What Lutherans Believe
The Bible: We believe that the Holy Scriptures or the whole Bible is the inspired Word of God and, because it is the Word of God, that the Bible is true, without error, absolutely trustworthy and the sole authority in all matters of Christian faith and life. 2 Timothy 3:15-16, 2 Peter 1:21, 1 Corinthians 2:13
God: We believe there is only one true God and that this one true God is a God of three persons, the Father who has created us, the Son who has redeemed us and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us. Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19
Humankind: We believe that because of original sin, all people being descendants of Adam, a sinner, are conceived and born in sin, bear their sinful father's image and would be lost to and condemned to death and hell forever by God unless redeemed by Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity. We also believe that, because of this sinful condition, original sin produces a great variety of sinful thoughts, desires, words, and deeds called actual sins in the lives of all people, that would also condemn us, because they break the moral law of God, and the wages of sin is death both physical and spiritual. Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3, Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5, Romans 7:18, Ephesians 2:3, Romans 6:23, Matthew 15:19, James 4:17
Salvation: We believe that God has done everything necessary for our salvation and the salvation of all people. That the Second person of the Holy Trinity was born of the Virgin Mary on the first Christmas and became man to be our Savior, Jesus Christ. That, as our Savior, this God-man Jesus Christ fulfilled God's law perfectly for us and paid the penalty for the sins of the world as our substitute by suffering and dying on a cross for our salvation. We believe that this same Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after He was dead and buried, so that we might have the assurance of eternal life, and that through what He did for us all, we are declared innocent before God. We believe that by God's grace through faith in this Jesus and His work of salvation for us, that He atoned for all our sins and the sins of the whole world, and that now, by God's grace through simple faith in Him as their Savior, anyone and everyone can have the assurance that their sins are forgiven, they are at peace with God, and also receive the free gift of eternal life with God, now and forever in heaven. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16, Luke 1:35, John 20, 1 John 2:2, 2 Timothy 1:10, Acts 16:31
We believe and confess the truth expressed in the Apostles Creed
"We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen."