Grace Alone

The word grace means, undeserved love. As the Bible says, all have sinned (disobeyed and rebelled against God) and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), there is nothing that you and I can do to save ourselves, nor do we earn or deserve God’s grace. Romans 5:8 says, “…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The good news is that Christ paid the full penalty for our sins through His death on the cross. God acts alone, without our actions or decisions to give us salvation. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you…” Grace alone for you!

Faith Alone

Only through faith in Christ are we declared forgiven and perfectly right with God , that is, justified. This declaration is whole and complete, totally independent of anything that we do. In short, because of God’s act on the cross received through faith, we sinners are declared to be saints (set apart, holy) in God’s sight. God’s gift of faith is evidence that we have been saved by His grace. Does this mean that we just go do whatever we feel like doing which is contrary to what is God pleasing? Of course not! As the Holy Spirit works through the word of God in our lives, we are given the desire to do what is pleasing to the Lord. As Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Scripture Alone

How do we know the truths about the gospel? God has given us His Holy word, which is the basis and norm of the Christian faith.  Hebrews 1:1-2 “…at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” The scripture that we have in the Bible records the narrative of salvation. The prophets before Christ pointed to Him, and the apostles that recorded the words of Christ point back to Jesus as the Savior. We accept the Holy Scriptures found in the Bible as God’s inspired and without error. We believe that Scripture alone is the final standard of what the Gospel is.

Now, “Scripture alone” doesn’t mean that we read and interpret the Bible however we want.  As you know, there are many people who come up with all kinds of interpretations of scripture, but how do we know the truth? What helps guide our understanding of the interpretation of scripture? We look at what the church throughout the past several thousand years has taught about Jesus Christ and the paradigm of grace alone through faith to guide our interpretation of scripture, maintaining the truth of the gospel.

Creeds

The belief about God that the church has historically confessed can be summarized by ancient statements of faith which have been spoken by the church for hundreds of years which we call Creeds. A creed doesn’t replace scripture, but it is a statement of belief based on numerous scripture passages. The three Creeds which we confess are the Apostle’s Creed, The Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

Sacraments

The word sacrament has its roots in that which is sacred and that which is a mystery. When we use the word sacrament, we refer to something which (a) Has been instituted by God, (b) “in which God Himself has joined His Word of promise to a visible element, (c) “and by which He offers, gives and seals the forgiveness of sins earned by Christ.” (taken from Martin Luther’s Small Catechism) In our church, we have two sacraments in which God gives His forgiveness and strengthens the faith which He has given to us. Sacraments are not a substitute for what Jesus did on the cross. They are a way that God generously pours out His grace upon His people.

LCMS

We are part of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod which has a rich heritage. We are a church of the Reformation, and for more information about the LCMS, clink here to learn more.

Baptism

We believe what Scripture teaches in regards to Holy Baptism – to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Titus 3:5-8 and Romans 6:4). This includes both adults and children.

In baptism, we are connected with Jesus Christ and with His death and resurrection. As Romans 6:1-5 says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

We are made a new creation, giving us the hope and assurance of eternal life. As Titus 3:5-7 says, “…[H]e saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Is the water of baptism magical? No, not at all. The power of baptism comes from God’s word and his promise attached to the water.

As Martin Luther explains in his Small Catechism, Holy Baptism is “not just water, but the word of God in and with the water [that does these great things], along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water.” For more information on Baptism, click on the link taking you to Luther’s Small Catechism

Communion

Communion, the Lord’s Supper, and the Eucharist are some of the names which are used to refer to a special meal which God gives to His people. On the night when Jesus was to be betrayed and crucified on the cross, He celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples, and there He presented the disciples with a “new covenant in His blood.” In Matthew 26:26-28, we read, “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

We continue to celebrate this meal, and we believe what Scripture teaches in regards to Holy Communion, namely that the body and blood of Christ are truly present “in, with and under the bread and wine” believe the words that when Jesus says, “This is my body…this is my blood,” we take Him at His word. What does this mean? It means that the bread and wine do not merely symbolize Christ’s body and blood, nor are they simply a reminder of Him. Christ’s body and blood are truly present in the bread and the wine. 1 Corinthians 10:16 says, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (see also John 6:54-58, Luke 22:19, Matthew 26:26, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). How this all takes place is a mystery, but through the gift of Christ’s true body and blood, we receive the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of our faith. This meal is not to be taken lightly either. As we read in 1 Corinthians 11:29 “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:29)

In the early church, those who had not yet been instructed in the teachings about communion waited to receive communion until proper instruction, and those who communed together were acknowledging that they shared a common confession. If you are not a member of an LCMS congregation or a confessional Lutheran church and wish to commune, please speak with our Pastor or an Elder prior to the service. For more information on Communion, click on the link taking you to Luther’s Small Catechism

The Nicene Creed

“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Apostle’s Creed

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth,

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Athanasian Creed

“Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all else, hold to the true Christian faith. Whoever does not keep this faith pure in all points will certainly perish forever. Now this is the true Christian faith: We worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, without mixing the persons or dividing the divine being. For each person—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—is distinct, but the deity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory and coeternal in majesty. What the Father is, so is the Son, and so is the Holy Spirit. The Father is uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father is infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father is eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal; yet they are not three who are eternal, but there is one who is eternal, just as they are not three who are uncreated, nor three who are infinite, but there is one who is uncreated and one who is infinite. In the same way the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, and the Holy Spirit is almighty; yet they are not three who are almighty, but there is one who is almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord. For just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually to be God and Lord, so the true Christian faith forbids us to speak of three Gods or three Lords. The Father is neither made nor created nor begotten of anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but is begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeds from the Father and the Son. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And within this Trinity none comes before or after; none is greater or inferior, but all three persons are coequal and coeternal, so that in every way, as stated before, all three persons are to be worshiped as one God and one God worshiped as three persons. Whoever wishes to be saved must have this conviction of the Trinity.

It is furthermore necessary for eternal salvation truly to believe that our Lord Jesus Christ also took on human flesh. Now this is the true Christian faith: We believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both God and man. He is God, eternally begotten from the nature of the Father, and he is man, born in time from the nature of his mother, fully God, fully man, with rational soul and human flesh, equal to the Father as to his deity, less than the Father as to his humanity; and though he is both God and Man, Christ is not two persons but one, one, not by changing the deity into flesh, but by taking the humanity into God; one, indeed, not by mixture of the natures, but by unity in one person; for just as the rational soul and flesh are one human being, so God and man are one Christ. He suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty, and from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. At his coming all people will rise with their own bodies to answer for their personal deeds. Those who have done good will enter eternal life, but those who have done evil will go into eternal fire.

This is the true Christian faith. Whoever does not faithfully and firmly believe this cannot be saved.”

We also affirm the Lutheran Confessions as found in the Book of Concord because they are a true exposition of the Holy Scriptures.