We Believe, Teach, and Confess

The Holy Scriptures exhort Christians to "always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15) Our hope, that is the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life, is only in the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  This is the essence of the Christian faith, but it is not the fullness of our teachings and beliefs.  Indeed, the "hope that we have" cannot really be boiled down to a simple single sentence but rather it encompasses all that we believe, teach, and confess about God and our salvation through the Son.

 We at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, believe and teach the doctrines of the Lutheran faith, as found in the Holy Bible, as expressed by the reformers in the Book of Concord, 1580, and as commonly confessed throughout the history of the Christian Church in the three Ecumenical Creeds (Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian).

Below is a brief summary of the basic doctrines and teachings of our Lutheran faith.  In addition to the positive statements of our beliefs, we also include, for the sake of clarity, some of the false teachings that we reject.

 I.   DOCTRINE OF GOD

WE BELIEVE and teach that there is One True God who has revealed Himself through the Holy Bible as triune - one God in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). This God created all things, seen and unseen, physical and spiritual; and He continues to sustain them.

 WE REJECT, therefore, other definitions or descriptions of God such as: 

Unitarianism  -Rejection of the Trinity; The belief that there is one God and only one person of God

Polytheism  -The belief that there are many gods.

Pantheism  -The belief that everything in the universe (animate and inanimate) is God.

Panentheism  -The belief that God is in everything, both animate and inanimate.

Deism  -Belief in an unknowable Creator.  Frequently includes the belief that all religions lead to God.

Agnosticism  -The belief that one cannot know if there is a God.

Atheism  -The belief that there is no God.

We also reject New Age concepts of God, the personification of nature as god or goddess, that humans are or can become gods, and feminist theologies of God (e.g. God the "Mother").

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:  

One God: Deuteronomy 4:35 & 39, 5:6-7, 6:4; Psalm 86:10; Ephesians 4:4-6.

The Trinity: Matthew 28:18; John 10:40, 14:7-11, 15:26; Galatians 4:6.

God is revealed in the Bible: John 20:31; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 1:1-2.

God the Creator: Genesis 1-2; Psalm 19:1, 33:6-9, 90:1-2; John 1:1-2; Hebrews 11:3.

God the Sustainer: Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 145:15-16.

II. THE BIBLE

WE BELIEVE and teach that the Holy Scriptures as contained in the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible are the only infallible, inerrant, and inspired Word of God. They are without error not only regarding spiritual and moral matters, but also in matters of history, geography, and science. The Holy Bible serves as our guide in all questions of faith and life.  Furthermore, where the Holy Scriptures speak, the Church speaks; where the Holy Scriptures are silent, the Church is silent.

 WE REJECT, therefore, the beliefs that the Holy Bible merely "contains" the Word of God; that the moral precepts laid down in Scriptures were "culturally conditioned" and thus not binding for modern times; that God gives "continuing revelation;" and that Scripture alone is not an adequate guide for faith and life.

 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21, 3:15-16; Matthew 5:17-18; John 10:35, 19:35, 20:31, 21:24; Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 Corinthians 14:37; 1 John 1:1; Revelation 22:18-19. 

III. CREATION

WE BELIEVE and teach that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth by His Word out of nothing in six, literal, 24-hour days. (Genesis 1) We believe this doctrine of creation to be foundational to other doctrines of Scripture including the atoning work of Christ. 

WE REJECT, therefore, all theories of both atheistic evolution and theistic evolution. 

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Genesis 1-3; John 1:1-5; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:1-3; Job 38:1-14; Psalm 104, 121:1-2, 136:1-9.

 IV. SIN

 WE BELIEVE and teach that God created the world perfect and that sin and death came into the world through the transgressions of two real people, namely, Adam and Eve. We also believe and teach that, because of Adam's sin all people are sinful and are by nature enemies of God.

 WE REJECT, therefore, the beliefs that the account of the fall in the Book of Genesis is an "ancient myth" or is merely "symbolic;" that infants are born "innocent" and remain in that state until they reach an "age of accountability;" and that mankind is evolving and/or improving.

