List of 9 items.

• About the BIBLE

  Everything Lutherans believe comes from the Bible, God's message of love and hope for all people. The Bible is the written Word of God, handed down to us in order to point us to the truth that we are saved from our sin and eternal death by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that the Bible is completely reliable and without error. In it we learn everything we need to know about God's love and His gifts to us.

• About GOD

  There is only one true God - the Triune God - who exists in three distinct but equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  God the Father is our maker and the creator of all things. By the Father's word, all things were made, and we are His most beloved creation. The Son is Jesus Christ, who came to earth to save us from our sins by living a perfect life, dying on the cross, and rising again from the dead.  He lives and rules today and will come again to raise us to new and everlasting life.The Holy Spirit calls us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, keeps us in the one true faith, and equips us for living out our faith. 

• About US

  We all fall short of God's expectations because we are all born sinful (Psalm 51:5).  Sin can be summed up as all the things we say, think, do, and the things we don’t do that we’re supposed to do, that fall outside of God's holy will for our lives and end up separating us from God.
  
  

  Sin was brought into the world when Satan lured Adam and Eve, the first people God created, into temptation. Their fall into sin broke the perfect relationship between God and us. From that point on, sin became part of our very existence. Because God also demands perfect obedience, our ultimate punishment became death. (Genesis 3)

  
  

  Yet God is a loving God whose will is not for us to live in eternal punishment (1 Timothy 2:4). That's why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life He requires and to become our substitute. Christ never sinned, and then He took our sin upon Himself and died on the cross on our behalf. When we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, He bears our sin and grants us forgiveness of all of our sins.

  
  

  "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

• About LIFE AFTER DEATH

  On Judgment Day - no one knows the day or hour - Jesus Christ is going to return (Matthew 24:36). On that day, everyone who has died will be raised, and those who are still alive will be bodily transformed. At that time, the final judgment will take place. Those who do not believe will go into eternal damnation in hell and all those who believe in Jesus as Savior will have eternal life in heaven. (Matthew 25:31-46)

• About SEXUALITY and GENDER

  Each human being is created in the image of God as either male or female (Genesis 5:1-2). Accordingly, we affirm that gender cannot be chosen. Rather, it is a gift from God. 

  
  We believe marriage is the lifelong covenant between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). All sexual activity is designed to take place within that God-given boundary of marriage.

• About "BEING SAVED"

  There is absolutely nothing we can do to "be saved" - Jesus Christ has already done everything necessary. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  In His death and resurrection, everyone who believes in Jesus as Savior has been brought back into a right relationship with God. That means that, on account of Jesus, everyone who believes is "justified," or declared innocent by God. God has done justice to the world's sins; because of Jesus, all who believe are forgiven and will live eternally.
  
  

  We do not cooperate in our salvation and there is nothing we could ever do to earn eternal life.  There is nothing we can do to save ourselves—Jesus Christ has done it all. (John 14:6)

• About FAITH

  It is through faith in Jesus that we receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life - by believing that He has freed us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin. Faith is a gift worked in us by the power of the Holy Spirit; it doesn't come to us through anything we are capable of, but through what God does for us. We simply receive what is already being offered out of God's great love.  (Titus 3:5; Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 2:9; John 3:5-6)

• About GRACE

  Lutherans often refer to grace. The word itself might remind you of the grace period you are given when paying bills - when your debt can be paid without further penalty. God's grace is even more wonderful; that's why it's called "amazing grace." While we deserved to pay the penalty for our sins, God had a different plan. Christ paid the debt and we receive forgiveness and eternal life from Him that is offered out of unconditional love. That's why it's called grace because it is truly undeserved. (Romans 3:22-26)
  
  

  Ephesians 2:8-9 says it perfectly: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." 

  
  God has provided tangible ways through which He delivers His grace to those who believe, assuring us that the sins we commit are forgiven for Jesus' sake. These are called the "means of grace" and include God's Word, Holy Baptism, and the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion). The Means of Grace are ways God brings us forgiveness through faith, which is ours through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through these means, God makes Himself known to us in a very personal way: God's Word reveals His faithfulness and love; Baptism is our rebirth and renewal in Jesus; the Lord's Supper is our closest communion with Christ as we receive His body and blood in, with, and under the elements (bread and wine) of the Sacrament. 

• About GOOD WORKS

  Since there is nothing we can ever do to earn salvation, we do not do good works in order to be saved; good works are done out of praise and thanks because we are saved. Such good works include, but are certainly not limited to, serving and caring for the needs of others, honoring and giving respect to those in authority, honoring our vows and commitments, and generally doing what is stated in Scripture  to be good and right. Martin Luther expressed it this way: “God doesn't need our good works, but our neighbor does.”  Jesus Himself said that the two greatest commandments are “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind” and “to love your neighbors as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

   

  This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of the organization’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Board of Directors in consultation with local LCMS pastors is Faith Lutheran’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.