What We Believe!
In our modern day, smart shoppers don’t just buy a product because the packaging is pretty. These shoppers can often be seen checking a product’s ingredient list for the content. Why? Because content matters! It matters more than pretty packaging. We couldn’t agree more at St. Luke’s! As such, we hold to the time honored teachings of the Holy Bible and to the Lutheran Confessions as put forth in the Book of Concord of 1580 which were written to keep the Church anchored in the time honored teachings of the Bible In short, we believe that truth does not change otherwise it wouldn’t be truth! The following is a list of teachings we hold to be true from the Holy Bible.
We believe, teach, and confess…
That the Bible is both “inspired” and “inerrant.” This means the Bible was given by the Holy Spirit as He moved prophets, apostles, and evangelists to write. We see this in places such as 2 Tim. 3:14-16 and I Peter 1:21. Based on these and other verses we hold that the Bible is true and reliable in all it says because its principal author is God.
That God has revealed Himself as the blessed and eternal Holy Trinity. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons in one Divine Godhead. Deut. 6:4 says, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” And Jesus says in Matthew 28:19, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” God reveals Himself as the great Three in One.
That God created the universe in six 24 hour days and rested from His work on the seventh day. We see this in Genesis chapter one where the text explicitly says, “There was evening and there was morning, the first day.” (Also 2nd or 3rd day, etc.) To say that God used millions of years of evolution (The Day-Age Theory) or that there were millions of years between each day (The Gap Theory) is not faithful to the text.
That man was created on the 6th Day in the image of God. This means he was a perfect reflection of God’s benevolent character and love and was without corruption or sin. (Gen. 1:26, 1:31)
That God created the angels. (Dan. 7:10)
That, despite all that was good, man fell into sin being deceived by satan, a fallen angel. (Gen. 3:1-24)
That sin is rebellion against God’s moral code, the Ten Commandments. They were first written in man’s heart then later upon tablets. Sin also resulted in man’s total corruption and our separation from God. (I Jn. 3:4, Rom. 2:15, Ex. 31:18)
That death is the result of man’s fall into sin. (Gen. 2:17, Rom. 5:12, 6:23)
That sin broke our relationship with God. (Rom. 3:23)
That man cannot restore his broken relationship with God nor save himself by any of his good works or deeds or by anything he can give or do for God. (Rom. 3:20, Titus 3:5)
That, in order to save lost humanity, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity, into human flesh and blood. As true God and true man, He kept God’s Law perfectly in our place, took our sentence upon Him by dying on the cross, and rose again all to forgive our sins, destroy death and the grave, and restore our relationship with God. Mt. 1:18-21, Gal. 4:4-5, I Cor. 15:3-4, I Jn. 2:2, Mt. 28:1-8.
That only through faith in Jesus Christ are we saved. Jn. 3:16, Eph. 2:8-9.
That faith comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Holy Trinity. I Cor. 12:3, Jn. 3:5-6
That the Holy Spirit works through the “means of grace,” that is God’s Word and Sacraments to create and sustain our faith. Rom. 10:17, I Pet. 1:23, Mt. 28:19. The Sacraments include Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Jn. 3:5, Acts 2:38-39, Gal. 3:27, Rom. 6:1-4, Mt. 26:26-28, Lk. 22:19-20, I Cor. 11:23-26, I Cor. 10:16
That the Holy Spirit, using the means of grace, creates the Christian Church which is all true believers in Jesus Christ in all places. He then calls us into families of faith called congregations giving Christians gifts to use in daily life and feeding them with His Word and Sacraments to sustain them until Christ returns. I Cor. 1:2, Gal. 1:1-2, Acts 2:42, Gal. 5:22-23.
That Christ will return one day at an unknown time to judge the world and to take His believers into eternal glory with Him. Heb. 9:28, Jn. 14:1-3, Acts 1:10-11, Mt. 24:27, 42-44.
That Christ invites all people to join Him in eternity through the message of the Gospel! Rev. 22:17, I Tim. 2:3-4
