The Beliefs of the Concordia Congregation
- We believe that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error.
- We believe in the Triune God – God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Savior; and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, working faith in the hearts of people through the Gospel.
- We believe that sin is living out of relationship with God, not living according to God’s will, and thus transgressing His holy will in thought, word, and deed. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, were created by God pure and holy. They went against God’s will and brought sin into the world. Since that time, all people have been conceived and born in sin.
- We believe that God in His grace offered His only Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true man, to redeem the whole world through the substitutionary life and death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
- We believe that people cannot save themselves by their good works or restore themselves to a right relationship with God. God declares a person just – or righteous – and forgiven, not because of human effort, but because the justification won by Jesus is applied to the one who repents of their sins and believes in Jesus as Savior.
- We believe Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind once for all time. He conquered sin, death, hell and the power of the devil, and rose victoriously from the dead to sit at the right hand of God the Father, where He intercedes on our behalf.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit works faith in the hearts of people to believe that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection secures forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Faith in Jesus is a gift of God, given by the power of the Holy Spirit; thus all credit and glory for having a saving faith belongs to God alone.
- We believe that Jesus will come again, to judge all the living and the dead, and will give eternal life to all believers and eternal punishment to all unbelievers. Until that day, Christians are to worship God, serve Him faithfully through the church, live godly and righteous lives with God’s help, and strive to carry out the Lord’s command to make known His love and forgiveness to the whole world.
- We believe that Christians are to join with other believers in churches which correctly teach and administer God’s Word, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion – God’s means of grace. By these means, the Holy Spirit calls people to faith in Jesus’ perfect life and atoning death.
- To correctly interpret the Bible, Lutherans distinguish between the Law and Gospel. The Law shows us our sin and the wrath of God. The Gospel shows us the love of God and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. Lutheran preaching and worship are always centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.