What is Lutheranism?
The Lutheran Church dates back to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Martin Luther, a monk living in Germany, did not aim at establishing a new church, but wished to solve certain problems existing in the Catholic Church. The main aim of the Reformation was to make the worship services and religious life easier for ordinary people, give them a possibility to attend services held in their own vernacular and make the message of God’s love or gospel more understandable and clearer.
The Lutheran Church is the same global church through which God spreads his love all around the world. The message of the church has remained unchanged for two thousand years: God has loved the world or you and me so much that he has given his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have life everlasting.
What do Lutherans believe?
Lutherans believe in a way the church has always believed and taught. The teaching is based on the Bible, the traditional church and old ecumenical creeds. The creeds are known as the Apostles’ Creed, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed and the Athanasian Creed.
The answers Lutheranism gives to significant questions about life can be found on this page: Bible toolbox.
About God
Based on the above-mentioned creeds, we believe that God is the Trinity or the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ was and is, at the same time, a man and God and his human and divine nature have been united into one unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.
About sin
We believe that the whole mankind has fallen into sin, which means that the “inherited disease” of original sin will influences everyone from their birth. Even babies are sinful from the moment of their propagation. Children do not learn from someone else how to be selfish; they are selfish because of their nature of original sin. Sin means that every person tends or is tempted to be selfish and think only about themselves. Sin does not mean, first and foremost, our bad and selfish deeds, but rather our sinful nature which pushes us to commit selfish deeds and think selfish thoughts. God loves the man he created but hates sin or our selfish attitude, thoughts and deeds, which harm not only us, but also our fellow-beings. Sin destroys relationships between people and relationship between man and God.
About God’s love and salvation
We believe that despite the sinful nature of man, God loves the whole world and all people. When God created man, he also gave a commandment, the violation of which had consequence and punishment. But the man violated the commandment, which is why the whole mankind was to suffer the punishment for disobedience, the eternal death. God sent his Son in this world as a man so that he would take upon him the punishment that was meant to the whole mankind. Jesus Christ has died for you and me. He suffered the punishment for our selfishness and we can be free of shame and quilt.
About new life
We believe that religious people must not exploit God’s grace. If God forgives us our sins, we must not take advantage of this precious gift. The Christians’ life becomes hypocritical if they come to receive God’s grace at worship services, but otherwise enjoy sinful life. These people may be called false Christians and they are actually very far from God in their lives. Everyone should contemplate their life in the light of 10 commandments and try to align their life with God’s will.
About baptism
We believe that baptism is God’s gift to sinful people which is the ammunition of religion and makes us strong at the moments of temptation. Through baptism, a person is born again from water and spirit, and is forgiven all the sins and included in God’s Covenant of Grace. Being baptised does not mean that you publicly pronounce your faith and obedience to God in front of the congregation. All people are sinful and under the original sin, which is why they need God’s grace. This is also the reason why we baptise our children. The gift of being baptised may be received without belief, but it takes effect or becomes activated after the person starts to believe in the grace of baptism.