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What We Believe
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HOW TO USE THIS PAGE:
After each numbered subject below, there is a paragraph in Capital letters. This is a brief summary statement of what each article explains. You are encouraged to read the whole statement, but this will save you time if you want a quick synopsis of what we believe.
1. WE ARE CONFESSIONAL LUTHERANS
THIS MEANS THAT WE BELIEVE THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ARE THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, FREE FROM ERRORS AND THE ONLY SOURCE AND NORM OF FAITH. WE ALSO HOLD TO, AND TEACH IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE THREE UNIVERSAL CREEDS (THE APOSTLES', NICENE, AND ATHANASIAN CREEDS) AND THE CONFESSIONAL DOCUMENTS CONTAINED IN THE LUTHERAN BOOK OF CONCORD AS A CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE.
A. We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, free of any errors.
"My neighbor and I - in short, all people - may deceive and mislead, but God's Word cannot deceive" (Large Catechism - Part 4, par. 57).
B. We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the only source and norm of our faith.
"We confess our adherence to the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments, as to the pure, clear fountain of Israel, which alone is the one true guiding principle, according to which all teachers and teaching are to be judged and evaluated." (Formula of Concord: Solid Declaration, par. 3)
"God's Word alone ought to be and remain the only guiding principle and rule of all teaching and that no person's writing can be put on a par with it, but that everything must be totally subject to God's Word." (Formula of Concord: Solid Declaration, par. 9)
C. We are a catholic church (not Roman Catholic). This means that we subscribe to the statements of faith (Creeds) of the universal church because they are a correct statement of what Holy Scripture teaches. Therefore, we confess the three universal Christian creeds.
"Since in ancient times the true Christian teaching as it was correctly and soundly understood was summarized on the basis of God's Word in short articles or chief parts against the adulterations of heretics, we confess our adherence, secondly, to the three ecumenical creeds, the Apostles', the Nicene, and the Athanasian, as the glorious confessions of faith - succinct, Christian, based upon God's Word, in which all the heresies that had at that time arisen within the Christian churches were clearly and thoroughly refuted." (Formula of Concord: Solid Declaration, par. 4)
D. We are a Confessional Lutheran Church. This means that we subscribe unconditionally to the Lutheran confessional writings contained in the "Book of Concord" of 1580 (the three creeds; the Augsburg Confession; the Apology to the Augsburg Confession; the Smalcald Articles; the Small and Large Catechisms; the Formula of Concord). We do not believe that these documents add anything to Scripture. Rather, we accept them because they are a correct interpretation of Scripture.
2. GOD
WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD, THE GOD OF THE BIBLE. HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO US AS FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30)
"In the first place, it is with one accord taught and held, following the decree of the Council of Nicea, that there is one divine essence which is named God and truly is God. But there are three persons in the same one essence, equally powerful, equally eternal: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are one divine essence, eternal, undivided, unending, of immeasurable power, wisdom, and goodness, the creator and preserver of all visible and invisible things." (Augsburg Confession - Article 1)
3. SIN
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS IMAGE (Genesis 1:27), THAT IS, WITHOUT SIN. BUT MAN, THROUGH DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD, LOST THIS PERFECTION (Genesis 3:6), BECAME SINFUL AND CORRUPT BY NATURE (Psalm 51:5), AND AN ENEMY OF GOD (Romans 8:7). THEREFORE MAN IS SUBJECT TO DEATH WHICH IS THE PUNISHMENT FOR SIN (Romans 6:23).
"Furthermore, it is taught among us that since the fall of Adam, all human beings who are born in the natural way are conceived and born in sin. This means that from birth they are full of evil lust and inclination and cannot by nature possess true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this same innate disease and original sin is truly sin and condemns to God's eternal wrath all who are not in turn born anew through baptism and the Holy Spirit." (Augsburg Confession - article 2)
4. JESUS CHRIST
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD SENT HIS ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST, TO RESCUE MANKIND FROM THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN (John 3:16-17). ONLY JESUS COULD SAVE MANKIND BECAUSE HE WAS BOTH TRUE MAN AND TRUE GOD (John 1:14). BY HIS PERFECT OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMAND (Romans 5:18), HIS INNOCENT SUFFERING AND DEATH, AND HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD (Romans 4:25), JESUS HAS TAKEN AWAY THE SIN OF ALL PEOPLE (1 John 2:2)
"Likewise, it is taught that God the Son became a human being, born of the pure Virgin Mary, and that the two natures, the divine and the human, are so inseparably united in one person that there is one Christ. He is true God and true human being who truly 'was born, suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried' in order both to be a sacrifice not only for original sin but also for all other sins and to conciliate God's wrath. Moreover, the same Christ descended into hell, truly rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, is sitting at the right hand of God' in order to rule and reign forever over all creatures, so that through the Holy Spirit he may make holy, purify, strengthen, and comfort all who believe in him, also distribute to them life and various gifts and benefits, and shield and protect them against the devil and sin. Finally, the same Lord Christ 'will come' in full view of all 'to judge the living and the dead...,' according to the Apostles' Creed. Rejected are all heresies that are opposed to this article." (Augsburg Confession - article 3)
5. SALVATION (THE GOSPEL)
WE BELIEVE THAT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ETERNAL LIFE, AND SALVATION JESUS WON FOR THE WHOLE WORLD IS APPLIED TO A PERSON AND MADE HIS/HER PERSONAL POSSESSION WHEN HE/SHE IS BROUGHT TO FAITH IN CHRIST AS THE SAVIOR (Romans 5:1-2). WE REJECT ANY TEACHING THAT MAN CAN BE SAVED IN ANY OTHER WAY THAN THROUGH FAITH ALONE IN WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE (John 14:6).
