What We Believe

1.The Bible is the inspired Word of God.  It is His message to all people.  The entire Bible points to Jesus as the Savior.
2. There is only one true God.  He has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. God is the creator of everything that exists.
4. People were originally created by God pure and holy.  They lived according to God’s will, doing what is pleasing to Him.
5. 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.
6. Sin is every act against a commandment of God in thoughts, words, or deeds.  Sin brings guilt and condemnation to all people.  Sin is the root of all evil.
7. People cannot save themselves by good works or restore themselves to a right relationship with God by their own effort.
8. 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.  He 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 sits at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us.
9. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, God declares all people righteous and forgiven who trust in His Son.  The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ.  We are not saved on the basis of our works.
10. Faith in Jesus is a gift of God, given by the Holy Spirit, thus all glory belongs to God.
11. The Means of Grace are the Word of God, Holy Baptism, and Holy Communion.  By these gifts, God applies the merits of Jesus’ atoning death to us today.
12. Jesus will come again to take all believers to Himself.  On the final day, all the dead will be raised.  Those who are still alive at that time will be bodily transformed.  After this the final judgment will take place.  Unbelievers will go into eternal damnation, and believers into eternal life.
13. 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.
14. The true visible church is the church which correctly preaches and teaches God’s Word and administers the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion according to the Word of God.
15.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 towards others.