Lutherans subscribe to the Book of Concord, not to FIC, LW, or LS.
87] In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul discusses this topic especially, and declares that, when we believe that God, for Christ's sake, is reconciled to us, we are justified freely by faith.
Book of Concord, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Justification.
The reconciliation expressed in Corinthians is the Atonement, not to be confused with justification. Melanchthon is clear, and Robert Preus explains:
"But the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the sinner takes place when the Holy Spirit brings him to faith through Baptism and the Word of the Gospel. Our sins were imputed to Christ at His suffering and death, imputed objectively after He, by His active and passive obedience, fulfilled and procured all righteousness for us. But the imputation of His righteousness to us takes place when we are brought to faith." [procured in italics in text]
Robert D. Preus, Justification and Rome, St. Louis: Concordia Academic Press 1997, p. 72.
Abraham Calov: "Although Christ has acquired for us the remission of sins, justification, and sonship, God just the same does not justify us prior to our faith. Nor do we become God's children in Christ in such a way that justification in the mind of God takes place before we believe." [Apodixis Articulorum Fide, Lueneburg, 1684]
Robert D. Preus, Justification and Rome, St. Louis: Concordia Academic Press 1997, p. 131n.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Reconciliation Explained by Luther's Co-Worker Mel...":
This is one problem I have with Jacko: He claims to know more about Robert Preus than Preus' own family by insisting that he does not teach Universal Objective Justification. Instead it is claimed that he rejected UOJ, when his family denies that. Surely his family knows more about this great saint than does Jacko.
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GJ - What Rolf claims is hearsay. What we have for certain is the book, even after unclean hands have touched it in editing the work. I base my claim upon the printed word rather than Rolf's testimony, which has been on both sides of the justification issue.
As James Heiser pointed out, Robert's sons are not known for their theological acumen.
