The Bible

The Bible is God’s message of the redemption of mankind - his personal love letter to our broken, fallen world. Every word of the Bible is God’s Word. The entirety of the Bible centers on the person and saving work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

While the Bible was recorded by human authors, they did so by the divine influence of the Holy Spirit (a process called verbal inspiration). Because the Bible is God’s Word - not human opinion - it is free of mistake, errors, and contradictions. The Bible is its own interpreter; instead of imposing our own ideas on the Bible, we let Scripture speak for itself. As God’s inspired Word, it is inherently wholly reliable for establishing truth, as well as teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training towards living a God-pleasing life.

(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119: 105, 160; Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

The Triune God

There is one God - the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  He has existed from eternity. 

Though there is only one God, he is three distinct persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three persons are equal in power, authority and majesty. 

(Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Our Heavenly Father

God the Father’s special work was to create the universe in which we live.  He made us along with every creature, gave us our bodies and souls, as well as our gifts and abilities. 

He still daily preserves us by richly and daily providing all that we need for our bodies and lives. He also would, out of his great love for us, send us his Son to rescue us from sin and death, and restore us to himself.

(Genesis 1:1-2:3; Psalm 33:6-9; Job 10:10-12;  Job 38:36; Psalm 36:6-7; Psalm 145:15-16; John 3:16)

Jesus Christ

The person of Jesus Christ – his life, death and resurrection – is the central axle upon which the wheel of Christianity turns. He is the eternal Son of God - equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit in majesty, power, and authority. Jesus is both God and man. He lived a blameless life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the entire world by dying on a cross. 

He rose from the dead after three days - demonstrating his power and victory over sin and death. He ascended to heaven to be beside the Father.  From there he will one day return to earth to exercise judgment.  Jesus lives and rules eternally as King of kings and Lord of lords. 

(Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6;  John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6: 14-15; Titus 2:13)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son in power, authority and majesty.  Since we cannot by our own decision or choosing believe in Christ or come to him, the Holy Spirit calls us to faith through God’s Word. Through God’s law (i.e. his 10 commandments), the Holy Spirit works in us a heart that is aware of our sin and our deep need for a Savior; similarly, the Holy Spirit, brings people to faith in Jesus as their Savior through the gospel - in word, or in Holy Baptism.

After drawing us to faith, the Holy Spirit continues to carry out the work of renewing us through word and sacrament (God’s means of grace). Through God’s means of grace, the Holy Spirit empowers us in our Christian living, enlightens us in our understanding of God’s Word, and guides us as we strive to live a life that glorifies God.

(2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)

Human Beings

People were originally created in the spiritual image of God and were sinless and holy.  Since the fall of mankind into sin, this is no longer true.  Now, all people are born sinful and are constantly inclined to sin by nature.

We are spiritually lost and dead apart from Jesus Christ.  However, through faith in Christ we are new-born and are given the ability to serve God, live for his purposes, and enjoy his blessings. 

(Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12-21; Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-5; Luke 15; Luke 19:10; John 3:1-21; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

Salvation

Salvation is God’s free gift to us.  It comes to us through no effort or decision on our part.  We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or a life of goodness and kindness.  God won salvation for us by loving us, sending his son Jesus Christ to live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death as our substitute. 

It is through this act of Jesus that salvation became ours.  Even faith is not to our credit, for there too God provides his Holy Spirit to create faith in our hearts and minds.  Salvation comes to lost mankind by grace alone, through faith alone, in God’s word alone. 

(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; John 15:5-16, Romans 3:20-26; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:17)

Our Purpose and Meaning in Life

Outside of Christ and his gospel, we have no foundation upon which to build our lives. The gnawing questions of origin, meaning, purpose, and destiny would be left unfulfilled and unanswered. In Christ, not only are these questions exhaustively answered, but he - more importantly - gives us life to the full. He alone gives hope, peace, and joy that lasts forever. Paul adds in his letter to the Galatians that a Christian’s spiritual life is fulfilling and joyful:  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

God desired that we forever dwell together with him in perfect harmony. In Christ, that harmony is restored. We, as Christians, now live as we were made to live: to love our God, and love our neighbor. We live in service to God and neighbor not because we have to, but because we, in view of God’s amazing love for us in Christ, want to. As God’s redeemed children, we live to thank him for his acts of love and to magnify his name in the world.

As Christ, the Light of the World, first shined on us through his word, he now shines through us in our lives that others see us and come to know who their God and Savior is, too. Our mission is to tell as many others as we can, through our loving actions and speech, that Jesus is the Savior of all people.

(John 10:10; Galatians 5:22; Acts 17:24-28; John 1:1-18; Psalm 148; Psalm 150; Romans 12:1-21; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 28:18:19; Acts 1:8)

The Life to Come

People were created to exist forever.  We will exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through the forgiveness and salvation won by Christ.  To be eternally separated from God is eternal death (hell).  To be eternally united with him in the enjoyment of all his blessings is eternal life (heaven). 

Heaven and hell are real places where all mankind will exist eternally.  On the day the Bible refers to as the Last Day or Judgment Day, our bodies and souls will be reunited either to suffer the pains of hell to experience eternal estrangement from God or to enjoy the eternal blessings of heaven and intimate communion with God forever. 

(John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9)

Our Church Body

Our Shepherd Lutheran Church proclaims the truth about our Savior Jesus throughout Northwest Indiana and the world as a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). We are partnered with the other churches of the Wisconsin Synod, united in faith, mission, and teaching (the statements of faith as confessed by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod).

We are a creedal church body, meaning we believe that the historic, Ecumenical Creeds (The Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds) are faithful summaries of the key teachings of Scripture. We are also a Confessional Lutheran Church body, meaning we firmly believe the statements of faith outlined in the Book of Concord are faithful, consistent expositions of the Word of God and its teachings.