THE BIBLE (The Holy Scriptures) is the inspired Word of God without error or contradiction. Scripture is God’s authoritative Word and the source of our Christian confession which points us to God’s work through Christ for the redemption of mankind and our lives in Christ as we look forward to His return in glory. (Luke 24:27, 2 Timothy 3:16-27; Hebrews 1:1-2)

GOD is one God, eternally existent in three persons; God the Father who created all things, God the Son through whom all things were created and through whom we are redeemed, and God the Holy Spirit who dwells within us using the Word to bring us to and keep us in Christian faith. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; St Matthew 28:19-21)

JESUS CHRIST is the Son of God. He is true God in the flesh and true man. (John 1:1-2, 14) He is the Lord and Christ. He entered the time and space of creation on earth being born of a virgin, lived a perfect life for us, took the punishment for our sins upon Himself when He died on the cross, and rose again bodily. Through this sacrificial gift of love, He guarantees salvation from death, peace with God, and eternal life to all people who receive Him as their Savior. Jesus is the only Savior of the world. (Matthew 1:21; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 6:5-6; Romans 4:25; John 1:29; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23-25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; St Mark 16:19; John 14:6; Acts 4:12)

THE HOLY SPIRIT brings us to and keeps us in lives of repentance and faith with His fruit and gifts for the glory of the Lord Jesus. (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:3)

THE CREATION of all things visible and invisible came from nothing through God’s work in 6 days. (Genesis 1-2, Exodus 20:11)

MAN was created by God. Man and Woman were made perfect with body and soul in a right relationship with God in His image. Adam and Eve rebelled against God and brought sin and death into the world thus separating mankind from God and losing His image. (Genesis 1-3) As a result, all people need to be rescued from their sinful condition through the merits of Jesus Christ on the Cross. We are all born in sin and have no hope of eternal life and peace apart from Christ who is the image of God and who reconciles us to God our Creator and Father. (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:9-18; Romans 3:23; 5:12)

SALVATION is a free gift of God that cannot be earned by trusting in the good things we have done, but rather by trusting only in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. The question, “What must we do to be saved?” is answered clearly: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16:31; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:15-17)

SAVING FAITH is created and sustained by the Holy Spirit, who lives in our hearts. He works through the Means of Grace (Sacraments)…the Word of God proclaimed and delivered in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We are only justified and made right through the work of God in us as He wills and pleases. (Romans 3:21-26; 4:5; 5:1; Genesis 15:6; 2 Corinthians 5:19; John 3:5-8; 17:17-20; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Acts 11:14; Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:8-10)

BAPTISM is God’s work of washing and rebirth of water and the Holy Spirit into the death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins according to God’s word of promise. (John 3:5; Ephesians 5:25-27; Titus 3:5-8; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Romans 6) We confess that this merciful work of God is received by faith and is to be delivered to all nations including our children. (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:38-39)

THE LORD’S SUPPER (The Sacrament of the Altar/Holy Communion) is bread and wine which is the true body and blood of Jesus Christ according to God’s word of promise delivered for the forgiveness of sins. (Luke 22:19–20; Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; 1 Corinthians 10-11) We commune with those who confess that Christ is Lord in their baptism and that His body and blood are present in the supper for the forgiveness of sins since unity in confession is necessary before this communal unity. This is often called closed communion.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION is given to us by Christ for the binding and loosing of sins. We practice this both publically in the Divine Service and in private. (St Matthew 16:19; 18:18; John 20:22,23)

REPENTANCE involves (1) sorrow over our sin and (2) faith in the promise of forgiveness through Christ. This is not man’s decision but the Spirit’s work in man. (St Matthew 11:28; St Mark 1:15; Colossians 2:11,12; Psalm 119:28; 1 Samuel 2:6; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:8,9; Acts 11:18; Lamentations 5:21; Psalm 80)

SANCTIFICATION is the work of the Holy Spirit who brings Christians to repentance and faith to walk in the light of Christ rather than in the darkness of sin in the world. (Acts 5:29; John 15:12; 1 John 1-4; Romans 6, 8, 12; Galatians 2:15-21, 6; Ephesians 2:8-10, 4-6; Philippians 3:8; Colossians 3; Luke 9:23-24; 1 Peter 4; Titus 2:12; 2 Timothy 3:17; 1 Corinthians 6; 1 Timothy 1:8-11)

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS is accompanied by the resurrection of the dead and final judgment. Jesus’ return in glory is anticipated with joy and confidence by His forgiven people. Christ’s return cannot be predicted and will not be preceded by an earthly reign of Jesus (millennialism). It will be sudden and can take place at any time. (1 Corinthians 15; John 14:1-4; Mark 13:32; Matthew 24; 2 Peter 3:10; John 18:36)

Immanuel Lutheran Church confesses the faith of Christ’s Church through history as expressed in the words of the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds that summarize our shared Christian faith as revealed in God’s Word.

We subscribe to the Book of Concord as “a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God.” The Book of Concord contains the following writings.

The Apostles Creed (3rd Century)
The Nicene Creed (325 AD)
The Athanasian Creed
The Augsburg Confession (Philip Melanchthon, 1530)
The Apology (Defense) of the Augsburg Confession (Philip Melanchthon, 1531)
The Small Catechism (Martin Luther, 1529)
The Large Catechism (Martin Luther, 1529)
The Smalcald Articles (Martin Luther, 1537)
The Treatise on the Power and the Primacy of the Pope (Philip Melanchthon, 1537)
The Formula of Concord (1577)

If you want to dig deeper into the Lutheran Confessions you can…

If you have questions about our congregation, the Christian faith, or the doctrine of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod feel free to contact us anytime.

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