What
Lutherans Believe:
1. The
entire Bible, which points to Jesus as the Savior, is the inspired and
errorless Word of God. It is God's message of love and hope for all
people.
2. There
is only one true God, who exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
3. God
is the creator of everything that exists.
4. Adam
and Eve, our first parents, were originally created by God pure and holy.
They lived according to God's will, doing what was pleasing to Him.
5. Adam
and Eve, the man and woman God created in the beginning, went against
God's will and brought sin into the world. Since that time, all people
have been conceived and born in sin.
6. Sin
is living out of relationship with God, not living according to God's
will, and thus transgressing His holy will in thought, word and deed.
7.
People cannot restore themselves by their good works or restore themselves
to a right relationship with God.
8. God
sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. He is both true God and true man. He
lived to fulfill God's law for us, died on the cross to pay the penalty
our sins deserved, and rose from the dead so that we might have eternal
life. He ascended into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of The
Father to intercede for us.
9.
Because of Jesus' death on the cross, God declares a person just or
righteous and forgiven. This happens not because of human effort, but
because the justification won by Jesus is applied to the one who believes
in Jesus as Savior.
10.
Faith in Jesus is a gift of God, given by the power of the Holy Spirit;
thus all the glory belongs to God.
11. The
means of grace are the Word, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. By these
means, the merits of Jesus' perfect life and atoning death are personally
conveyed to all who believe in Jesus as their Savior.
12.
Jesus will come again to take all believers to Himself. On the final day,
all the dead will be raised. Those who are still alive will be bodily
transformed. After this the final judgment will take place. Unbelievers
will go into eternal damnation, and believers into eternal life.
13. The
true Christian church is made up of all believers of all times who believe
in the Triune God and in Jesus Christ as their only Savior.
14. God
wants Christians to join with other believers in churches which correctly
teach God's Word and administer Holy Baptism and Holy Communion according
to the teachings of Scripture.
15.
Christians are called to tell others that the only way of salvation is by
faith in Jesus Christ, and to show their faith by their deeds of love
toward others.
(Reprinted
from Lutheran Hour Ministries What Lutherans Believe brochure, ©2000) |