St Mark’s is a confessional Lutheran congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). We aim to epitomise in doctrine and life the words of St Paul, “We preach Christ crucified” (I Corinthians 1.23). Below is a summary of what we as a Lutheran congregation believe, teach, and confess. We took the time to make a clear and substantial presentation of our beliefs because of our community’s theological diversity. Be sure to also look at our Resources page for more articles to help strengthen your faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s Holy Word:
When we refer to “the Scripture(s)”, we refer only to the Holy Bible. It alone is the Word of God because it is “God-breathed” or divinely “inspired” (II Timothy 3.16-17). Therefore the Holy Bible contains all that is necessary for our salvation. It is the revelation of God’s will for us, found in both the Old and New Testaments.
If one were to “boil” the Bible down to its basic components, one would find two distinctly different doctrines, The Law and The Gospel. God saves us by bringing us to Himself through the power of His Word (cf. John 5.39; 20.30-31; Romans 10.17; II Timothy 3.15ff; and I John 1.4).
The Bible is therefore a very important book. “The Word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40.8; I Peter 1.25). Christ made it clear that the Scriptures are strong, that they “cannot be broken” (John 10.35). Therefore the Bible is the only rule and norm for true Christian faith and life. It is sufficient for all matters of faith.
God
We believe the biblical description of God, which has come to be known as the Trinity. God is one “Being” but within that Being is a plurality of three “Persons”, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible is clear that there is only one God (Exodus 20.3; Deuteronomy 6.4; Isaiah 45.6) but at times it also curiously mentions that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as distinct Persons yet also as one divine Being. Terms such as “Lord”, “God”, “Saviour”, “Redeemer”, and the like are terms implicitly reserved for God. They are divine names.
The mystery of God is beyond our reason, so we call it an issue of faith. But nevertheless it is clearly explained in Scripture and therefore it is necessary for our salvation. For more on the Trinity, click here.
Jesus Christ
Two things need to be understood about Jesus Christ, His Person and His Work. When we look at the Bible, we see Jesus doing amazing things such as miracles, dying on the cross for the sins of the world, coming back to life, and ascending into heaven until He returns on the Last Day. All these point to a historical and real Jesus who did historical but incredible things. This all points to one simple fact: In the person of Jesus, God had become man (John 1.1, 14; Acts 20.28). Colossians 2.9 is clear that “in Him [Christ] dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” That means that Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. Add to this the fact that Jesus is the “only begotten the Father” (John 3.16; I John 4.9-10), and that every knew will in the end bow before Jesus (Philippians 2.9-11), we can quickly see that all this makes Jesus unique in history.
Hence we Lutherans confess that “Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, delivered me and freed me for all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with silver and gold but with His holy and precious blood and with His innocent sufferings and death, in order that I may be His and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity.” (Luther’s Small Catechism; John 1.1, 14; Acts 20.28; Hebrews 9.22; 10.10-17; I John 4.9-10)
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead (i.e. Third Person of the Trinity). The Holy Spirit’s primary goal in our lives is to lead us into a right relationship with God. He does this in two ways: by revealing our sins to us and by revealing how we are saved. What God requires of man is not simply an external obedience to the Law. God expects the faith and confidence which comes from the heart. Such an expectation from God is impossible for us to achieve because we are sinful, limited, and finite. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, faith is implanted in us through the hearing of the Word of Christ (Romans 10.17; I Corinthians 3.7; James 1.21), and that human impossibility is proven to be possible by God through His Word (Matthew 19.23-26). The Holy Spirit awakens true faith in us by revealing to us how sinful we really are and through that prepares us to receive God’s grace and faith through the Word.
Forgiveness
The forgiveness of sins is the central point in the fight against sin. What hinders us from having a right relationship with God is our sin. Our sin brings with it God’s wrath, unbelief, and ignorance of God. “Forgiveness” means that the debt is cancelled, the sin is understood by God to never have happened. Forgiveness implies that Someone paid the debt.
The Creation
The Lutheran faith believes in the historic six day creation (Genesis 1-2). It is clear that the Bible teaches that these days were literal 24 hour periods (Exodus 20.9-11). All thing visible and invisible were created by God out of nothing simply by His Word (Colossians 1.16; Psalm 33.6-9; Hebrews 11.3). This is sometimes called “createo ex nihilo” (“creation out of nothing”). All things were created according to their kind (Genesis 1.21, 24). Evolution, both theologically and scientifically, is unverifiable (II Peter 3.5-6; I Timothy 6.20-21). Check out the resource page and our hyperlinks page for more on creationism v evolution.
Man and Sin
Mankind was originally created without sin. He was made by God to have Original Righteousness and Original Holiness. This is what is meant when we say that we are created in the image of God.