"It is taught that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God through our own merit, work, or satisfactions, but that we receive forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God out of grace for Christ's sake through faith when we believe that Christ has suffered for us and that for his sake our sin is forgiven and righteousness and eternal life are given to us. For God will regard and reckon this faith as righteousness in his sight, as St. Paul says in Romans 3:21-26 and Romans 4:5." (Augsburg Confession - article 4)
6. CONVERSION
WE BELIEVE THAT A PERSON COMES TO FAITH IN CHRIST AND REMAINS IN THAT FAITH ONLY THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WORKS THROUGH THE “MEANS OF GRACE,” THAT IS, THROUGH BAPTISM (John 3:3-6; Mark 16:16; Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:4; Titus 3:5-8), THE PREACHING OF THE WORD (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 10:17), ABSOLUTION (John 20:23), AND THE LORD’S SUPPER (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). WE FURTHER BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADMINISTERING THESE MEANS OF GRACE (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-15; Luke 10:16; John 20:19-23; Romans 10:14-17)
A. We believe that Baptism saves us (John 3:3-6; 1 Peter 3:21-22). In Baptism the Holy Spirit makes us members of Christ’s body the church by creating faith in our hearts and cleansing us of the guilt of our sins by granting us forgiveness. This is true for infants and adults alike.
“Concerning baptism it is taught that it is necessary, that grace is offered through it, and that one should also baptize children, who through such baptism are entrusted to God and become pleasing to him. Rejected, therefore, are the Anabaptists who teach that the baptism of children is not right.” (Augsburg Confession, article 9)
“This is the simplest way to put it: the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of baptism is that it saves. For no one is baptized in order to become a prince, but, as the words say, ‘to be saved.’ To be saved, as everyone well knows, is nothing else than to be delivered from sin, death, and the devil, to enter into Christ’s kingdom, and to live with him forever.” (Large Catechism: part 4, par. 24-25)
B. In this life, however, the old sinful flesh still clings to us so that we daily sin much and struggle with the effects of such sin. Therefore, we need to keep receiving Christ’s forgiveness. So, the Holy Spirit gathers us, the members of Christ’s church, together in the Divine Service in order that He might minister to us through absolution (the forgiveness of sins declared to penitent sinners in the public Service and in private), the preaching of the Word, and the Lord’s Supper. We believe concerning the Lord’s Supper (the Sacrament of the Altar), that “it is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine instituted by Christ himself, for us Christians to eat and to drink.” (Small Catechism: “the Nature of the Sacrament of the Altar”). By feeding us with His true body and blood Christ grants us the forgiveness of sins and gives us life and salvation.
“Concerning the Lord’s Supper it is taught that the true body and blood of Christ are truly present under the form of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper and are distributed and received there. Rejected, therefore, is also the contrary teaching.” (Augsburg Confession, article 10)
“We go to the sacrament because there we receive a great treasure, through and in which we obtain the forgiveness of sins. Why? Because the words are there, and they impart it to us! For this reason he bids me eat and drink, that it may be mine and do me good as a sure pledge and sign – indeed, as the very gift he has provided for me against my sins, death, and all evils.” (Large Catechism - part 5, par. 22)
"Concerning confession it is taught that private absolution should be retained and not abolished. However, it is not necessary to enumerate all misdeeds and sins, since it is not possible to do so. Psalm 19:12: "But who can detect their errors?" (Augsburg Confession, article 11)
C. We further believe that for the purpose of administering these means of grace God has instituted the Office of the Ministry.
“To obtain such faith god instituted the office of preaching, giving the gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel. It teaches that we have a gracious God, not through our merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe.” (Augsburg Confession, article 5)
“Concerning church government it is taught that no one should publicly teach, preach, or administer the sacraments without a proper (public) call.” (Augsburg Confession, article 14)
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