Our Saviour Lutheran Church is a confessional Lutheran congregation and a member of Lutheran Church – Canada in Fort Qu’Appelle. That means that we believe that the canonical books of the Old and New Testament are the revealed and inerrant Word of God and that they contain all that is necessary for salvation. They are also the only rule and norm of Christian teaching. We hold to the three ecumenical creeds confessing the doctrine they teach and condemning the errors they condemn. We also subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions found in the Book of Concord (1580) as a true and unadulterated exposition of the teaching of Scripture.
That means we believe and teach…
God
…in agreement with the Council of Nicaea about the unity of the divine essence and the three persons. God is one divine essence who is eternal, without a body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. He is the maker and preserver of all things, visible and invisible. Yet there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons are of the same essence and power.
Our congregation uses the term Person as the Church Fathers have used it, that is, to signify not part or quality in another, but that which subsists in itself.
Original Sin
…that since the fall of Adam, all who are naturally born are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with the inclination of sin. It damns and brings eternal death on those who are not born anew through Baptism and the Holy Spirit.
The Son of God
…that the Word, that is the Son of God, assumed the human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So there are two natures – the divine and the human – inseparably joined in one person.
There is one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried. He did this to reconcile the Father to us and to be a sacrifice, not only for original sin, but also for all actual sins of mankind.
He also descended into hell, and truly rose again on the third day. After forty days, He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. There He forever reigns and has dominion over all creatures. He sanctifies those who believe in Him, by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts to rule, comfort, and make them alive. He defends them against the devil and the power of sin.
The same Christ will openly come again to judge the living and the dead.
Justification
…that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favour and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight.
The Ministry and Means of Grace
…so that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given.
The Holy Spirit works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.
New Obedience
…this faith is bound to bring forth good fruit. It is necessary to do good works commanded by God, because of God’s will. We should not rely on these works to merit justification before God. The forgiveness of sins and justification is received through faith.
More information
For more information you can visit the Lutheran Church – Canada website (www.lutheranchurchcanada.ca) and also read from the Book of Concord here (www.bookofconcord.org).