What Lutherans Believe

"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. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2: 8-10

These are the truths upon which Lutherans base their faith.

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.

There is only one true God, who exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God is the creator of everything that exists.

Adam and Eve, our first parents, were originally created pure and holy by God. They lived according to God's will, doing what was pleasing to Him.

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.

Sin is living out of relationship with God, not living according to God's will, and thus
transgressing His holy will in thought, word, or deed.

People cannot save themselves by their good works or restore themselves to a right relationship with God.

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.

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 forgiveness won by Jesus is applied to the one who believes in Jesus as Savior.

Faith in Jesus is a gift of God, given by the power of the Holy Spirit; thus all the glory belongs to God

God brings His grace to us through His Word, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. By these gifts the merits of Jesus' perfect life and substitutionary death are personally conveyed to all who believe in Jesus as their Savior.

Jesus will come again to take all believers to Himself in heaven. 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.

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.

God wants Christians to join with other believers in churches which correctly teach Gods word and administer Holy Baptism and Holy Communion
according to the teachings of Scripture.

God established marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman.

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.

For further study of Lutheran beliefs and practices, visit the official Lutheran Church Missouri Synod website at: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=112