Who is God and who is Jesus?
We believe in the one true God of the Bible who has revealed himself primarily in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. In fact, we believe Jesus is God himself in human flesh. Thus, we also believe in the Holy Trinity, one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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What does God think of me?
We believe the main message of Scripture is one of mercy and grace, in which God freely forgives sinners because of what Jesus has accomplished through his death and resurrection. We believe the diagnosis of God’s Law rings true: everyone is guilty of breaking God’s commandments, and therefore deserves death and eternal separation from God. But we also believe in the cure of God’s Gospel: Jesus came to save sinners, paid our debt on the Cross, and conquered the grave on our behalf. We cannot earn anything from God by our good deeds or spiritual efforts; rather, the finished work of Christ guarantees salvation for everyone who believes.
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How does God care for me today?
We believe God uses various means by which he lovingly provides for people’s daily needs. Some of these are part of the natural order, such as good weather, a caring family, and a just government.
 
We also believe God brings life, forgiveness, and salvation to his people through what are called “the means of grace.” That is, we believe God uses ordinary things to distribute his divine gifts: namely, the Word, Baptism, and Communion. These earthly elements of words, water, bread, and wine convey heavenly benefits because God attaches his promises to them by the power of his Word. We believe our faith is created, fed, and nourished by these means.
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How do we know all of this?
We believe the Bible to be God’s Word. And since God doesn’t lie, the text of Scripture is the final authority in matters of faith and life.

We do not, however, accept this blindly or check our brains at the church door. We believe our intellect is a gift from God, and thus engage matters of faith without neglecting our reason.
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What’s a Lutheran?
Everything Lutherans believe is firmly centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

We believe the Christian Church consists of all people who trust in Jesus for their salvation. Yet as Lutherans, we believe the documents of the Lutheran Confessions are a clear explanation of what Scripture teaches. A summary of these teachings can be found in the Small Catechism of Martin Luther.
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If you have any questions about our beliefs, feel free to contact us at info@stpaulslb.org and we will do our best to answer you.
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