WE BELIEVE…
To see our complete Teaching Statement, click here
Jesus
We teach that Jesus is both fully God and fully human and by his virgin birth (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31,35), sinless life (Hebrews 7:26, I Peter 2:22), miracles, death on the cross, and bodily resurrection is our Lord, and has redeemed us (Romans 5:8). We teach His ascension into heaven (Acts 1) and His imminent return (Revelation 22:20) to earth in power and glory (I Timothy 3:16, Isaiah 9:6, Colossians 1:15-20).
The Holy Spirit
It is through the Holy Spirit, who is indeed true God (John 14:26, Acts 11:16-17, I Corinthians 12:3, Romans 8:14-17), that faith is made possible, and that the Spirit dwells within every believer (Romans 8:1-17, I Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 1:13).
We firmly believe that the Holy Spirit's gifts, both natural and supernatural, are available and active in the present day for all Christians (Acts 2, I Corinthians 12:1-11, 28-31, 14:1-12, Ephesians 4:11-13, Hebrews 2:4), and we encourage their use (1 Thessalonians 5:19). We recognize that all gifts should be employed with humility and respect, without using any of them as a criterion to determine true faith.
Moreover, we maintain that leadership and service should be founded on the gifting of the Holy Spirit, rather than arbitrary factors such as race, gender, age, or social and economic status (Galatians 3:28, Joel 2:28-29, Ephesians 3:4-6).
The Bible
As a historic Lutheran church that upholds orthodox Christian beliefs, we affirm that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God, written by human authors through the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21). We hold that the Bible is wholly true and without error in all its teachings, and that it is powerful in transforming the hearts and lives of those who read and apply it (Hebrews 4:12).
We reject any notion that the faith that has been “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3) can or should be updated to suit the cultural trends and ideas of our time. The Bible is a living document that continues to speak truth into every situation as Jesus opens its treasures up to us (Luke 24:45).
We maintain that God is a consistent and unchanging God who never contradicts Himself. As such, the Scriptures serve as the guide and standard by which we can discern His will and test the truthfulness of all things. In light of this truth, we joyfully submit to the Scriptures as the infallible authority in all matters of life and faith.
Salvation
We teach that Jesus alone (Acts 4:12, John 14:6), by His death on the cross and resurrection, provides salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil. This salvation is a gift; it is free and cannot be earned. We call this grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Because of this grace, we teach that one can be certain of eternal life (“assurance”—John 5:24) and the forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43).
We teach that we partake of this free gift of grace by faith alone (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38). We call this “justification.” It happens once and for all as we receive Jesus into our life and are reborn and regenerated (Romans 3:3, 10:9-10, Revelation 3:20, John 3:1ff) by water and the Spirit (John 3:5).
