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Who
is Jesus Christ?
Jesus is
God’s son, sent by God to become human like us.
In his life and being he broke through the prison of sinfulness and thus
restored the relationship of love and trust that God intended to exist between
himself and his children. Though he
is eternal, with God at the beginning of time, he was born on earth of a virgin,
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus
was at once truly God and truly human.
The man, Jesus of Nazareth, lived and died in Palestine during the governorship
of the Roman administrator Pontius Pilate; we believe him to be the Messiah
chosen by God to show his love for the world.
He is God, yet with all the limitations of being human.
His relationship to God, however, was not one of sin but rather of
perfect obedience to the Father’s will. For
the sake of a sinful world, Jesus was condemned to death on the cross.
But death could not contain him. On the third day after his execution, the day Christians
observe as Easter, Jesus appeared among his followers as the risen, living Lord.
By this great victory God has declared the Good News of reconciliation.
The gap between all that separates us from our Creator has been bridged.
Thus, Christ lives today wherever there are people who faithfully believe
in him and wherever the Good News of reconciliation is preached and the
Sacraments administered.
What is the Church?
The Christian church is made up of those who have been baptized and thus
have received Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world.
Sometimes it is referred to as “the Body of Christ.”
Lutherans believe that they are a part of a community of faith that began
with the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence with his people, on the day
of Pentecost. The church,
regardless of the external form it takes, is the fellowship of those who have
been restored to God by Christ. Indeed,
to be called into fellowship with Christ is also to be called into community
with other believers.
The church is essential to Christian life and growth.
Its members are all sinners in need of God’s grace.
It has no claim on human perfection.
The church exists solely for the hearing and doing of God’s Word.
It can justify its existence only when it proclaims the living Word of
Christ, administers the Sacraments and gives itself to the world in deeds of
service and love. Most Lutherans
recognize a wider fellowship of churches and are eager to work alongside them in
ecumenical ministries and projects.
Why a Lutheran Church?
Martin Luther (b. November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, d. February
18, 1546 in Eisleben) is known as the Father of Protestantism.
He had studied to become a lawyer before becoming an Augustinian monk in
1505, and was ordained a priest in 1507. While
continuing his studies in pursuit of a Doctor of Theology degree, he discovered
significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the theology and
practices of the church. On October
31, 1517, he posted a challenge on the church door at Wittenberg University to
debate 95 theological issues. Luther’s
hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more
consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible.
What started as an academic debate escalated to a religious war, fueled
by fiery temperaments and violent language on both sides.
As a result, there was not a reformation of the church but a separation.
“Lutheran” was a name applied to Luther and his followers as an
insult but adopted as a badge of honor by them instead.
Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the
basic principles of theology and practice espoused by Luther, such as Sola
Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura:
…
We are saved by the grace of God alone – not by anything we do;
…
Our salvation is through faith alone – we only need to believe that our sins
are
forgiven for Christ’s sake, who died to redeem us;
…
The Bible is the only norm of doctrine and life – the only true standard by
which
teachings and doctrines are to be judged.
Another
of Luther’s principles was that Scriptures and worship need to be in the
language of the people.
Many Lutherans still consider themselves as a reforming movement within the
Church catholic, rather than a separatist movement, and Lutherans have engaged
in ecumenical dialogue with other church bodies for decades.
In fact, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has entered into
cooperative “full communion” agreements with several other Protestant
denominations.
Luther’s Small Catechism, which contains teachings on the Ten Commandments,
the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession and
Absolution, Holy Communion and Morning and Evening Prayers, is still used to
introduce people to the Lutheran faith, as is the Augsburg Confession.
How Do Lutherans look upon the Bible?
To borrow a phrase from Luther, the Bible is “the manger in which the
Word of God is laid.” While
Lutherans recognize differences in the way the Bible should be studied and
interpreted, it is accepted as the primary and authoritative witness to the
church’s faith. Written and
transcribed by many authors over a period of many centuries, the Bible bears
remarkable testimony to the mighty acts of God in the lives of people and
nations. In the Old Testament is
found the vivid account of God’s covenant relationship to Israel. In the New Testament is found the story of God’s new
covenant with all of creation in Jesus.
The
New Testament is the first-hand proclamation of those who lived through the
events of Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection.
As such, it is the authority for Christian faith and practice.
The Bible is thus not a definitive record of history or science.
Rather, it is the record of the drama of God’s saving care for creation
throughout the course of history.
What do Lutherans believe about
Creation?
Lutherans believe that God is Creator of the Universe.
Its dimensions of space and time are not something God made once and then
left alone. God is, rather,
continually creating, calling into being each moment of each day.
Human beings have a unique position in the order of creation.
As males and females created in God’s image, we are given the capacity
and freedom to know and respond to our creator.
Freedom implies that we can choose to respond to God either positively or
negatively.
Where do Lutherans stand on the
Question of Sin?
Lutherans believe that all people live in a condition which is the
result of misused freedom. “Sin”
describes not so much individual acts of wrongdoing as fractured relationships
between the people of creation and God. Our
every attempt to please God falls short of the mark.
By the standard of the Law, of which the Ten Commandments are a classic
summary, God expresses his just and loving expectations for creation, and our
failure to live up to those expectations reveals only our need for God’s mercy
and forgiveness.
What Sacraments do Lutherans Accept?
Lutherans accept two Sacraments as God-given means for penetrating the
lives of people with his grace. Although they are not the only means of God’s
self-revelation, Baptism and Holy Communion are visible acts of God’s love.
In Baptism, and it can be seen more clearly in infant Baptism, God freely offers
his grace and lovingly establishes a new community.
It is in Baptism that people become members of Christ’s Body on earth,
the Church. In Holy Communion – often called the Lord’s Supper or the
Eucharist – those who come to the table receive in bread and wine the body and
blood of their Lord. This gift is
itself the real presence of God’s forgiveness and mercy, nourishing believers
in union with their Lord and with each other.
Do Lutherans believe in Life After
Death?
While there is much we do not and cannot know about life beyond the
grave, Lutherans believe that life with God persists even after death.
Judgment is both a present and future reality, and history moves steadily
towards God’s ultimate fulfillment.
This of course is a great mystery, and no description of what life may be like
in any dimension beyond history is possible.
Anxiety for the future is not a mark of faith.
Christians should go about their daily tasks, trusting in God’s grace
and living a life of service in his name.
What
must a person do to become a Christian?
Jesus said, “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John
11:25-26)
What must a person do to become
a Lutheran?
To
become a Lutheran, only Baptism and instruction in the Christian faith is
required. If you are already
baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, it will be necessary
only to attend a membership class in a Lutheran congregation and thus signify
your desire to become a part of its community.
Active members of other Lutheran congregations usually need only to
transfer their membership.
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