 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Genesis 3; Psalm 51:5; John 3:5-6; Romans 3:10, 23; 5:10-12, 19; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 1:10.

 V. THE PRINCIPLE DOCTRINE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

WE BELIEVE and teach that justification by grace for Jesus sake, through faith, is the central doctrine of the Bible. This is the doctrine or teaching by which the Christian Church stands or falls. All of Scripture must be interpreted in the light of this central doctrine of Christ's saving work. All other doctrines must be understood according to their relationship to our salvation. In agreement with this central truth, we teach the four "solas" of the reformation: Sola Fide (faith alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), and Sola Christus (Christ alone).

 WE REJECT, therefore, any teaching which leads people to believe they can be saved through their own effort, deeds, or behavior; that people must initiate faith by "making a decision for Christ;" that God initiates faith in individuals but then they must work toward their salvation; that they can participate in or in any way contribute to their salvation; that intercession to or by dead saints will assist in anyone's salvation; or that any books or sources other than the Holy Bible are necessary to make us wise unto salvation.

 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Isaiah 53:5; John 3:16-18, 6:68-69, 11:25, 14:6; 20:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:28, 5:1-2, 6-8, 10, 6:23, 11:5-6; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:4-9; 2 Timothy 3:14-15; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 3:18.

 VI. THE SAVIOUR

WE BELIEVE and teach that all people are sinners and are in need of the Saviour.

The one and only Saviour is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who was promised already in the Garden of Eden and in the fullness of time was revealed as a human being, Jesus Christ.

He is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe in His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary and atoning death on the cross for the sins of the world, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, and His imminent return in power and glory to judge both the living and the dead.

WE REJECT, therefore, the notions that people may be saved without faith in Christ; that Jesus was merely one "prophet" among many who have come to enlighten mankind; or that Jesus was not and is not now both true God and true man.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Genesis 3; Psalm 130:7-8; Joel 2:32; Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:30-35, 2:10-12; John 1:1-14, 29, 3:16-17; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23-24, 10:9-10, 13; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 9:15; 1 John 2:2.

VII. THE HOLY SPIRIT

WE BELIEVE and teach that the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, brings sinners to faith in Christ through the Means of Grace and dwells in the hearts of all true believers in Jesus Christ. Apart from this special work of the Holy Spirit, we are spiritually blind and dead and we cannot contribute in any way to our own salvation. The Holy Spirit also motivates and enables Christians to lead godly lives out of love for the Savior. There is only one Holy Spirit who should never be confused with many deceiving spirits which have gone out into the world.

 WE REJECT, therefore, that anyone can cooperate in their own salvation or that the unsaved have a free will to choose good or evil, heaven or hell. We also reject the belief in a second baptism of the Holy Spirit and the speaking in tongues as necessary evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We further reject that the Holy Spirit may work through astrology, channeling, crystal balls, the spirits of the dead, or other spirits and that any "channelers" or mediums and their supernatural entities are sent from God.

 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Mark 3:29; John 20:22; Acts 2:1-41, 28:25; Romans 5:5, 8:5-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 12:3; Ephesians 1:13, 4:5; Titus 3:5.

 VIII. THE MEANS OF GRACE

WE BELIEVE and teach that God bestows all spiritual blessings upon sinners by special means ordained by Him, commonly referred to as the Means of Grace.  These are the Gospel in the Word and Sacraments (Holy Baptism and Holy Communion).

WE REJECT, therefore, any view that looks for the revelation of Gods grace and salvation apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the Holy Scriptures.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Matthew 26:26-28, 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; John 6:68, 20:31; Acts 2:38-39, 4:12; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 9:17, 11:23-26, 15:2; Galatians 1:6-8; Colossians 1:22-23; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Revelation 22:18-19.

IX. THE SACRAMENTS

WE BELIEVE and teach that Holy Communion and Holy Baptism have been commanded by God, that He has attached to their visible elements His Word, and that He delivers the forgiveness of sins through them.

Infants should be baptized because babies, even before birth, are sinful and are in need of salvation, and God bestows forgiveness and the Holy Spirit through the water combined with the Word.

