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What is the Gospel
The Gospel (with a capital G) refers to the Good News that we are saved by Christ alone through faith. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith as it is written,
“The one who is righteous will live by faith.” (Rom 1:17)
Faith in Christ is everything! No good deeds, social status, job title, training, intellect, trip or punishment will make us right with God! Jesus died on the cross for your sins and was raised so you will have a new life. That’s enough. In fact, that’s everything. All you can do is say, “I trust Jesus!”
Lutheran Christians emphasize the Gospel. We call ourselves “Evangelical” (from the Greek for “good news").
What is Baptism
Baptism is:
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water
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used with God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation and
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by Christ’s command.
Christ commands us
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19). For more information click below:
What is a Christian
Lutheran Christians are Christians—people who follow Christ.
Christians believe in
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One God, whom we know in Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
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Jesus Christ, who was fully human and fully divine
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The Bible as God’s Word for us
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The Gospel: We are saved by Christ alone through faith
Christians act:
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Worship together
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Study the Bible
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Pray our thanks, praise, and requests to God
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Tell others about God’s love in Jesus
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Serve our neighbors
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Give our time, talents and treasure
What is Membership
Baptism = Membership in the Church
You are made a Member of the one holy Church—the body of Christ—by baptism in the name of the Triune God. This is the most important meaning of “membership”: God has saved you in baptism and made you a child of God! It is a gift from our gracious God—we can’t earn or deserve it!
This is membership in the Church (capital C) which includes baptized believers from every Christian denomination in every time and place. It’s bigger than simply belonging to a congregation!
Membership in a Congregation = Commitment to Christ
At St. John’s, everyone (regardless of membership) is welcome to Worship, hear the Gospel, receive Holy Communion, receive pastoral care, attend Bible Studies and be involved in all the activities of the congregation. All are welcome to receive!
Membership in a Congregation is not about what you get, but what you give!
For more information on what is a member click
What is a Lutheran Christian
Lutheran Christians are Christians—people who follow Christ.
Christians believe in
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One God, who we know in Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
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Jesus Christ, who was fully human and fully divine
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The Bible as God’s Word for us
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The Gospel: We are saved by Christ alone through faith
Christians act:
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Worship together
-
Study the Bible
-
Pray our thanks, praise, and requests to God
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Tell others about God’s love in Jesus
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Serve our neighbors
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Give our time, talents and treasure
No Generic Christians
The most important point is that we are Christians—one with all believers in Christ. Yet, there is no such thing as a “generic” Christian. Every Christian has “roots,” a particular history which shapes
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theology (thoughts about God),
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piety (the style of worshiping God),
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discipline (how we live out faith).
.…to claim our “roots” as Lutherans is to know who we are, what is important to us, and how we can share our strengths with the whole Church.
Being a Lutheran Christian is a Christian with a particular history, theology, and worship.
History
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a monk in Germany who wanted to reform the church. He didn’t want to leave the Roman Catholic Church. He insisted that reforming people be called “Christians”—their opponents called them “Lutherans” as an insult.
Luther and other reformers struggled to maintain (1) unity with Rome and (2) faithfulness to the Gospel.
The Augsburg Confession was written in 1530 to try to agree on the essentials with Rome. They thought the first 21 Articles were not controversial, but they were wrong. Article 4, “Justification,” proved to be too much. Article 4 is the key to what Lutheran Christians believe:
We are saved by Jesus’ death and resurrection,
not by good works.
The Book of Concord contains the Augsburg Confession, and other documents like Luther’s Small Catechism and the Formula of Concord.
A Lutheran Christian believes that these historical documents accurately describe Christian faith.
Theology
“Theology‟ is the language we use to talk about God. For example:
God is all-powerful.
Jesus died for our sins.
These are theological statements. They express our faith in words. Fallible, limited human language will never fully be able to express the truth of the perfect and infinite God. How we communicate always changes. So, we have to change our language to communicate timeless truths about God.
The Gospel
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” (Rom 1:17)
Faith in Christ is everything! No good deeds, social status, job title, training, intellect, trip or punishment will make us right with God!
Jesus died on the cross for your sins and was raised so you will have a new life. That’s enough. In fact, that’s everything. All you can do is say, “I trust Jesus!”
For more detail click
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