Freedom Lutheran Church
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Our core beliefs are the source from which we draw true & enduring unity within our congregation.
Use the buttons to navigate or scroll through to read our beliefs and convictions.
SCRIPTURE, CREEDS, AND CONFESSIONS
Historical agreements that outline the beliefs of the true Christian Church:
Apostle’s Creed (2nd century A.D.)
Nicene Creed (325 and 381 A.D.)
Athanasian Creed (6th – 8th centuries A.D.)
Lutheran confessions
Faithful summaries of Biblical doctrines, laid out by the Lutheran reformers:
The Unaltered Augsburg Confession (1530 A.D.)
The Book of Concord
Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms
Universal creeds
Scripture
The Holy Scriptures in their original manuscripts are:
Inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16a), who spoke through human authors (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Infallible and inerrant, perfect in every part (Psalm 19:7-11).
Authoritative, the only true source of life and doctrine (2 Timothy 3:15).
Sufficient and the only trustworthy guide for governing & informing our choices in both physical & spiritual matters (2 Timothy 3:16b).
DOCTRINES AND CONVICTIONS
summarized from the Unaltered Augsburg Confession
We believe in the Triune God – Father, Son, Holy Spirit (UAC I. par. 1-4).
We believe that because of Adam’s rebellion, all humans are born infected with the disease of original sin and have earned God’s just judgment (UAC II. Par 1-2).
We believe that the incarnate Son of God, true man, and true God, suffered, died, was buried, rose from the dead, ascended to the Father, and will return to judge the living and the dead (UAC III. Par. 1-6).
We believe we are not justified before God by our own merits or works, but solely by faith in Christ’s sacrifice (UAC IV. Par. 1-3).
We believe the Word and Sacraments are the instruments through which the Holy Spirit works faith, justifying those who believe (UAC V. Par. 1-3).
We believe that we have some liberty to choose civil righteousness and do works subject to reason, but that our human nature has no power, without the Holy Spirit, to work righteousness before God (UAC XVIII. Par. 1-4).
We believe that faith necessarily produces good works, but that these works do not merit justification before God (UAC VI. Par. 1-3).
We believe that the Church is the congregation of saints in which the Word is rightly taught and the Sacraments rightly administered, and that true unity is sourced in agreement on doctrine, not rites, ceremonies, or traditions of human origin (UAC VII. Par. 1-4).
We believe that Holy Baptism in necessary for salvation, that through it, the grace of God is offered even to infants, each of whom is also born in sin and in need of salvation (UAC IX. Par. 1-2).
We believe that Private Absolution ought to be retained in the churches, which the Church should impart to repentant sinners, and that repentance consists of both contrition for sin and faith in Christ’s forgiveness (UAC XII. Par. 1-6).
We believe that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present in the Lord’s Supper and reject the teaching of other doctrines (UAC X.).
We believe that on the Last Day, Christ will appear for judgment to raise the dead, bring eternal life and everlasting joy to all believers, and condemn unbelievers to endless torment with the devil and his angels (UAC XVII. Par. 1-3).
CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS
We believe, teach, and confess that our Divine Service is first and foremost an occasion to receive the all good gifts God graciously desires to give to us, and the offerings of prayers, praises, and thanksgivings to Him are then merely the appropriate responses we make to His loving care and supply.
We believe, teach, and confess that faith in God is entirely a gift of the Holy Spirit, to be received without resistance. It is not the result of a human choice or decision (John 1:12-13).
We believe, teach, and confess that God delivers His grace and forgiveness personally to each believer through His Word and Sacraments.
We believe, teach, and confess that God’s Word is living and active, and when not resisted or rejected, accomplishes within each believer all that God desires (Isaiah 55:11).
We believe, teach, and confess that Holy Baptism works forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38), regenerates the spiritually dead (Titus 3:5), and delivers eternal life (Mark 16:16).
We believe, teach, and confess that the Holy Supper is a sharing (communion) in the very body and blood of Christ, truly and bodily present under the bread and wine (1 Corinthians 10:16), and that it delivers life and salvation when received by faith in His Word of promise, “given and shed for you for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28)
CREATION AND THE FALL
We believe, teach, and confess that the one Eternal, Triune God of the Holy Scriptures (Isaiah 45:5, Jeremiah 10:10), who exists outside of time and space, is the source of all that does exist, both visible and invisible (Jeremiah 51:15 & 19).
We believe, teach, and confess that the universe, the world we live in, and all its parts were made from nothing in a state of perfection by His spoken Word within a time span of six, natural, 24 hour days (Gen 1:1-2:1, Exodus 20:11).
We believe, teach, and confess that the fall and rebellion (sin) of our first parents earned God’s just judgment and plunged the universe, the world, and all humankind into the ubiquitous ruin, brokenness, misery, and death we observe and experience (Genesis 3:17-19).
We believe, teach, and confess that God’s revealed plan and work of redemption will culminate in a new, perfect, and eternal heaven and earth where righteousness dwells (Revelation 21:1-4), and that, as believers, our present assignment is to join with Him in lessening and repairing the damage sin brings by loving our neighbors (Romans 13:8-10) and living according to His Word (Romans 12:21).
LIFE, MARRIAGE, AND FAMILY
We believe, teach, and confess that, from conception, every human life is a special creation of God (Genesis 2:7), given and sustained by His Holy Spirit, the one and only source of all life (Job 33:4).
We believe, teach, and confess that human beings possess an eternal spirit dwelling within a physical body (Job 32:8, Ecclesiastes 12:7), and that our lives are not our own, but belong twice-over to God: first, by reason of creation (Psalm 100:3) and second, by His purchase of redemption with the blood of Christ, His Son (1 Peter 1:18-19).
We believe, teach, and confess that marriage, the exclusive and lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, is not of human origin, but is God-ordained, blessed by Him (Genesis 2:20-24), and especially loved by Him (Malachi 2:11); and that it is meant to be a reflection of the eternal relationship between Christ and His church.
We believe, teach, and confess that the institution of family, consisting of husband, wife, and their natural and adopted children, is the first and foremost institution God created. It is the primary mechanism through which God has chosen to fulfill His command to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28), and so expand His kingdom in this world (Matthew 28:19-20), as He promised Abraham (Genesis 18:19). And it is created to model for us the relationship we will enjoy with the Father throughout eternity as His beloved children, brothers and sisters of Christ.
We believe, teach, and confess that parents are given the high duty to train and disciple their children in the true Christian faith at home (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) producing godly offspring (Malachi 2:15), that the church’s role is to encourage, equip, and assist parents in that solemn responsibility, and that civil government’s role is to secure the God-given rights and freedoms of parents to teach and disciple their children according to their Biblically-informed conscience.
We believe, teach, and confess that adoption, which but dimly mirrors the Father’s own work to build His family (Galatians 4:1-7), is a courageous and loving response toward the most helpless and needy, and that our church will support and encourage adopting families at every opportunity.