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Lutherans are
Christians who believe that the efforts of Martin Luther to keep the church
faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ were on target and need to continue.
What is the Gospel?
The Gospel is what God does for us. It tells you that, just as you are, in your
anxiety and guiltiness, as creature and sinner, are infinitely loved,
forgiven, received, valued, and accepted by God. This Word of God was
uniquely incarnate in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It lives today in the Church, the Body of Christ.
What is the Law?
The Law are all of those things we should do, and yet,
things we find we are finally incapable of doing. We give thanks to
Christ, who fulfilled the Law on our behalf.
What is salvation?
Salvation is being grasped by the grace of God so that
you know yourself to be loved and forgiven by God and therefore reconciled
to God, yourself, and all your neighbors. You cannot do anything to earn
salvation. God does it all, through grace alone.
If you don’t have to do anything to earn salvation,
does that mean Lutherans don’t do good works?
Lutherans do lots of good works. But we do them out of
gratitude to God, not to make God like us better.
What do Lutherans believe about the Bible?
Lutherans believe the Bible is the Word of God,
inspired by the Holy Spirit and authoritative in all matters of doctrine
and truth.
How many sacraments do Lutherans have?
Two. Baptism and Communion. In them we believe God
comes to us; we do not go to God.
How do Lutherans worship?
We follow the traditional liturgy of Word and
Sacrament, that is, preaching and communion.
Do Lutherans believe they hold the one true
faith?
Yes. But we also believe we are not the only ones who hold it.
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