What We Believe

We Believe

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 (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We Believe, Teach and Confess…

That there is one God in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
That every person is conceived and born in sin (original sin) and deserves temporal death and everlasting damnation for both original and actual sin.
That Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, was truly crucified, died and was buried, and rose again in His body on the third day. He ascended into heaven and will come again on the last day to be our judge.
That a person is saved (justified) entirely by God’s grace, through faith, which is created by the Holy Spirit where and when He pleases.
To obtain this faith, God instituted the Office of the Holy Ministry (the preaching office).
Through the means of the Word and the Sacraments the Holy Spirit creates saving faith.
Believers must do good works, but they are not to trust in them for their salvation.
There is one, holy, catholic (Christian) Church, with Jesus Christ as her head.
The Sacraments of Holy Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper are to be retained in the church.
That the Augsburg Confession (of which the above items are a summary of the first thirteen articles) is a true and faithful exposition of Holy Scripture.
The books of the Old and New Testaments are the true, inspired, inerrant Word of God.
The rest of the Book of Concord is, like the Augsburg Confession, a true and faithful exposition of Holy Scripture, and we subscribe unreservedly to it.

For a simple understanding of our doctrine, we invite you to read the Small Catechism of Martin Luther, or click on this link to read about what congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod believe and practice.

Very often, you will hear us refer to three “solas”: (Latin for “alone”) as a summary of the faith that gives us hope:

Grace Alone (Sola Gratia)—God loved the world, though we do not deserve His love. He sent His Son to love the unlovely and save the ungodly.

Faith Alone (Sola Fide)—Jesus has provided for our forgiveness and life; those who hear this promise and believe it, have what it offers. People don’t get faith; God gives it as He gives us His promises.

Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura)—The Bible is the only source that shows God’s will and the only basis for faith

We as Lutherans build our lives on Jesus Christ. We believe that our lives today, tomorrow, and in eternity, depend on Jesus. We believe Jesus is the only, perfect, Son of God and that He died for every person in the world. He rose from the dead, and lives for all people who believe in Him as their Savior. Because of Him, we live with a sure hope of eternal life. When we repent and seek forgiveness, God forgives us because of Jesus.