But once man fell by believing the devil that we could become like God (Genesis 3.5), all that Original Righteousness and Holiness was ruined as the First Sin took root. We call this “Original Sin” which simply means we “lack of Original Righteousness” and “have evil desires.” The complete harmony we once had became a complete disharmony and has be so ever since. When Original Sin took root in Adam and Eve it acted like a disease and was passed along hereditarily, just like noses and eye colour, and so on are. Through Original Sin we lost our innocence and blessedness and righteousness before God.
Christians likewise are sinful. They also lack Original Righteousness and have evil desires. Therefore the Christian life is a struggle against sin. It is important to note that sin is not driven out of us; rather because of what Christ has done for us, our sin is not reckoned against us. The Righteousness of Christ is given to the Christian to makeup for the Christian’s lack of righteousness.
Salvation
Lutherans are clear that salvation is a free gift from God because God refuses that it be given as a reward or because we earned it somehow. It is free. Salvation is a gift which is given to us by God. God does not give us eternal life or salvation because we earned it; it is a free gift of His divine favour (Ephesians 2.8-9). Salvation is the free gift of God, given to us, unmerited by us, earned only by Christ.
Faith and Works
When talking about faith and works, we must remember why we distinguish them. We distinguish them because God is clear that we are saved by faith alone, or in other words we are saved by “faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3.28). Faith alone saves, but faith is never alone, it is always accompanied with works so that we can help our neighbours. So we do not reject that good works should be done but we do question why they are done, for works are not “good” if they done in order to make God love us more. To try to make God love us more with our works indirectly says that we really didn’t believe Him when He said “for by grace you have been saved, through faith apart from works” (Ephesians 2.8-9).
So the questions might be raised, “what good works are to be performed and what are the criteria of good deeds?” First we must realise that without the help of the Holy Spirit, God’s will can be done only in an outward sense, but no real good works are done. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we as Christians spontaneously do what the Law demands. As Christians we are to love out of a pure heart and out of a good conscience (I Timothy 1.5). So the criteria for good works are simply the Ten Commandments.
Righteousness/Justification
Righteousness is a gift from God and not a human accomplishment (Romans 3.22-24, 28). In Greek “righteousness” and “justification” are the same word. Our righteousness is found in that God declares sinners righteous for Christ’s sake. Our sins have been “imputed” or given to Christ our Saviour and Christ’s righteousness have bee imputed or given to us (Matthew 18.23-35; II Corinthians 5.21; Romans 4.25). So our righteousness does not come to us through the works of the law but only through faith that Christ’s works are sufficient for our righteousness and salvation (Genesis 15.6; Romans 3.28; Romans 4.5; Galatians 5.4-5). This is called “justification by faith” or “justification by grace” (Acts 4.12; 10.43). God justifies and restores man through the Word and the sacraments.
The Confession of Faith
Faith is meant to be professed, shouted from the mountains tops (Matthew 5.14). it is a faith which is passed along from one generation to another (I Corinthians 11.23; 15.1-2). It is delivered and received. New teachings which are new and contrary to the teachings already given are subject to that which already was given by Christ and His Apostles (II Corinthians 11.4). We Christians today want to confess the same faith which the early Church confessed. To do that, we must look to the original teachings (i.e. the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and new Testaments) and test all teachings we hear against what has already be delivered and received in the Bible (John 5.39; Acts 17.11).
Faith and Reason
People often consider “Faith” and “Reason” to be the same. But while faith handles the things which are unseen and mysterious (Hebrews 11.1), common sense tells us that our reason can only handle that which is empirical, scientific, logical, or otherwise observable by our senses. This removes God, heaven, hell, the devil, forgiveness, the real presence of Christ’s Body and Blood in the sacrament, or even our salvation from reason. Dr Martin Luther understood this dilemma in his day. He distinguished two kinds of reasoning, one which served faith and one which tried to overrule faith. Obviously we prefer the former. Faith and reason work well together as long as reason does not seek to speak about that which it does not know. That is faith’s job.
The Church
The Church the new Creation made by Christ (Ephesians 2.19-22). It is found where the Word is rightly preached and the sacraments rightly given (Isaiah 55.10-11). The reason the Church exists is for the sole purpose of offering God’s free gift of forgiveness (Ephesians 1.7). The Church was established by Christ to be the only source where we can find God’s forgiveness (Revelation 1.5-6). Being that the Church is the only source, we have confidence that when we hear “your sins are forgiven” they are truly forgiven. It might be helpful to understand the Church as if it is a spiritual hospital offering spiritual medicine to a spiritually sick race. Most people see the Church more like a social club, in which only the best of people can consider them a part. But as a spiritual hospital, God offers His grace and forgiveness as medicine. He freely offers it to all who ask for it.
Revelation
There are only two revelations God has given about Himself. The most obvious is the natural revelation, that is, the world around us (Romans 1.19-20). The other not so obvious revelation is the Word of God itself. It is from here that we have all the personal information about God. Without the Word of God, we would have no idea about God, only speculation and opinion.
