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| Fishers of Family Lutheran Church |
Beliefs
Portland, TX 78374
361.777.0528
361.777.0528
| © 2008 Fishers of Family Lutheran Church |
God
We believe in one, true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4) who is Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, three distinct persons, but of one essence, equal in power, eternity, and glory, because
each person possesses the one divine essence entirely (Colossians 2:9, Matthew 28:19).
The Bible
We believe that Holy Scripture is the Word of God, recorded by people as the Holy Spirit
communicated to them by verbal inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). Therefore, Scripture
contains no errors, but is in all its parts the words of truth (John 17:17). We furthermore believe
that Scripture is given by God to the Christian Church as the foundation of faith (Ephesians 2:20;
Acts 2:42) and is the sole source and norm for all doctrine.
Sin
We believe that sin came into the world by the fall of the first person Adam, as described by
Genesis 3. By this fall not only he himself, but also his natural offspring have lost original
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, and thus all people are sinners already by birth, dead
in sins, inclined to all evil, and subject to the wrath of God (Romans 5:12, 18; Ephesians 2:1-3).
All people are unable, through their own efforts, to reconcile themselves to God.
Jesus Christ
We believe that in the fullness of time, the eternal Son of God became human by the power of
the Holy Spirit, being born of the virgin Mary. The purpose of this miraculous incarnation was that
He, through his perfect life, death, and resurrection, might become the mediator between God
and people and reconcile the sinful world unto Himself (Galatians 4:4-5; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Faith
We believe that faith in Christ is the only way for people to obtain forgiveness of sins, life, and
salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). This faith in Christ is not a work on our parts which fulfills the
Law of God; rather, it is the reception of the forgiveness of sins, fully won for us by Christ, and is
offered by the Gospel (Romans 4:16).
Justification
We believe that God has declared the world to be righteous by means of the person and work of
Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Romans 4:25) and that therefore not on account of works of the
Law, but by grace, God justifies, that is, accounts as righteous unto salvation, all those who
believe in Christ (Romans 3:23-24, 28).
Good Works
We believe that before God only those works are good which are done for the glory of God and
the good of others. Such works, however, in no way merit salvation, but flow solely from faith in
Christ’s work (John 15:4-5).
The Means of Grace
We believe that, although God is present and operates everywhere throughout all creation
(Colossians 1:17; Acts 14:17), He promises especially to communicate to people forgiveness of
sins, life, and salvation through the external means of grace ordained by Him. These means of
grace are the Word of the Gospel (Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23; Galatians 3:2) and the
Sacraments of Baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Titus 3:5) and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26-28; 1
Corinthians 11:23-25).
The Church
We believe that there is one, holy Christian Church on earth, the Head of which is Christ. The
members of this Church are all those who believe that God forgives their sins for Christ's sake
(Acts 5:14; 26:18). Because we can not see the faith in a person’s heart, we may properly speak
of the church as invisible. We may also speak of the church as visible, however, as the place
where the Gospel is preached and the Sacraments are administered according to Christ’s
institution (Acts 2:42-47).
The End Times
We believe that the kingdom of God on earth will remain under the headship of Jesus until the
end of the world (Luke 17:20-37) and that the Lord will return visibly and personally on the Last
Day to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 24:29-30; 25:31-46; 2 Timothy 4:1; John 6:39-40).
This Day is, and will remain, unknown (Matthew 24:42; 25:13; Mark 13:32, 37; Acts 1:7).
Evangelism
Since it is only through the Gospel that God has promised to communicate the grace and
salvation purchased by Christ, the Christian Church must not remain at home with the message
entrusted to it, but go into the whole world with the preaching of the Gospel and the
administration of the Sacraments (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).
This statement of belief is meant to be a brief summary of the historic, orthodox, universal faith
of the Christian church, normed by Holy Scripture and classically expressed in the Apostles’,
Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.
We believe in one, true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4) who is Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, three distinct persons, but of one essence, equal in power, eternity, and glory, because
each person possesses the one divine essence entirely (Colossians 2:9, Matthew 28:19).
The Bible
We believe that Holy Scripture is the Word of God, recorded by people as the Holy Spirit
communicated to them by verbal inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). Therefore, Scripture
contains no errors, but is in all its parts the words of truth (John 17:17). We furthermore believe
that Scripture is given by God to the Christian Church as the foundation of faith (Ephesians 2:20;
Acts 2:42) and is the sole source and norm for all doctrine.
Sin
We believe that sin came into the world by the fall of the first person Adam, as described by
Genesis 3. By this fall not only he himself, but also his natural offspring have lost original
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, and thus all people are sinners already by birth, dead
in sins, inclined to all evil, and subject to the wrath of God (Romans 5:12, 18; Ephesians 2:1-3).
All people are unable, through their own efforts, to reconcile themselves to God.
Jesus Christ
We believe that in the fullness of time, the eternal Son of God became human by the power of
the Holy Spirit, being born of the virgin Mary. The purpose of this miraculous incarnation was that
He, through his perfect life, death, and resurrection, might become the mediator between God
and people and reconcile the sinful world unto Himself (Galatians 4:4-5; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Faith
We believe that faith in Christ is the only way for people to obtain forgiveness of sins, life, and
salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). This faith in Christ is not a work on our parts which fulfills the
Law of God; rather, it is the reception of the forgiveness of sins, fully won for us by Christ, and is
offered by the Gospel (Romans 4:16).
Justification
We believe that God has declared the world to be righteous by means of the person and work of
Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Romans 4:25) and that therefore not on account of works of the
Law, but by grace, God justifies, that is, accounts as righteous unto salvation, all those who
believe in Christ (Romans 3:23-24, 28).
Good Works
We believe that before God only those works are good which are done for the glory of God and
the good of others. Such works, however, in no way merit salvation, but flow solely from faith in
Christ’s work (John 15:4-5).
The Means of Grace
We believe that, although God is present and operates everywhere throughout all creation
(Colossians 1:17; Acts 14:17), He promises especially to communicate to people forgiveness of
sins, life, and salvation through the external means of grace ordained by Him. These means of
grace are the Word of the Gospel (Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23; Galatians 3:2) and the
Sacraments of Baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Titus 3:5) and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:26-28; 1
Corinthians 11:23-25).
The Church
We believe that there is one, holy Christian Church on earth, the Head of which is Christ. The
members of this Church are all those who believe that God forgives their sins for Christ's sake
(Acts 5:14; 26:18). Because we can not see the faith in a person’s heart, we may properly speak
of the church as invisible. We may also speak of the church as visible, however, as the place
where the Gospel is preached and the Sacraments are administered according to Christ’s
institution (Acts 2:42-47).
The End Times
We believe that the kingdom of God on earth will remain under the headship of Jesus until the
end of the world (Luke 17:20-37) and that the Lord will return visibly and personally on the Last
Day to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 24:29-30; 25:31-46; 2 Timothy 4:1; John 6:39-40).
This Day is, and will remain, unknown (Matthew 24:42; 25:13; Mark 13:32, 37; Acts 1:7).
Evangelism
Since it is only through the Gospel that God has promised to communicate the grace and
salvation purchased by Christ, the Christian Church must not remain at home with the message
entrusted to it, but go into the whole world with the preaching of the Gospel and the
administration of the Sacraments (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).
This statement of belief is meant to be a brief summary of the historic, orthodox, universal faith
of the Christian church, normed by Holy Scripture and classically expressed in the Apostles’,
Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.
| Fishers of Family is a proud member of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod |
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