Being "Lutheran," our congregation accepts and teaches the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone
Grace alone
God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.
Faith alone
By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.
Scripture alone
The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.
What We Believe About...
God
We believe that God eternally exists as one God in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God alone is our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sanctifier. He alone is holy and worthy of our honor and worship (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14).
People
God created humans to have fellowship with Him, but they defied God by sinfully going their own way. Sinfulness has broken our relationships with God, others and ourselves. As a result, we need God’s saving grace to end our alienation from Him and to restore our broken relationships with one another (Romans 3:23-24, 6:23)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God Himself in human flesh. Jesus lived the perfect, sinless life we are unable to live. Jesus voluntarily died an innocent death on the cross and received the punishment we deserve for our sinfulness. On Easter, Jesus physically rose from the dead and is alive today, ruling over all things. On the Last Day, Jesus will return to judge both the living and the dead. Jesus is the only Savior and mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
The Bible
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. As such, the Bible is without error and the only source of God’s revealed truth concerning His plan to save us and provide for the forgiveness of our sins. Our beliefs are based solely on Biblical truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Salvation
The central teaching of the entire Bible is that we are saved from Satan, sin, death and eternal condemnation by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Eternal Life
All people are sinners and in need of forgiveness. It is not by our efforts, or how hard we try, but solely by faith in Jesus Christ that we are given the gift of eternal life. Heaven is not a wish or dream for the Christian, but a guaranteed reality for all who believe (John 3:16, 11:25).
Sacraments
In addition to the Bible, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are “means of grace” through which our God offers, gives and seals the forgiveness of sins earned by Jesus Christ. Baptism is an act of God through which Jesus establishes a relationship with people of all ages, giving them the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38-29, Romans 6:4). The Lord’s Supper is a sacred meal through which Christians receive the true body and blood of Christ—in, with and under the bread and wine—to forgive their sins, strengthen their faith, and unite them both with Christ and fellow believers (Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-29).
The Church
We believe in “one holy Christian and apostolic church” (The Nicene Creed). The church is the assembly of all believers in Jesus Christ among whom the gospel is purely preached and the sacraments are administered according to the gospel. The “visible” church that exists on earth today includes all who confess Jesus Christ with their lips, but also those who do not genuinely believe with their hearts. The true, “invisible” church is known only to God and will be fully revealed on the Last Day when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 25:31-33, Ephesians 4:4-6).
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