Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- John 14:6
Our Beliefs - The Basics
Firstly, we teach and respond to the love of the one and only Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
We also believe…
The Bible is the inerrant and inspired Word of God
Every person is a sinner in need of a Savior [Romans 3:10-11], and that Savior is Jesus Christ.
Belief and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior - that He came to earth, died, and rose again for the forgiveness of our sins out of love for us - is the only way to Heaven (i.e. a perfectly restored relationship with God)
Faith, grace, and salvation are free gifts to us from God - we can do nothing to save ourselves [Ephesians 2:8-9].
As far as being Lutheran…
We accept and preach the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teachings of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in five phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone, to the Glory of God alone. These phrases are known as “The 5 Solas.”
You can read the Book of Concord online for free. Just click the link.
This is Martin Luther’s explanation of the basics of the Christian faith, created for use within families to help parents teach their children about God and life as a believer.
Our Beliefs - The Specifics
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Who is Jesus?
“In a world in which information is readily available and opinions abound, this fundamental question stands above all other inquiries and considerations.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod believes Jesus is exactly who He said He is. Along with the ancient Church, we confess that Jesus is true God and true man in one person. He is the Son of God who was crucified and raised from the dead for the salvation of all who trust in Him.
Christ is not Jesus’s last name, but identifies Him as the Messiah (Christ is the Greek translation of Messiah), the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises that God saves His people.
This fulfillment and salvation happened in history in real time and in a real place (first century AD in Israel) through a flesh-and-blood person named Jesus.
The Bible is the true and trustworthy Word of God that records God’s love for the world through His Son Jesus. The miracles recorded in the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus are true and accurate.
Jesus physically died on a cross and physically rose from the dead in three days. He physically ascended into heaven, and the Church awaits His second coming when He will judge all people.
Those who trust in Jesus as their Savior will rise to eternal life in heaven. Those who deny Jesus and live in their sin will be cast out of His presence to hell.”
(*Excerpt taken from the LCMS website’s Beliefs - Who is Jesus? page)
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What are the Lutheran Confessions?
“The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod accepts the Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and the LCMS subscribes unconditionally to all the symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God.
We accept the Lutheran Confessions as articulated in the Book of Concord of 1580 because they are drawn from the Word of God, and on that account we regard their doctrinal content as a true and binding exposition of Holy Scripture and as authoritative for all pastors, congregations and other rostered church workers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.”
(*Excerpt taken from the LCMS website’s Beliefs - What are the Lutheran Confessions? page)
The Book of Concord:
Defense of the Augsburg Confession
The Power and Primacy of the Pope
The Formula of Concord - Epitome
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Doctrine
“The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod explains what it teaches about key scriptural and confessional principles.”
A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod (Adopted 1932)
A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles (Adopted 1973)
Click the “Read More” button below to see a thorough explanation of our beliefs on the following:
I - Christ as Savior and Lord
II - Law and Gospel
III - The Mission of the Church
IV - Holy Scripture
V - Original Sin
VI - Confessional Subscription
(*Excerpt taken from the LCMS website’s Beliefs - Doctrine page)
You can find all of these points on the LCMS website. Please visit that site for more information. If you have questions, you can contact us and speak to one of our pastors, or contact the LCMS Office via their contact page.contact us
https://www.lcms.org/social-issues
We take a stand on social issues.
Our church is doing our best to approach everything that’s going on in the world today with both truth and grace.
See where we stand on today’s “hot topics” like abortion, sexual identity issues, racism, religious liberty, and more by clicking the button below.
Want to know more? Dig in.
Want to know more about what we believe?
Check out the official [downloadable] LCMS commentary on these topics…
“What About?” is a series of 27 pamphlets written by former Synod President Rev. Dr. A.L. Barry. The series addresses doctrinal topics, moral issues and concerns in the church to help Christians grow in their understanding of these important questions (*this information is also found on the LCMS website).
