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Beliefs
With the universal Christian Church, The
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love
of the Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus
Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins
of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory
over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through
God's Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are
coequal and coeternal, one God.
Being "Lutheran," our congregations
accept and teach Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired
the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The
teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three
short phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.
- Grace alone - God loves the people of the
world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not
deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable
and save the ungodly.
- Scripture alone - The Bible is God's inerrant
and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel
of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for
Christian doctrine.
- Faith alone - By His suffering and death
as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased
and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear
this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers.
God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through
Him.
The word "Synod" in The Lutheran
Church--Missouri Synod comes from the Greek words that mean "walking
together". It has rich meaning in our church body, because
the congregations voluntarily choose to belong to the Synod. Diverse
in their service, these congregations hold to a shared confession
of Jesus Christ as taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.
The congregations of the Synod are "confessional."
They hold to the Lutheran Confessions as the correct interpretation
and presentation of Biblical doctrine. Contained in The Book
of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church,
these statements of belief were put into writing by church leaders
during the 16th century. (The simplest of these is Luther's Small
Catechism. The Augsburg
Confession gives more detail on what Lutherans believe. For
a detailed contemporary explanation, see "What
Do Lutherans Believe?".)
Adapted from A Week in the Life of The
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, copyright 1996, Concordia Publishing
House.
The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
First
Lutheran Church
2800 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404
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