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FACTS
ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH EXPRESSED BY THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
Key
Christian Concepts include:
The
Bible is the inspired word of God…
Lutheran's
believe that the foundation
of relationship between God and people is based on the Bible
including the Hebrew Bible, (Old Testament), and New Testament .
We use various editions of the Bible and recommend the
edition of the New Revised Standard Version, (NRSV).
The
Gospel of Jesus Christ…
…is
found in the New Testament. The first four books of the New
Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are commonly known as
"The Gospels". Yet, the word "Gospel" means
"Good News".
Therefore,
we share the "Good News" of God through God's Son, Jesus
Christ. We share the
Gospel by telling the story of God's love through Jesus for all
people.
The
Holy Trinity: God is
Father, Son and Holy Spirit…Three natures of One God
God
the Father
was, is now and ever shall be throughout eternity. All that is
seen and unseen is created by God.
God's the creator willed that the world would be saved from
sin, which is evil and is rebellion against God's will for people.
God sent God's Son into the world so that all who believe in Jesus
Christ would be forgiven and saved from condemnation and eternal
death.
All
that is taught in the Bible is fulfilled in God's Son, Jesus
Christ. Jesus is
called the Living Word of God, because in Jesus' life, teaching,
death and resurrection we see the character and purpose of God in
God's relationship with people through His Son. When Jesus
ascended into heaven, he gave the gift of The Holy Spirit.
The
Holy Spirit is
the real presence of God active in the world through Christ's
church. As Luther writes in the Small Catechism:
"I
believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in
my Lord Jesus Christ or come to him.
But the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel,
enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true
faith.
In
the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the
whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus
Christy in the one true faith.
In
this Christian Church, day after day, he fully forgives my sins
and the sins of all believers.
On
the last day he will raise me and all the dead and give me and all
believers in Christ eternal life."
Lutheran
Christians Celebrate Two Sacraments… Baptism and Holy Communion
[A
sacrament is a physical element combined with the Word of God to
offer the benefit of God's love and grace to people of faith.
Lutheran's believe that Baptism and Holy Communion,
were the only two sacraments given to the church by Jesus
Christ. ]
The
Sacrament of Holy Baptism…
…is
God's Spirit given to us with Water, symbolizing the washing away
of sin and renewal in God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is one
with Christians through Holy Baptism. Lutherans Baptize infants
through adults because Jesus commanded the church to:
"Go
…and make disciples of all
nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have
commanded you. And
remember that I am with you always, even to the end of the
age." Matthew
28:19-20
The
Sacrament of Holy Communion…also known as The Lord's Supper or
Eucharist…
…is
the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given with bread and
wine (or grape juice). The Sacrament was instituted by Christ
himself for us to eat and drink.
(Martin Luther, Small Catechism)
The
first three books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark and Luke,
describe the institution of the
Sacrament
of Holy Communion. From Matthew we read:
"…Jesus
took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it
to his disciples, and said
, Take, eat: this is my body." Then he took a cup, and
after giving thanks he gave it to them saying, drink form it, all
of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness of sins."
(Matthew 26:26-28)
The
Sacrament of Holy Communion feeds and nurtures the Baptized in the
real presence of the Body of Christ. Thus nourished, we are fed
and strengthened for service in the world, one with God, through
Christ in the Holy Spirit.
With
the Spirit's presence of God in our lives we become the Priesthood
of all Believers. God gives each Christian specific gifts and
talents to use in daily life and in the work of the church. No one
person has all twenty Spiritual gifts which are listed and
described in the Bible. Therefore, Lutherans believe that the
power of God is perfected when Christians share their gifts in the
Community of the Church, called "The Body of Christ".
Alone we are vulnerable, as part of the body of Christ, we possess
all the gifts necessary for joyful life and faithful service in
the world.
The
Church is "The Body of Christ" …"The Priesthood
of All Believers"…
As
Lutherans we believe that the
community of the church is "The Priesthood of all
Believers". This concept was described by the former Roman
Catholic priest, Martin Luther, the sixteenth century professor of
the Bible who began
the Reformation of the church in Germany. Luther
taught that in Baptism, all Christians serve as priests
(intercessors), between God and themselves and God and the world.
Luther based the concept of "The Priesthood of all
Believers" on the Bible's First Letter of Peter:
I Peter, Chapter
2, Verses 9-10:
"But
you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's
own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you
were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
Luther
added: "Therefore all Christians are priests."
(Letter to the Council - City of Prague, 1523)
God's
Grace…
We
are "JUSTIFIED" for relationship with God, by God's
Grace shared through Jesus Christ.. Lutheran Christians believe
that people cannot "earn" God's grace . In Christ, God
chooses to freely grant grace by forgiving
sins and reconciling with all people who believe in Christ.
On the cross, as he died, Jesus Christ pleaded: "Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
(Luke 23:34)
As
Jesus interceded for all sinners, God forgives all those who
believe in Christ and the faith He taught the world. This faith is
shared by the church through the Holy Spirit.
Grace
is God's Unmerited Favor…
…as
Luther writes: According to the usage of Scripture, grace
signifies that favor of God which wishes us well and justifies us.
That is, it freely grants us the faith which alone justifies us.
Now in the entire Scripture we nowhere read that justification is
ascribed to love, since love is rather the fruit of justifying
faith (Galatians 5:22): "The fruit of the (Holy) Spirit is
love."
Faith…
Definition
of Faith:
"Faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen"
(Hebrews 11:1)
Christian
Ethics…
Followers
of Christ are called disciples. The English word
"Discipline" comes from the concept of Discipleship. As
disciples of Christ we follow his teaching. We try to live in the
discipline of Jesus' two great commandments:
(Matthew 22:37-40)
"(Jesus)
said… 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest
and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the
law and the prophets."
When
we fail to live up to God's commandments, we pray for forgiveness
and renewal as children of God.
We
believe that by God's Grace in Christ, all people who believe are
forgiven children of God.
Ascension
Lutheran Church welcomes you to explore the Christian faith with
us, to join the Body of Christ and to live in the joy of the
community of Christ!
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