We Believe In . . .
St John Nottingham is part of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. As Lutherans, we believe the following:
One God
God is eternal. He always was, is and always will be. He’s one God in three persons:
• Father — the Creator and Preserver of all things, who made you and cares about you
• Son — Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life to “pay” for your sins — because you can’t
• Holy Spirit — who stirs you to believe and gives you abilities to serve
People
People are relational beings and we are made for a relationship with God. But we don’t always act like it.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. — Romans 3:23
We’re all sinners — and God wants nothing to do with sin. God said the penalty of sin is death. That’s bad news for us. By ourselves, we’re hopeless.
For the wages of sin is death.... — Romans 6:23
Forgiveness
It is good news that there is Jesus! Jesus is both God and man (human) at the same time. More than 2,000 years ago, He lived a sinless life on Earth. Then, He willingly gave it up, allowing himself to be killed on a cross.
He died… but He didn’t stay dead. He came back to life to show all of us that death is no longer permanent and sin no longer makes us hopeless.
To be forgiven of our sins, and to draw closer to God, we place our faith on Jesus thereby trusting that Christ’s sacrifice was for us.. personally.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. — Romans 10:9
Being Good
Being good, helping others, going to church, praying and the like are “right” things.. but they don’t earn us God’s favor. Honoring and obeying God is something Christians want to do out of love for what Christ has done for us. The Holy Spirit gives us the desire and ability to do it.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. — Ephesians 2:8-10
The Bible
The Bible is God’s written communication to us, His people. Everything we need to know about life and faith is in the Bible.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Baptism
God invites us to become part of His family by adoption through baptism. Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word. Our Lord commands Baptism. It is not optional, nor is it simply a nice “extra.” Baptized people are cleansed by God. He cleanses them from all of their sins, snatches them from the power of Satan, and gives them everlasting life. It is all God’s doing as He gives His blessing. It is His promise.
We practice infant baptism because we believe that God the Holy Spirit has the power, through the water and the Word, to bring faith even to a baby. If we misunderstand Baptism to be our work, then we will always cast doubt on it. But when we recognize that it is not our work, and instead God’s gracious promise and work, we realize that infants are to be baptized and receive the treasures offered in and through Baptism.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.... — Mark 16:16
The promise is for you and your children - (Acts 2:39)
The Lords’ Supper (Communion)
In the Lord’s Supper, the bread and wine are not just symbols of Jesus Christ’s body and blood. Jesus, actually and miraculously, is in them. And that makes this Supper so much more important and powerful than just going through a ritual. We believe forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith are given in the Lord’s Supper.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” — Matthew 26:26-28
For more information on the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and what we confess, visit the Synod’s website.