The Lord's Supper should be taken regularly for the forgiveness of sins by those who are able to examine themselves, that is by those who repentantly confess their sins, earnestly desire forgiveness, and intend to amend their sinful ways. Those who cannot examine themselves should not participate in the Lord's Table at our altar. We believe that according to His own testimony, Christ is truly and bodily present in and with the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper and therefore those taking the Sacrament are participating in His Body and Blood. Those who do not recognize His Real Presence, or who are unrepentant, unforgiving, or unbelieving eat and drink judgment upon themselves. Participation in the Eucharist is also a testimony to a unity of faith in Christ and therefore those who hold a different confession of faith should not participate in the Lord's Table at our altar.

WE REJECT, any view that Baptism and Holy Communion are merely symbols of forgiveness, that they are in anyway a human work, that they are only a sign of God's Covenant; and that the Lord's Supper is merely a memorial of His death. We further reject the view that Baptism is to be restricted to repentant adults or that Baptism must be by immersion.  Regarding Holy Communion, we reject "transubstantiation," that is that the bread and wine change into the body and blood of Christ and the opposite position that the bread and wine merely represent or symbolize Christ's body and blood. We reject the practice of communing of infants, small children, and all others who are unable to examine themselves.

 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Matthew 18:6, 26:26-28, 28:18-20; Mark 10:13-16, 14:22-25, 16:16; Luke 22:19-20; John 3:5-6; Acts 2:38-39, 8:26-39 16:25-33, 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 6:11, 10:16-17, 11:23-26; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 4:5, 5:26; Titus 3:5-7; 1 Peter 3:18-22.

X. THE CHURCH

WE BELIEVE and teach that there is One, Holy, Christian and apostolic Church. This invisible Church is the spiritual unity of all believers in Jesus Christ, which includes people from all races, cultures, denominations, and times. The visible church, that is those who use the Word of God and profess the Christian faith, which is manifested in local congregations and denominations, consists of both true Christians and unbelievers.

WE REJECT, therefore, the teaching that association with a particular denomination or group guarantees or is necessary for salvation.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Matthew 16:18, 18:16; John 10:16; Acts 9:31; Romans 8:9, 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2; Ephesians 2:19-20, 4:3-6, 5:25-27; Colossians 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Peter 2:5.

XI. ELECTION

WE BELIEVE that God's grace is universal, that Christ died for all people. Although it is God's will that all should believe in the Gospel and be saved, it is also true that not all people will be saved. God, by His good and gracious will, has elected or chosen some to be eternally saved from before the foundation of the world. Those so elected have not been chosen because of any merit or worthiness in them, nor because God foresaw their faith, but only out of His pure grace and for the sake of Christ. God has not predestined anyone to condemnation and hell. But those who do not believe in Christ because they have not heard the Gospel or have rejected it, condemn themselves so that the fault lies not in God or His election but only in their own wickedness.

 WE REJECT, therefore, that God does not truly want all people to be saved; that Christ did not die for the whole world; that God has arbitrarily elected some people to hell; that man cannot resist Gods grace; and that there can be any cause for salvation in anyone who is elect.

 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Matthew 24:22; John 10:27-28, 15:16-19; Romans 8:28-30, 11:1-6; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-13; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 2:9.

 XII. THE LAST THINGS

WE BELIEVE and teach that Jesus Christ will come again, not secretly, but openly. At that time, He will judge both those living at that time and all who died before that time. The dead will be resurrected and all who believed in Christ will receive everlasting life in heaven while all who have not believed in the Son of God will be sent to everlasting hell.

 WE REJECT, therefore, the notions that all people will be saved or that unbelievers will be annihilated; that there are any paths to God other than through faith in Jesus Christ; that people will have another chance after death to come to Christ or that people are reincarnated after they have died.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Job 19:25-26; Isaiah 66:24; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31; John 3:16-18, 5:24-29, 6:37-40, 11:17-27, 14:1-6; Acts 10:42; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-26, 51-57; Philippians 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Hebrews 9:27; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7, 7:9-17, 20:12-13

We invite your comments and questions about these articles or any other matters of faith and doctrine.  Please feel free to email Pastor Gordon Heselton at lutheran@ocis.net