The Beliefs of
Lord of Lords Lutheran Church

For more information about the beliefs of the WELS, please view the This We Believe and Doctrinal Statements. The following is an abbreviated outline of the "This We Believe" document; the full version contains the verses from the Bible used to explain each section and point.

Should you have any questions regarding the beliefs and practices of Lord of Lords Lutheran Church, please contact us with your questions and concerns.

This We Believe (Abbreviated)

  1. God and His Revelation
    1. We believe in the Triune God (one God revealed as three distinct persons)
      1. The Father who created and preserves us
      2. The Son who redeemed us (bought us back from the power of Satan to serve the Triune God)
      3. The Holy Spirit who sanctifies us (sets us apart from the unbelieving world as God's people in his Church)
    2. We believe God reveals himself in:
      1. Nature (the natural knowledge of God)
      2. The Bible (the revealed knowledge of God)
  2. The Bible
    1. We believe the whole Bible is true.
    2. We believe the Bible is factual in all matters (science, history, etc.) and contains no errors.
    3. We believe God used men, using their own style, to write the Bible (Verbal Inspiration).
  3. Creation and Man
    1. We believe the world was created in 6 natural and consecutive days.
    2. We believe God created man sinless.
    3. We believe man lost this divine image by yielding to the temptation of the devil and sinning. This brought sin and death to ALL men.
    4. We believe no person can save themself or be their own Savior.
  4. We Believe in Jesus Christ, the God-man.
    1. Immediately after the first sin, God promised to send a Savior.
    2. We believe Jesus is
      1. 100% True God from all eternity
      2. 100% True man and fully human, born of the virgin Mary
    3. We believe Jesus died and rose for the sins of the world, not just for those who believe.
      OBJECTIVE JUSTIFICATION: Jesus died for all people for all time. This is the chief teaching of the Bible.
    4. We believe there is nothing we can do to earn heaven by ourselves.
  5. We Believe in the Holy Spirit
    1. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of faith.
    2. The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of faith by using the Means of Grace.
    3. We can reject the gift of faith.
    4. The Holy Spirit strengthens and keeps us in faith to live God-pleasing lives. This is called "sanctification." Our good works and God-pleasing lives are a result of faith, never the cause.
  6. The Means of Grace
    1. DEFINITION: The Means of Grace are the tools the Holy Spirit uses to bring us to faith and to keep us in faith.
    2. What they are. The Gospel in the Bible, Baptism, Lord's Supper (Communion)
      1. Baptism
        1. What it is
        2. What it offers
        3. For who it is intended, including babies.
          1. Babies have inherited human sinfulness.
          2. Babies can believe supernaturally and come to faith through the miracle of baptism.
      2. Lord's Supper
        1. WHAT IT IS: The Lord's Supper offers bread and wine in a natural way and Christ's body and blood through a miracle. Through this we receive forgiveness, strength for Christian living and certainty of eternal life. We call this the "real presence" – meaning Christ's body and blood are really present along with the bread and wine.
        2. For who is it intended: Repentant sinners who
          1. Believe in the real presence
          2. Are well-instructed about the Bible and Lord's Supper
          3. Are able to examine themselves
          4. Agree with all the teachings of the Bible
        3. Questions to ask yourself before Lord's Supper
          1. What is present?
          2. What is offered?
          3. Am I truly sorry for my sins?
          4. Will I, with the Holy Spirit's help, change my sinful life?
  7. The Holy Christian Church
    1. WHAT IT IS: The Holy Christian Church is all people everywhere who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Since true faith is inside a person only God knows for sure who its members are. For this reason we call it the "invisible church". A Christian congregation is a group of people gathered around the Word and sacraments. We call these "visible" churches.
    2. God wants us to separate from false teaching churches:
      1. Out of love for God and his Word
      2. Out of love and concern for our souls
      3. Out of love and concern for the souls of others
    3. God wants us to test visible churches: We do that by studying the teaching of the Bible with the teachings of the church. They must agree 100%.
    4. God wants us to join with churches that teach the Bible in all its truth and purity. This involves five areas:
      1. Worship
      2. Lord's Supper
      3. Prayer
      4. Education
      5. Mission Work
  8. The Public Ministry
    1. How the local congregation operates publicly: Our church has pastors who serve as shepherds of God's flock. This is ordained by God and called the Office of the Holy Ministry.
  9. Christ's Return and Judgment
    1. We believe Christ will return visibly and in glory and power.
    2. We believe all the dead will be raised up.
      1. The bodies of believers will join or be reunited with their souls and go to heaven.
      2. The bodies of unbelievers will join or be reunited with their souls and go to hell.
    3. We believe that at Christ's return the present world and universe, as we know it, will come to an end.
    4. We reject any denial of the bodily resurrection and the reality of hell.