What We Believe

The people who belong to the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are people of the Bible. The Bible is our Sacred Scriptures, the Word of God. We treasure God’s Word because it teaches us about eternal life through Jesus Christ. The Word is Gospel ("good news") because it assures us of God’s love and faithfulness. It inspires us to tell others. It moves us to help people in need.

From the Word, we know that there is one God, but that He has three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are of the same essence - equal in power, in eternity, and in majesty.

We believe the Father created and sustains the world. The Scriptures tell us that human beings chose to follow their own way and fell into sin - direct disobedience to God.

We believe that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, suffered and died on earth as punishment for sin. He lived in perfect obedience to God. He was without sin. It is only because of Him - not because of anything we can do - that our perfect relationship with God is restored through the forgiveness of sin. Then God counts the righteous life of Jesus as if we lived it.

We believe that the Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible and through it inspires faith in us. Through the Word and Sacraments - Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper - He also keeps us in the faith.

Three principles guide our beliefs: Scripture, faith and grace. The Scripture is the only source of knowledge about God and His will for us. Grace tells us that as human beings we cannot earn God’s love, forgiveness, or everlasting life. It is all a gift of His love. Only by faith in Jesus Christ do we receive forgiveness. Through faith in Him we come into a relationship of peace with God.

As people of the Word, we Missouri Synod Lutherans, while we often speak of "the cross", focus more on the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross - but He rose from the dead to assure us that God accepted His sacrifice. He lives and we too will live with Him forever. And that is reason for celebration!