Beliefs

A Lutheran is a Christian who believes that…

1. All people are born with original sin, a corruption that keeps us from trusting God or truly loving others;
2. Christ, through His death and resurrection, has won forgiveness for sinful human beings and now offers salvation as a free gift to all;
3. God is one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
4. People are made right with God only by God’s grace (undeserved favor) through faith in Jesus Christ; it is not the result of any human will, intellect, or feeling;
5. The Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word that leads people to faith and keeps people in the faith by pointing them to God’s grace, love, and forgiveness in Jesus Christ; it is understood only by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Law (showing us our sinful nature and need of God) and the Gospel (showing us what God has done for us in sending His Son to be punished in our place); God's Word is our sole source for authority;
6. God loves people through people.  Therefore, all people—believers and unbelievers—are gifted by God in various ways (health, talent, abilities, etc.) and in various positions (child, parent, citizen, employee, etc.) to serve other people;
7. God operates in two kingdoms—government and the Church.  Government uses laws and power to protect people whereas the Church uses God’s Word and forgiveness to proclaim salvation.  A Christian lives in both realms on earth and should not confuse the two by mixing either means or purposes;
8. A Christian has two natures, a sinful flesh that does not and cannot please God or love others, and a regenerated heart that aims to please God and serve others out of gratitude for His love, mercy, and forgiveness;
9. God works through means of grace, namely His Word and sacraments of baptism and communion.  Lutherans do not rely upon their reason, human traditions, rules, or church authority but upon God’s means of grace;
10. Growth as a Christian, or sanctification, is an ongoing process of the Spirit whereby the believer returns again and again to the cross in his sin, appreciates more and more the forgiveness and salvation won there by our Savior Jesus, and is thereby prompted increasingly to live a life of gratitude to God by pouring out his life in service to his neighbor;
11. Witnessing therefore proclaims the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross and not the believer's experience of getting saved or of becoming more spiritual.  In fact, rather than becoming "better" than anyone else, the Christian is led by the preaching of God's Law to a greater awareness of the depth of his sin.  Hence, the Christian walks by faith and not by sight (II Cor. 5:7).