheran)"

Sola fide, meaning "faith alone," is a Christian doctrine that teaches sinners are forgiven and declared “not guilty” through faith—apart from good works or religious deeds. Protestants traditionally believe that this doctrine of salvation is the cornerstone of Christianity, the very teaching "upon which the church stands or falls".

In classical Protestant theologies, works are the natural evidence of faith, but they do not determine salvation. Confessional Lutheranism sees justification as free forgiveness, received only through faith. Without faith, God's forgiveness is rejected and its benefits are forfeited. Methodism affirms the doctrine of justification by faith alone, but holds that holy living with the goal of Christian perfection (entire sanctification) is essential for salvation; maintenance of sanctification is contingent on continual faith in and obedience to God.

The Confessing Movement is a largely lay-led theologically conservative Christian movement that opposes the influence of theological liberalism and theological progressivism currently within several mainline Protestant denominations and seeks to return those denominations to its view of orthodox doctrine or to form new denominations and disfellowship them if the situation becomes untenable. While those aligned with the Confessing Movement seek to retake Mainline Christian denominations, there are those in the Confessing Movement who eventually deem dealing with theological liberalism within their denominations as not being tenable anymore and would later join or start Confessional churches that continue with the traditions of their respective denominations and maintaining evangelical-orthodox doctrine while being ecclesiastically separate from the Mainline Protestant denominations. Youth aligned with the Confessing Movement have viewed their project as being an 'Operation Reconquista', specifically with respect to seeking to establish theological orthodoxy within Mainline Christian denominations.

It overlaps with other conservative Christian movements including Evangelicalism, and within Methodism specifically, the Holiness movement. Its members have stated their commitment to work to change their home denominations from within rather than establishing new ones, even if they are unable to regain full influence. It also has overlaps with Confessionalism which is identified with the belief in the importance of full and unambiguous assent to the whole of a religious movements' or denominations' teachings such as those found in Confessions of Faith which they see as accurate summaries of the teachings found in Scripture and accurately shows their distinction from other groups. Confessionalism is most visible among Lutherans known as Confessional Lutherans for their adherence to the Book of Concord. The Confessing Movement places particular weight on the role of evangelism and traditional Bible teachings concerning the deity of Christ and holds conservative, historical Christian views on sexuality, especially homosexuality.