What We Believe

Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church is in communion with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. She joyfully confesses the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and she adheres without reservation to the Book of Concord of 1580 as being in full accord with the Scriptures.

We preach and teach according to the Holy Scriptures.
We encourage everyone to live in communion with the Savior Jesus Christ, loving God and neighbor.
We apply Holy Baptism to every sinner.
We nourish our saving faith with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.
We serve the community with clothing, food, and English classes.
We celebrate God’s love in many ways.

In the Holy Bible, God has revealed His Son Jesus Christ as the Savior of all mankind and as the only mediator for us to freely receive the forgiveness of all our sins and eternal life through faith in Him. The faith that clings to the crucified and risen Christ is a gift of God created by the Holy Spirit through the Good News of Christ’s sacrifice for us (Romans 1: 16-17 and 10:17).

THE CENTRALITY OF THE DIVINE WORD

The Lutheran Church places its emphasis on the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Sermons and Bible studies clarify divine truths for us, because through his Word the Holy Spirit enlightens us. And through his Word, the Spirit of God guides us to apply divine wisdom to our daily lives. Through his Law, God enlightens us about our sinful condition and creates a contrite heart in us. Through the Good News (the Gospel) God enlightens us as to what Christ has done for us to reconcile us to Him, and the Holy Spirit creates saving faith in us.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

  • We affirm that the entire Holy Bible is the Word of God.
  • We affirm the three creeds of Christendom: The Apostolic Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed.
  • We affirm that the true God is one in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
  • We affirm that God the Son became incarnate and assumed our human nature.
  • We affirm that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, lived obediently in our place, suffered our punishment and gave His life on the cross of Calvary, and thus reconciled the world to God our Creator.
  • We affirm that Christ rose from the dead in victory over sin, the devil, and death itself.
  • We affirm that a person is saved, not by his own works, but only by the grace (undeserved favor) of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
  • We affirm that the church consists of all who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
  • We affirm that Holy Baptism is a means by which God washes us from our sins, gives us a new birth, and clothes us in Christ himself.
  • We affirm that, in the sacrament, Jesus Christ gives us, with bread and wine, His body and His blood to eat and drink for the remission of our sins.

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