What We Believe
Membership in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Christ Evangelical is a member congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The Missouri Synod is a doctrinally conservative church body with more than 6,000 member congregations. We are in fellowship with Lutheran church bodies on all five continents. To learn more about the LCMS, click here.
The Holy Trinity
Jesus is true God and true man in one person. He is the eternal Son of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary to be our Savior and Lord. This God who became flesh in the person of the Son, Jesus Christ, is the only true God, the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
– Luther’s Small Catechism
Confession & Absolution
Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven. Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we are not aware of, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; but before the pastor we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.
– Luther’s Small Catechism, Teaching How to Confess
Law & Gospel
Law and Gospel are the two great doctrines of the Bible. We must sharply distinguish between the Law and the Gospel in order to understand the Bible rightly. The Law shows us our sin and the wrath of God; the Gospel shows us our Savior and brings God’s grace and favor. The Law must be proclaimed to all people, but especially to sinners who refuse to repent; the Gospel must be proclaimed to sinners who are troubled by their sins.
– Luther’s Small Catechism
Scripture
Through the Holy Spirit, God Himself gave these writers the thoughts and words they recorded (verbal inspiration), such that the Bible is God’s Word. For this reason, the Scriptures are both infallible (incapable of error) and inerrant (containing no mistakes). Holy Scripture is therefore entirely reliable and gives us everything we need to know and believe for Christian faith and life.
– Luther’s Small Catechism, Introduction
Baptism
Baptism is not just plain water, but it is water contained within God’s command and united with God’s Word.
It gives us the forgiveness of sins, redeems us from death and the Devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, just as God’s words and promises declare. Water doesn’t make these things happen, of course. It is God’s Word, which
is with and in the water. Because, without God’s Word, the water is plain water and not baptism. But with God’s Word it is a Baptism, a grace-filled water of life, a bath of new birth in the Holy Spirit. It means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, in turn, a new person daily come forth and rise from death again. He will live forever before God in righteousness and purity.
– Luther’s Small Catechism, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Communion
It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under bread and wine for us Christians to eat and to drink, established by Christ Himself.
– Luther’s Small Catechism, The Sacrament of the Altar
The congregations of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have agreed to follow the biblical and historical practice of closed communion. It is the sincere prayer of this congregation that our careful practice of the administration of the Lord’s Supper will not be a hindrance to our fellowship with you but instead that it would lead you to appreciate the high regard we have for Christ and His Word concerning this precious gift.
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow, LSB 805
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.