Our outer salvation in Christ crucified for us

  Luther was known to have said salvation lies outside ourselves.

What does salvation lies outside ourselves means?

First, it means we can do nothing in our fallen state to save ourselves but salvation is entirely dependent on God who works to make us who were unwilling to become willing to believe in Christ crucified for us,  such that faith itself doesn't come from within ourselves but is gift of God imparted to us from outside ourselves. It is purely grace alone in definition.

Secondly, it means our assurance is not on the basis of anything in us, but it is in Christ crucified for us. It is purely Christ alone as our Savior.

Thirdly, it means our continual assurance lies in the outward objective means of Word and Sacrament  given unto us. It It is purely sacramental, physical grace delivered unto us from outside ourselves in the means of grace (to receive what Christ did for us), as when the Word is delivered to us in the water of baptism, spoken in Absolution and given us in Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

Fourthly, it means there is nothing in us that merits righteousness before God but it is the righteousness of Christ that God sees in us that is foreign to who we are. It is purely alien/imputed righteousness.

Fifthly,  it means we have no fruit or work we can boast from ourselves of or say can justify us. It is purely faith alone as the instrument by which God justified us, for Christ's sake, from start to finish (or from conversion to glorification).

Sixth, it means faith alone looks outwards in clinging to God's word given from outside ourselves via means of grace, by which we are joined to Christ who comes to us to deliver His forgiveness. It is purely Incarnational and Christological.

Finally, it means that is what is true for all (whom Christ died for and God's grace is for) becomes personally true for us when offered unto us from outside ourselves objectively in the means of grace. It is purely universal atonement delivered by universal grace through objective, outward means by which faith alone clings to from outside ourselves.

Here we stand.