What We Believe, Teach, and Confess

At Faith Lutheran Church and School, everything we do flows from what we believe about God and His Word. Our faith is rooted in the grace and truth of Jesus Christ — who He is, what He has done, and what He continues to do for us today. Below you’ll find a summary of what we believe, teach, and confess as a community of faith.

Our Core Beliefs

At Faith Lutheran Church and School, we hold to the following core beliefs:

Who is God
Who We Are
God Saves Us by Means of Grace Through Faith
How God “Talks” to Us
What We Do as Faithful People

Who is God?

God is eternal — He always was, He is, and He always will be God.

God is all-knowing — He has known all things, knows our lives right now, and knows the future.

God is everywhere at all times.

God is Three Persons in One God:

God the Father
God the Son (Jesus)
God the Holy Spirit

God is just. He gave us the Ten Commandments to guide our lives and to show that we are sinners, unable to follow His commands perfectly.

God is always with us, even when we sin. He never leaves us alone.

God is merciful. He gave humanity His Son, Jesus Christ — the Messiah, the Chosen One — who forgave our sins. By the shedding of His blood and the giving of His body, we are made new creations. The old, sinful person was crucified with Jesus, and the new person rose to new life, just as Jesus rose.

Who We Are

We are uniquely and wonderfully created by God. We are persons from the moment of conception, and God calls each of us by name.

Yet, sin corrupts our nature. From conception, we are sinful people. Our nature is no longer “good” because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Every person conceived after them is a sinner.

This sinful nature is not focused on God — in fact, it does not know Him and cannot. We are cut off from the life that God intends for all humanity.

We need an intervention to restore our relationship with God. That is why God gave humanity the promise of enmity — a barrier between people and the influence of Satan, our greatest enemy. God has defeated Satan and crushed his head. Though Satan wounded the Enmity, that Enmity is Jesus.

By His wounds, we are healed. We are remade and reborn.

To have a relationship with God, we must be born again through water and the Spirit. This is why Baptism is so important for believers.

God Saves Us Through the Means of Grace

God gives the gift of salvation from our sins and new life through Jesus Christ. The power of salvation is in Jesus alone.

God gives us Jesus in three intimately connected ways:

The Word of God (the Holy Bible)
Holy Baptism (washing away the sins of the baptized)
Holy Communion (the body and blood of Jesus, received in bread and wine)

We call these “The Means of Grace.”

When believers read the Word of God, they receive the Holy Spirit, along with knowledge and wisdom from God.
In Baptism, believers receive God’s grace through the washing of renewal and rebirth in the Holy Spirit — the forgiveness of sins.
In Holy Communion, believers receive the body and blood of Jesus in and with the bread and wine — and through it, forgiveness.

How Does God “Talk” to Us?

God speaks to us through His Holy Word, the Holy Bible.

He inspired men to write down what He wants us to know. “Thus says the Lord” is one way Scripture describes God’s communication with His people.

God worked through the history of Israel — a people through whom He acted, spoke, rebuked, reproved, and saved. Their written history reveals God’s work and presence among them.

He also inspired poets, songwriters, wise men, and prophets to communicate His justice and grace. Through the prophets, God called His people to repent of their sins and return to Him.

God caused His Word to be written so that His people — and all people — could see His work in their lives and be led to Him.

The Old Testament leads people to Jesus.
The New Testament leads people from Jesus.

Therefore, God’s Word is inspired and inerrant — containing no errors. It tells the truth about us (our sinfulness) and about God (His love and grace to forgive).

What Do We Do as Faithful People?

God gave us the Ten Commandments as:

Curbs for our behavior
Mirrors that lead us to repent and confess our sins
Guides for the conduct of God’s people

Jesus summarized the Commandments beautifully:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your will, and all your strength.
And love your neighbor as yourself.”

With this, we live.