What We Believe

St. Paul Lutheran Church (Sadorus, IL) is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). We accept the Holy Bible as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and subscribe unconditionally to all the symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God.

Our Beliefs

Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone:
It is by GRACE ALONE that one is eternally saved by God.  It is by FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE that one has access to this grace of God and its promise of salvation.  Finally, SCRIPTURE ALONE is the basis for all our doctrine practice.  (Please read Romans 10:17, Ephesians 2:8-9 and John 3:14-18)

The Bible:
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, meaning that it is God’s way of  communicating  with His people today. We look to the Bible as the final authority in  all that we believe  and practice. (Please read Psalm 119:105, John 17:17, 2  Timothy 3:15-16 and John  5:39)

The Trinity:
There is only one God, who exists in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  God the Father created the world in six literal days and still cares for it today; God the Son (Jesus) lived as a human being, died and rose from the dead; God the Holy Spirit works God’s will in the world. (Please read Matthew 28:19-20 and 2 Corinthians 13:14) 

Sin:
God created man holy and without sin.  Man, of his own will, fell into sin and so brought sin on the whole human race.  Sin is in all men by nature, and all people are born unable and unwilling to confirm to God’s holy will.  The wages of sin is death. (Please read Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-14)

Christ as our Salvation: 
God, out of His great love, sent His one and only Son Jesus into the world.  He lived a perfect life, took mankind’s place under God’s wrath and completely paid for the sins of mankind by dying on the cross.  He came back to life again on the third day and rose again to give mankind the hope of everlasting life.  (Please read Isaiah 53:3-12, 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Romans 5:18-21)   

Baptism:
We believe that, through Jesus, God commands us to baptize others in the  name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Baptism is a sacrament whereby  water and the Word come together for the forgiveness of sins, rescues from  death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as  the words and promises of God declare. (Please read Acts 2:38, Titus 3:4-7)

Holy Communion:
In the Lord’s Supper Christ offers communicants His true Body and Blood in, with, and under the bread and wine.  All who receive this sacrament in true faith share in the forgiveness of sins produced by Christ.  (Please read Matthew 26:26-29 and 1 Corinthians 23-26).  In accordance with Scriptural teaching and the historical practice of the Church, Redeemer practices "closed Communion" along with the vast majority of Christians worldwide. (Please read 1 Corinthians 10 and 11).

More about what we believe can be found in the Book of Concord of 1580. St Paul holds these Lutheran Confessions to be the clear exposition of Holy Scripture.

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