| What Do Lutherans Believe?
At Mount Olive, we are devoted Christians who are also unashamedly Lutheran, that is, we accept all the historic confessions of the Lutheran Church. We know, however, that although we use the term freely, very few people outside the Lutheran tradition have a good or a clear understanding of what this means. Here, then, is a brief introduction to the basic teachings of the Lutheran Church as we understand them at Mount Olive:
WE Believe. . .
. . . That the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God; that, outside of the Word of God, there is no divine revelation or “prophecy,” and that, although God is incomprehensible, all knowledge necessary for life and salvation is contained in the Bible.
. . . That the one, triune (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) God created earth and heaven; and that the Genesis account of creation is true, not merely a myth or a symbolic tale.
. . . That, as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin in Eden, all human beings are born completely sinful, spiritually helpless, and deserving of damnation.
. . . That God gave the Law (the Ten Commandments) to Moses primarily to demonstrate to us that God is holy and that we are sinners in need of a Savior, though we acknowledge that this Law also helps to regulate the sinful nature and teach believers how they may glorify God with their lives.
. . . That we are completely unable to save ourselves; and that our good works can have no part in our salvation.
. . . That Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, is both True God and true man.
. . . That Jesus Christ lived a perfect, holy life; that He demonstrated by signs and miracles that He was both God and the promised Messiah; that He was crucified, died, and was buried; that He rose from the dead on the third day; and that He ascended into heaven .
. . . That Jesus’ crucifixion alone accomplished complete salvation for mankind; and that anyone who believes in Jesus and puts their trust in Him is a partaker of this salvation.
. . . That the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, creates and nurtures faith in the believer; and that even this saving faith is a gift of God.
. . . That baptism is a powerful sacrament in which the Holy Spirit works to create faith and bestow salvation — an act of God, not a testimony of man, and, since spiritually dead adults are as helpless to save themselves as spiritually dead infants, we baptize children of all ages.
. . . That Holy Communion is a gift of God to strengthen the faith of believers; that in the Lord’s Supper, believers truly receive the body and blood of Christ bound up with the bread and wine; and that, out of respect for this meal, all believers should be instructed before they receive it.
. . . That, at the end of time, Christ will return to raise the dead and gather the living and that, at that time, all will be judged — those who have put their trust in Christ will live in Heaven with God eternally; those who have not will suffer eternal death.
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