After the debacle of his ordination and his heated confrontation with his father Luther threw himself into the work of acquiring the grace of God. The mechanics of salvation, as taught by the church were complex and fairly unbiblical. The church saw herself as a repository for the grace of God. While God had filled her with His grace, the church dispensed that grace by various means but especially through the seven sacraments.

So every-time a parishioner went to mass, they received a little trickle of the grace of God in exchange for their attendance. Every time a child was baptised, the tap of grace, attached to the spiritual receptacle of the church would open and some grace would flow out. So, while the church claimed that everyone was saved by grace, they had in fact instituted a system of works in order to procure that grace. It was, convoluted at best and downright fraudulent at worst.

For Luther this meant, rigorously attending to all his duties, engaging in penance for extra merit, making sure he went to confession religiously because that was one of the seven sacraments and would score him extra grace and availing himself of every indulgence and prayer that promised even the smallest trickle of grace. Grace was like little points of merit marked out in a book. The more points you earned the better your outlook for the hereafter.

In fact he worked so hard that he once famously wrote "if ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery it was I" But it was like spinning his wheels and remaining stuck in the same mire. The harder he worked the more despondent he felt. The greater his self flagellation the more acute his sense of unworthiness and guilt.

God didn't leave Luther to wallow in his misery, instead He sent him a friend and mentor to point him in the right direction. Johann Von Staupitz was the head of all the Augustinian Monasteries in Germany and was also a Doctor of Theology, lecturing at the University of Wittenberg. Staupitz was drawn to Luther. He saw potential in the hardworking, academically gifted and deeply devout friar with the grim expression. He came alongside Luther and soon took on the role of a father figure to him.

In fact his influence on Luther and contribution to his spiritual and mental well being were so profound that Luther later wrote "If it hadn't been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk into hell"

Staupitz spent hours listening to Luther's confessions, once spending nearly seven hours in a confessional as Luther disgorged his grief. But as far as Staupitz was concerned, Luther's sins did not equate to the crushing sense of guilt he seemed to labour under. Staupitz tried to point to Luther to Jesus as a saviour, yet Luther still struggled to grasp the concept of God's forgiveness and mercy.

In 1508, Staupitz sent him to the University of Wittenberg on a temporary placement to lecture in the Theology Department. While at Wittenberg Luther had unlimited access to the Scriptures and more time on his hands. He began to read the book of Romans and lecture on it and it was as though the floodgates opened. Though Luther didn't fully formulate his concept of justification by faith at this time it was a starting point that set him his journey. In fact, he lectured so well and so clearly that his classes were packed and one of the lectures at the university remarked that if he kept on the path he seemed to be on he would, without a doubt, reform the church.