For a revelation about anything to be certain, it must be consistent and not subject to change over time. God’s revelation about Himself is consistent throughout all time and history. Just as He does not change (Malachi 3.6), so does His Word not change (I Peter 1.25). Revelations that change throughout history are not the marks of God but the marks of men (Numbers 23.19).
Law
The Law shows us God’s will for us - that we love Him with all our being and love all people as much as we love ourselves (cf. Matthew 22.37-40). So the purpose of the Law is to point out sin. It does not give us the power to fulfil it, that is only done by Christ.
We might be able to do the Law externally with words or deeds, but because of our sinfulness, we cannot control the attitude of our hearts. Because of this, no one can completely fulfil the Law, making the Law always our accuser. It always accuses because we are always trying to saves ourselves. The Law is always there to reveal to us that we have already failed.
Gospel
Apart from the Gospel, we only find God’s wrath and displeasure. But through the Gospel we find what we could not find in the Law. The Gospel gives freely what the Law demanded at an impossible price. God offers the forgiveness of sins only in the Gospel. The Gospel is simply the good news that we are freed from the guilt, the punishment, and the power of sin, and are saved eternally because of Christ’s keeping the Law and His suffering and death for us (John 3.16-18; Romans 1.16-18; 10.4; Galatians 3.3).
“Distinguishing Law and Gospel” as a devotional tool
Dr Luther once said that the man who can distinguish Law and Gospel is worthy to be called a doctor of theology. But this does not mean that it is only an art given to PhD’s. It is the highest Christian art for all believers and it is given only through the Holy Spirit and the experiences we go through in life. Confusing What the Law is for and What the Gospel is for is the primary reason why there are so many different denominations. When people call Law “Gospel” and Gospel “Law”, they mix the two to the point that neither of them are helpful for our faith or salvation.
Holy Baptism
Baptism is the act in which God washes us clean from our sins; it is the Word of God in water (Ephesians 5.25-26). Whether it is with a lot of water or with very little, when water is accompanied with God’s Word it is a means of God’s grace. In Baptism, God is the active one who is creating a saving faith in us. It is a sacred act because God is acting on us through the Word in the water. To be baptised in God’s name means that we are baptised by God Himself.
Holy Baptism is the external means whereby God carries out his work of salvation. It is a daily dying to sin and a daily renewal of faith (Romans 6.4; Colossians 2.12). Baptism is God’s act of salvation on us (Ephesians 5.26; Titus 3.5). It stands in stark contrast to all that man can think of doing to win righteousness before God. This makes Baptism a divine, heavenly, holy, and blessed water. As with the Lord’s Supper, Baptism is offered to us by God to give us the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.
The Lord’s Supper
As with Holy Baptism, the Lord’s Supper is also a sacrament. This means that it is not about what we do but about what God is doing to/for us. God acts on His promise to save and we receive His salvation. While Baptism is about creating faith in us, the Lord’s Supper is about strengthening and sustaining our faith. Since Jesus only used bread and wine, only bread and wine accompanied with the Word of God makes the Lord’s Supper. The Church does not have the right to change this. Through the Word of God, the mere bread and wine are rightly called Christ’s Body and Blood (Matthew 26.26-29; I Corinthians 11.23-27). A good corollary is this: Just as Christ is 100% God and 100% Man, so also is the Lord’s Supper 100% Bread/Wine and 100% Christ’s Body/Blood. We are sure of this because Christ says “This is My Body ... this is My Blood” not “This symbolises My Body and Blood.”
Christian Vocation and Life
By “vocation” we mean the stations in which we find ourselves in life. Pastor, church member, judge, president, soldier, doctor, police officer, garbage man, parent, teacher, student, child -- wherever you are in life, there you will find yourself in several vocations in life.
All vocations are a ministry of love of the Christian for society. It is lived out in service to society. In anything that involves action, anything that concerns the world or our relationships, there is nothing that falls in a private sphere lying outside our Christian vocation. Our vocation is intended to serve and help others. It is through our vocations that God’s creative and loving work moves in the world. Through our vocations God fulfils His desire to loves us. For example, God will milk the cows through him whose vocation that is. In short, vocations are rightly understood when we see them as how God comes down to us. So our vocations in life are not a way to gain salvation, or be resurrected, or have a right relationship with God.
Adiaphora
This fancy word is Latin for “matters of indifference.” In German it is “die Mitteldinge” (“middle things”). In today’s society which radicalises everything around us, the concept of adiaphora (ah-dee-AH-for-ah) helps to distinguish what is truly important for salvation and what is a matter of indifference. There are much more indifferent matters in life than there are important. The kind of clothes you wear, your hair colour, the way you spell, or whether or not you smoke or drink, these are adiaphora in regards to our salvation. Only the Word of God and the doctrine it offers is not a matter of indifference.
