Serving God, Changing Lives

What We Believe

https://gulfcoastsynod.org/about/whatlutheransbelieve/

About God

There is only one true God – the Triune God – who exists in three separate but equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God the Father is our maker and the creator of all things. By the Father’s word, all things were made, and we are his most beloved creation; we are closest to his heart. The Son is Jesus Christ, who came to earth as the perfect “go-between” between God and humanity. He has redeemed us and is the voice to the Father on our behalf. The Holy Spirit calls us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, keeps us in the one true faith, and equips us for living out our faith. He is the whisper in our heart’s ear.

About Jesus

We believe Jesus is God’s own son, sent by God to become human. As the son of God, Jesus is divine, but he was also a human being who lived among us on earth, over 2,000 years ago. Followers of Jesus are part of God’s people, whose heritage includes the Jewish people and the Christian Church throughout the world today.

About Us

We all fall short of God’s expectations because we are all born “sinful.” Sin can be summed up as all the things we say, think, do, and don’t do, that fall outside of God’s holy will for our lives and end up separating us from God.

Yet God is a loving God whose will is not for us to live in eternal punishment. That’s why he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life he requires and to become our substitute. Christ took our sin upon himself and died on the cross, on our behalf. When we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, he bears our sin and gives us his forgiveness.

About Salvation

There is absolutely nothing we can do to “be saved” — Jesus Christ has already done everything necessary. In his death and resurrection, everyone who believes in Jesus as Savior has been brought back into a right relationship with God and everyone who believes is “justified,” or declared innocent by God.