Our Savior Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Michigan District of the
Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod. We are a confessional Lutheran congregation. This means we
are catholic but not Roman Catholic. We are evangelical but not a part of the
modern Evangelical movement. We hold that Jesus Christ crucified and risen
again for the forgiveness of our sins (justification) is the very center and
core of who we are. Our Lord comes to us to forgive us of our sins and to give
us Himself through the Word of God, preaching, baptism, absolution (forgiveness)
and the Lord's Supper.
This
one, catholic (Christian) and apostolic faith is confessed in the three
ecumenical creeds:
The Apostles
Creed
The Nicene
Creed
The Athanasian
Creeds
This
faith is also confessed in the Book of Concord of
1580, including:
The Augsburg
Confession
The Apology (Defense) of the
Augsburg Confession
The Small Catechism
The Large
Catechism
The Smalcald
Articles
The Treatise of the Power and
Primacy of the Pope
The Formula of Concord — Epitome —
Solid
Declaration
In summary, according to Holy
Scripture, and in the unity of this one holy catholic (Christian) and apostolic
Church, and the Lutheran Confessions, we believe, teach, and confess
that:
+ The One and only True God is the Triune
God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - as revealed by Jesus Christ, the
only-begotten Son of the Father, and His prophets, apostles, and evangelists in
the Holy Scriptures (Mt. 28:20).
+ Every human being is conceived and born
dead to God, is entirely predisposed to sin, is without inherent fear, love, or
trust in God and is lacking in the ability or will to turn toward God, is
entirely turned against God and is therefore under the sentence of eternal death
and damnation (Eph. 2:1-10; Ps. 51:5).
+ Jesus Christ is true God, eternally
begotten of the Father, and at the same time true man, born of the Virgin Mary,
and is the only Savior from sin and the only Mediator between God and humanity
(Jn. 1:1-3,14; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Jn. 5:20; Acts 4:12)
+ who, by His perfect life and sacrificial
death on the Cross, has won the entire forgiveness of sins and eternal life
for every human being, from the beginning to the end of the world (Rom. 3:21-26;
Gal. 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 2:2);
+ who rose bodily from the dead
on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-5); and
+ who now reigns at the right hand of God as
Lord over all (Eph. 4:10-12).
+ We are justified, or declared not guilty,
in the sight of God and rescued from sin, death, and damnation not by our works,
but solely by God's undeserved kindness, His grace given as a free gift through
faith in Jesus Christ, whose perfect life and sacrificial death as "the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world" fully atones for our sins (Rom.
3:21-28; Eph. 2:8; John 1:29).
+ Good works, prayer, and holiness of life
are the fruit of faith in Christ, not the cause of faith or salvation (Jn. 15:5;
Heb. 11:16).
+ The Holy Church is present wherever believers are
gathered about Jesus Christ and His gifts, that is, wherever the Gospel of
Jesus Christ is purely preached and taught, and Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution,
Holy Communion are administered according to Christ's mandate and institution,
even though unbelievers or hypocrites may also be numbered among those gathered
(Mt. 18:20; Acts 2:42; Mt. 13:47-48).
+ Holy Baptism, which is
water applied in the Name of the Triune God according to Jesus' mandate and
promise, works rebirth and renewal, delivers and applies the forgiveness of
sins, joins the baptized to Jesus' death and resurrection, and grants eternal
life and salvation to all who believe the promise of salvation attached to
Baptism (Mt 28:19-20; Jn. 3:5; Titus 3:5; Eph. 5:25-26; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:11-12;
1 Peter 3:21).
+ Holy Absolution, which is
the forgiveness of sins spoken by the Pastor to a penitent sinner in Jesus'
name, actually offers, delivers, and applies the forgiveness of sins to the
repentant person with the full authority of the crucified, risen, and reigning
Christ (Mt. 16:19; 18:18; Jn. 20:21-23). The word of forgiveness in Holy
Absolution is to be heard as Christ our dear Lord speaking to us Himself (Luke
10:16).
+ Holy Communion, or the
Lord's Supper, is the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given under
bread and wine, for Christians to eat and drink, instituted by Jesus Christ
Himself, for the forgiveness of their sins (Mt 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
+ The Christian life is one
of continual repentance and faith, from which flow good works as the fruit of
faith (Mt. 12:33; Lk. 24:47).
+ Our Lord Jesus Christ will
appear visibly on the Last Day to raise the bodies of all the dead, to condemn
those who reject Him in unbelief, together with the devil and his demons, to
hell and eternal punishment, and to give eternal life to all who trust in Him
for forgiveness, life, and salvation (Rev. 1:7; Mt. 25:31-46; Jn. 5:28-29).
+ Holy Scripture, or the Holy
Bible, as the written Word of God, is the very "breath of God" and so is without
factual error and is the only source and final authority and judge of all
teaching, practice, and life. Holy Scripture preaches the saving death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ for the repentance and faith of the sinner (2 Tim.
3:16; 2 Pet. 1:22; Luke 24:47).
+ The Word of God is a
two-fold word - the Law, which reveals our sin and seeks and kills the sinner,
and the Gospel, which announces, offers, delivers, and applies the forgiveness
of sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, creates faith in
Him, and gives new life and identity to the believer in Christ (Rom. 1:16;
3:21-22; Gal. 2:19-20)
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