What the members of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church and other Lutherans believe is reflected in the Apostles' Creed presented below:
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THE APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic* Church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
* Note: The term 'catholic' (spelled with a lower case 'c') refers to the
universal Christian Church rather than to the Roman Catholic Church.
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LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM
THE APOSTLES' CREED
The First Article:
I believe in God the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?
I believe that God has created me and all
that exists. He has given me and still preserves my body and soul with all
their powers. He provides me with food and clothing, home and family,
daily work, and all I need form day to day. God also protects me in time
of danger and guards me from every evil. All this he does out of fatherly
and divine goodness and mercy, though I do not deserve it. Therefore I
surely ought to thank and praise, serve and obey him. This is most
certainly true.
The Second Article:
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of
the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day,
he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the
right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living
and the dead.
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ-true God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true
man, born of the Virgin Mary-is my Lord. At great cost he has saved and
redeemed me, a lost and condemned person.
He has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil-not with silver or
gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.
All this he has done that I may be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and
serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he
is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. This is most
certainly true.
The Third Article:
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic
Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
What does this mean?
I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus
Christ my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through
the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in true
faith.
In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole
Christian Church on earth, and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true
faith.
In this Christian Church day after day he fully forgives my sins and the sins of
all believers. On the last day he will raise me and all the dead and give
me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.
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ELCA CONFESSION OF FAITH
This church confesses the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This church confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the
power of God for the salvation of all who believe
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Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death,
and resurrection God fashions a new creation.
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The proclamation of God's message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing judgment and mercy
through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel, and centering
in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the written Word of God. Inspired by God's Spirit
speaking through their authors, they record and announce God's revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through
them God's Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship for service in the world.
This church accepts the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and
the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.
This church accepts the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of this church.
This church accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with
it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.
This church accepts the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of the Augsburg
Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Formula of
Concord, as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
This church confesses the Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and
Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God's mission in the world.
View the Constitution Of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Congregation
View the Continuing Resolutions Of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Congregation
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