What We Believe
Doctrinal Statement of Faith – Church of the Lutheran Brethren
1. The Bible, including both the Old and New Testaments as originally given, is verbally and plenarily inspired and free from error in the whole and in the part, and is therefore the final and authoritative guide for faith and conduct.
3. God the Father has revealed Himself to us as the Creator of the world and its preserver, to Whom the entire creation and all creatures are subject.
4. Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son, is the image of the invisible God. To accomplish our redemption, He took upon Himself the form of man, being conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. By His perfect obedience and substitutionary death on the cross, He has purchased our redemption. He arose from the dead “for our justification” in the body in which He was crucified. He ascended into heaven, where He is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father, as our interceding High Priest. He will come a second time personally, bodily and visibly to gather the believers unto Himself, and to establish His millennial kingdom. Finally, He will judge the living and the dead and make an eternal separation between believers and unbelievers.
6. Man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God to live in His fellowship. He fell into sin through the temptation of Satan and thereby lost fellowship with God, became totally depraved and is under the wrath of God.
8. The Church Universal consists of all those who truly believe on Jesus Christ as Savior. The local congregation is the communion of saints or true believers “in which the gospel is rightly taught and the sacraments are rightly administered.” Therefore, it follows that the membership of the local congregation shall comprise only those who by life and testimony show that they are living in fellowship with Jesus Christ.