Our Beliefs
Lutherans believe that Adam and Eve plunged all of mankind into sin in the Garden of Eden when they were tempted by the devil and disobeyed God’s explicit command to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Since then, all humans are born with original sin in our very natures, and all people cannot help but sin daily in their thoughts, words and actions (both the evil we do and the good we fail to do). In the Garden of Eden, God comforted Adam and Eve immediately after the Fall by promising a future Savior Who would redeem humankind from sin by His death, paying for our sins with His suffering and blood. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead guarantees our resurrection from the dead and promises us eternal life in Heaven with Him forever.
All these blessings come from our belief and faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Based on God’s Word in the Bible, Lutherans believe that we don’t choose to believe; rather, God gives us the gift of faith and chooses us to become His children. We believe we can trust God in ALL situations of life and that nothing can remove us from His love and protection.
When we face difficult life situations — crisis pregnancies, chronic disease, family issues, financial fears, the frailty of aging, etc. – we don’t react with fear or make choices based on projections or public opinion. We know that God has a blessed plan for each of our lives. He loves us, always has our best interests at heart and will carry us through our trials, strengthening us in faith to carry out His ultimate, good and perfect will.
When we make wrong choices and sin, we still remain God’s chosen people upon whom He has “set His love” (Deuteronomy 7:7) in Jesus. Nothing can sep arate us from the love God has for us. When we confess our sins, God forgives us and frees us to continue to live as His chosen ones (1 John 1:9).
The Bedrock of Our Beliefs: The Bible
Lutherans believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative Word of God and without error in its original writings. We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles of healing, casting out demons, and showing His authority over God’s created world. Through His suffering and death, he atoned for the sins of the world. He rose from the dead to ascend to the right hand of the Father and will return in power and glory to judge all people in the Last Days.
Lutherans honor the Word of God as the ultimate source of life and truth. In His Word, God proclaims His desire for His church to be in agreement about doctrine and to practice unity, living at peace with one another. Lutherans treasure the confession of Christian truth established in the Book of Concord. (See http://www.lcms.org).
We are committed to pure Biblical teaching and confession of faith. We are also committed to reaching out boldly with the Gospel and speaking God’s truth to the world, fulfilling the Great Commission Christ gave us before ascending into Heaven. God wants all people to experience an abundant life with Him, come to saving faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, and be led by His Holy Spirit throughout their lives.
The Full Expression of the Gospel
The Gospel – the “Good News” – is that God Himself provided a Savior, His one and only Son, Who paid the price for our sin and redeemed us with His blood on the cross. Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, was born as a man on earth to live the perfect life we couldn’t live, to die for all our sins, and to offer us continual forgiveness when we confess our sins to Him. God calls the individuals He has chosen to faith in Him — from Creation through every time period to the future and from every nation throughout the world.
God does not require anyone to add works of faith or extra effort to His Gospel. God’s grace is complete, a free gift to all who simply believe in the all-encompassing work of His Son. We cannot do anything to cause Him to love or forgive us any more than He already does. Our good works FOLLOW our faith, a logical, spontaneous expression of the gratitude we feel toward Our Father. Good works are not an obligation, but an honor to fulfill, a way to thank God and play a small role in His outreach to the nations, which includes our families, neighborhoods and workplaces.
God is wonderfully rich in His grace. We experience His Gospel through His Word, our Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and our ongoing confession of sin and absolution.
HIS WORD: The Holy Spirit works through the Word of the Gospel to create and sustain faith in our heart that Christ is the Savior of the world and our personal Savior. Through His divine, Spirit-filled Word, the Holy Spirit sparks faith and gathers individuals into the fellowship of His church. The Holy Spirit actively works through the Word when we Christians proclaim it, hear it and meditate on it.
OUR BAPTISM: The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is simple water combined with God’s Word to wash us and cleanse us from sin. Just as Christ died, was buried and rose to new life, we die to sin in the waters of Baptism and rise to a new life of faith Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues us from death and the devil and gives eternal life to all who believe. God has promised that our Baptism is truly a life-giving water, rich in grace — a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit.
LORD’S SUPPER: The Lord’s Supper is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself with His disciples on the night He was betrayed. God gives us this special Sacrament as our treasure and gift which works to sustain our faith and life in Him. If you feel heavy-laden and weak, come humbly and joyfully to God’s altar to receive His refreshment, comfort and strength. The Lord’s Supper is a foretaste of the Heavenly Feast to come when all believers will be gathered into His Kingdom forever.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION: Christ provides a special application of His Gospel through confession and absolution. In each worship service, Lutherans begin by honestly confessing our sins to God, resolving to strive to turn away from our sins and receiving His forgiveness. Our pastor, as God’s ordained representative, assures us of God’s forgiveness when we truly believe that Christ has fully paid the price for our sins. God’s Word teaches that Christ has absolved us from our sin, and we, as Christians, absolve each other from our sins.