What We Believe

God

We believe that God is three persons in one: the Father, who created and sustains the world; the Son, who lived as a human being, died, and rose from the dead; and the Holy Spirit who works God’s will in the world. These three persons are co-equal and are one God.

Humanity

All people are created in the image of God and are intended by God to be in an eternal relationship with Him and to be like Him in character.  But sin, disobedience to God, separates people from God.   All people are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is true God and true Man at the same time.  He lived a sinless life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice and ransom for our sins by dying on the cross.  He rose from the dead on the third day, victorious over sin, death and the devil.  He ascended into heaven where He reigns as Lord of all.  He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead.

The Good News

The Good News is that God has reconciled the world to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Sin, death, and the devil have been defeated.  Forgiveness, eternal life, and peace with God are freely offered by God and received through faith in Jesus Christ.  The following Bible readings will tell you more about the “good news”: John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9 , Romans 5:1-21, Acts 2:38-42 , Romans 3:21-24 , Acts 4:12

The Christian Life

Jesus calls those us to follow Him in a life of faith, service, witness and obedience.  The strength to follow Jesus in this way is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  We are not perfect; we stumble and fall in our daily walk with God.   But our forgiveness has been won and paid for by Jesus Christ, who calls us to repent, to receive forgiveness from Him, and to continue following Him.   The Ten Commandments serve as a guide to God’s will for our lives.

The Mission of God

God’s mission is to reconcile all people to Himself through faith in Jesus Christ. All believers in Christ are called as God’s partners in this mission. We seek to grow as disciples so that we grow as witnesses and models to others, that they might come to know and follow Jesus as well.

Worship

Worship is the meeting place of God and His people.  God gathers us into His presence that we might celebrate His goodness to us in Jesus, and receive from God gifts of His grace.  We make use of historical forms of worship that have benefited Christians throughout the ages, as well as worship forms as new as today.

The Bible

The Bible is the Word of God. God was at work in the lives of the human writers so that the final product is exactly what God wants it to be for us. It is true in all of that it says. The purpose of the Bible is to reveal Jesus Christ to us as our Savior, so that we might believe in Him and follow Him.

Sacraments

We consider Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to be gifts from God to the Church, through which God is present and actively at work.  God gives His grace in the Water of Baptism.  Jesus gives us Himself, His body and blood, in the bread and wine of Holy Communion.

Marriage

Jesus defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-6). As followers of Jesus, we use the same definition. Marriage is a gift of God by which He gives us a picture of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church.

Sanctity of Life

All human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.

How Lutherans Got Started

Lutherans take their name from Martin Luther. He was a German priest who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the early 1500s. Luther’s writing and teaching sparked the Protestant Reformation. Through his study of the Bible, Luther helped the Christian Church rediscover the truth that God is loving and that He offers forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift because of Jesus Christ. Luther taught that people-no matter how hard they try-cannot earn God’s forgiveness or a place in heaven. It is a gift that people receive through faith in Jesus Christ.

Got questions?

If you have questions, or would like to learn more, please contact Pastor Mike (pastormike@stjohnslutheran.net), or make use of these online resources

• Discovering the Christians Faith  – A series of brief videos on the chief teachings of the Christian Faith
• Foundations – A nine-part seminar covering the foundational teachings of the Christian Faith.  Includes videos of the class taught by Pastor Mike in the fall of 2022.