What We Believe
God:
With the universal Christian Church, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God:
The Father, creator of all that exists;
Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and
The Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments.
The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
The Bible:
We believe that the Bible is the true Word of God, without error or contradiction and, therefore, is the only guide for determining what we believe and how to live our lives.
Humanity:
We believe that God created and sustains us and the world. All humanity lost its original holiness when Adam disobeyed God.
Sin:
We believe that every thought, word, and deed contrary to God’s Law is sin; that every human being inherits a sinful nature; and that all sin calls for God’s wrath. Because of sin, spiritually we are utterly and completely dead apart from Christ.
Jesus:
We confess that Jesus is true God and true man in one person. He is the Son of God who was crucified and raised from the dead for the salvation of all who trust in Him.
The Bible is the true and trustworthy Word of God that records God’s love for the world through His Son Jesus. The miracles recorded in the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus are true and accurate.
Jesus physically died on a cross and physically rose from the dead in three days. He physically ascended into heaven, and the Church awaits His second coming when He will judge all people.
Those who trust in Jesus as their Savior will rise to eternal life in heaven. Those who deny Jesus and live in their sin will be cast out of His presence to hell.
Baptism:
We believe that Baptism is one of the miraculous means of grace through which God creates and/or strengthens the gift of faith in a person’s heart. It is a washing of rebirth that offers forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation to all who believe, even infants and children.
The Lord's Supper:
We believe that in the sacrament, Jesus Christ gives us his own true body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine, so that we might receive forgiveness and eternal life.
Because the Bible teaches that this Sacrament may also be spiritually harmful if misused, and that participation in the Lord's Supper is an act of confession of faith, we ordinarily commune only those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings. This practice is referred to as Close[d] Communion.
Confessions:
Jesus Christ
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod teaches that the Word, that is, the Son of God (John 1:14), assumed the human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So there are two natures — the divine and the human — inseparably joined in one person.
There is one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried. He did this to reconcile the Father to us and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of mankind (John 1:29).
He sanctifies those who believe in Him, by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts to rule, comfort, and make them alive. He defends them against the devil and from the power of sin.
The same Christ will openly come again to judge the living and the dead.
The Creeds
We accept the three ecumenical creeds, those being the Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed.
A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles
We believe, teach and confess that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, and that through faith in Him we receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven and that all who die without faith in Him are eternally dead.
We therefore reject the following:
1. That we may operate on the assumption that there may be other ways of salvation than through faith in Jesus Christ.
2. That some persons who lack faith in Christ may be considered “anonymous Christians.”
3. That there is no eternal hell for unbelievers and ungodly men.
