What We Believe

A concise confession grounded in Scripture

This page contains a summary of the main teachings confessed by our church body, including supporting Scripture passages from the Bible. Our synod, the WELS, has a more complete This We Believe website.

God and His Revelation

1. We believe there is one true God who has made himself known as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

   Scripture: Isaiah 44:6; Matthew 28:19; John 5:23

2. Creation and conscience show that God exists and that every person is accountable to him, but they cannot show us the way to salvation.

   Scripture: Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20; Romans 2:15

3. God fully reveals himself as our Savior in Jesus Christ and gives that saving revelation to all people in the Holy Scriptures.

   Scripture: John 1:18; John 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:15-17

4. The Bible is God's inspired, true, and error-free Word. It is centered on Christ and is the final authority for what we believe and how we live.

   Scripture: John 5:39; John 10:35; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21

Creation, Humanity, and Sin

1. We believe God created the universe, the world, and humanity by his almighty Word in six consecutive days of normal length.

   Scripture: Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; Hebrews 11:3

2. God created Adam and Eve holy and righteous in his image and entrusted his creation to their care.

   Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:15; Ephesians 4:24

3. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and lost his image. Since then, every person is born sinful, separated from God, and unable to restore that relationship by personal effort or good deeds.

   Scripture: Genesis 2:17; Psalm 51:5; John 3:6; Ephesians 2:1

4. God still provides for people's daily needs and works for the good of those who trust in him.

   Scripture: Psalm 145:15-16; Romans 8:28

Christ and Redemption

1. We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He also became fully human, without sin, when he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

   Scripture: John 1:1-2; Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:35; Galatians 4:4

2. Jesus humbled himself, lived in perfect obedience, suffered, and died on the cross as the substitute for every person.

   Scripture: Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 20:28; Romans 5:18-19; Philippians 2:7-8

3. Jesus rose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and rules over all things. His resurrection assures us that God accepted his payment for the sins of the world.

   Scripture: Romans 4:25; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Peter 3:18-19

4. Because of Christ's work, God reconciled the world to himself and declared all sinners not guilty. This finished work of Jesus is the firm basis for our assurance of salvation.

   Scripture: John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

Justification by Grace through Faith

1. We believe God has declared all sinners righteous for Christ's sake. This message of justification is the central message of Scripture.

   Scripture: Romans 5:18

2. Forgiveness and salvation are God's free gifts. We receive them through faith in Christ, not because of our works, choices, or worthiness.

   Scripture: Romans 3:28; Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9

3. The Holy Spirit creates faith through the gospel. Our conversion is entirely God's gracious work, while rejection of the gospel is entirely the unbeliever's responsibility.

   Scripture: Matthew 23:37; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 12:3

4. There is salvation only in Jesus Christ. God wants all people to be saved, and no one earns or completes what Christ has already done.

   Scripture: John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9

Christian Life and Prayer

1. Faith in Jesus produces works of love that follow God's will. Good works are the fruit of faith, never a cause of salvation.

   Scripture: John 15:5; Romans 13:10; James 2:17

2. Christians still struggle with sin, so even our best efforts remain imperfect. Because of Christ's redemption, God accepts the lives of service that flow from faith.

   Scripture: Romans 7:18-21; Isaiah 64:6

3. The Holy Spirit uses the gospel to strengthen believers for lives of love and equips his church with the gifts it needs.

   Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Galatians 5:22-25

4. Prayer is a fruit of faith. Through Jesus, Christians bring praise, thanks, and needs to their heavenly Father and trust his wise answer.

   Scripture: Matthew 7:7-8; 1 Timothy 2:1; 1 John 5:14

The Means of Grace

1. God gives his spiritual blessings through the means he established: the gospel in his Word and in the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.

   Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 10:17

2. Through the gospel, the Holy Spirit creates and strengthens saving faith in hearts that are naturally opposed to God.

   Scripture: Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23

3. In Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit applies the gospel to sinners, washes away sin, and gives new life. Baptism is for all people, including infants, because all people need the new birth God gives.

   Scripture: Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; John 3:5-6; Acts 2:38; Titus 3:5

4. In Holy Communion, Christ gives his true body and blood with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins and for the comfort and assurance of believers.

   Scripture: Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:29

5. Before participating in Holy Communion, Christians prepare through repentance, self-examination, trust in Christ's words, and unity in the confession shared at the altar. Please contact our pastor with questions about receiving the sacrament at Lord of Lords.

   Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:17; 1 Corinthians 11:27-29

Church and Ministry

1. The holy Christian church is all people everywhere who trust in Jesus as their Savior. Only God sees faith in the heart, so this church cannot be identified with one visible organization.

   Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Timothy 2:19; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:23

2. The church is present wherever the gospel is preached and the sacraments are administered, because the Holy Spirit creates and preserves faith through these means of grace.

   Scripture: Isaiah 55:10-11; Hebrews 10:24-25

3. Christians express church fellowship where they share agreement in the teachings of Scripture. This fellowship includes worship, prayer, mission work, and participation in Holy Communion.

   Scripture: John 8:31; Romans 16:17-18; Ephesians 4:3; 2 John 10-11

4. Every Christian is called to share the good news of Jesus. God also established the public ministry of the Word, and congregations call qualified servants, including pastors, to teach the gospel and administer the sacraments on their behalf.

   Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 10:15; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 5:2-3

Church and State

1. We believe God established governmental authority. Christians obey the government for conscience's sake unless it commands them to disobey God.

   Scripture: Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1; Romans 13:5

2. God gives church and state distinct responsibilities. The church proclaims repentance and forgiveness through Christ; the state preserves civil order and peace.

   Scripture: Romans 13:3-4; 1 Timothy 2:2

3. The church carries out its mission through God's Word and sacraments, not through civil force. Christians serve God faithfully as citizens in both realms.

   Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 13:6-7

Jesus' Return and Judgment

1. We believe Jesus will return visibly and in glory. No one knows the exact time, so Christians live watchfully in expectation of his return.

   Scripture: Matthew 24:36; Luke 21:34; Acts 1:11

2. At Jesus' return, the present world will come to an end and all the dead will rise, their souls reunited with their bodies.

   Scripture: John 5:28-29; 2 Peter 3:13

3. Everyone will appear before Christ's judgment. Those who trust in Christ will live with him forever in the blessed presence of God; those who reject him will face eternal condemnation.

   Scripture: John 5:28-29; Philippians 3:21

4. Scripture teaches one visible return of Christ and a bodily resurrection. It does not teach a secret rapture or an earthly thousand-year kingdom of Christ.

   Scripture: John 18:36; Acts 1:11; Hebrews 9:27