ULC

 

 

Our Beliefs

BooksUniversity Lutheran Chapel is a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. We are a confessional Lutheran congregation. This means that we hold to the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church both in terms of doctrine and practice. We are catholic but not Roman Catholic. We are evangelical but not a part of the modern Evangelical movement. We are orthodox but not Eastern Orthodox. We hold that Jesus Christ is the object of our Faith and that justification by grace (Christ's forgiving our sins freely for the sake of His passion, death and resurrection) is the chief article of the Faith. We trust that our Lord comes to us to forgive our sins and give us Himself through the Word of God, preaching, baptism, absolution (forgiveness) and the Lord's Supper.

This one, catholic (Christian) and apostolic faith is confessed in the three ecumenical creeds:

The Apostles Creed
The Nicene Creed
The Athanasian Creed

This faith is also confessed in the Book of Concord of 1580, including:

The Augsburg Confession
The Apology (Defense) of the Augsburg Confession
The Small Catechism
The Large Catechism
The Smalcald Articles
The Treatise of the Power and Primacy of the Pope
The Formula of Concord Epitome
The Formula of Concord Solid Declaration




Luther Preaching

To believe that Christ was crucified for us, that He died and was damned for us, requires the power of God. Thus St. Paul says to the Corinthians: "We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles" (1 Cor. 1:23). And yet this proclamation penetrates the heart; for "it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith"

Martin Luther, Sermon on John 3:14

 

 

In Summary

According to Holy Scripture, and in the unity of the one, holy, catholic (Christian) and apostolic Church, we believe, teach and confess that:

Luther's SealThe one and only true God is the Triune God -Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - as revealed by Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of the Father, and His prophets, apostles, and evangelists in the Holy Scriptures (Mt. 28:20).

Luther's SealEvery human being is conceived and born in sin, is dead to God, is entirely predisposed to sin, is without inherent fear, love, or trust in God and is utterly lacking in the ability or will to turn toward God, is entirely turned against Him.

Luther's SealJesus Christ is true God, begotten of the Father from all eternity, and at the same time true man, born of the Virgin Mary, and is the only Savior from sin and the only Mediator between God and humanity (Jn. 1:1-3,14; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Jn. 5:20; Acts 4:12)

who, by his perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross, has won the forgiveness of sins and eternal life for every human being, from the beginning to the end of the world (Rom. 3:21-26; Gal. 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 2:2);

who rose bodily from the dead on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-5; and

who ascended into heaven and now reigns at the right hand of God the Father as Lord over all (Eph. 4:10-12).

Luther's SealWe are justified and declared righteous in the sight of God and thereby rescued from sin, death, and damnation, not by our works but solely by God's undeserved kindness: His grace given as a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ, whose perfect life and sacrificial death as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" fully atones for our sins (Rom. 3:21-28; Eph. 2:8; John 1:29).

Luther's SealGood works, prayer, and holiness of life are not the cause of salvation and do nothing to make us righteous before God, but are the fruits of faith (Jn. 15:5; Heb. 11:16).

Luther's SealThe Holy Church is present wherever believers are gathered to Jesus Christ and His gifts, that is, wherever the Gospel is purely preached and taught, and Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, Holy Communion are administered according to Christ's mandate and institution, even though unbelievers or hypocrites may also be found among those gathered (Mt. 18:20; Acts 2:42; Mt. 13:47-48).

Luther's SealHoly Absolution, which is the forgiveness of sins spoken by the Pastor to a penitent sinner in Jesus' name, actually offers, delivers, and applies the forgiveness of sins to the penitent with the full authority of Christ (Mt. 16:19; 18:18; Jn. 20:21-23). The word of forgiveness in Holy Absolution is to be heard as Christ our dear Lord speaking to us Himself (Luke 10:16).

Luther's SealHoly Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given under bread and wine, for Christians to eat and drink, instituted by Jesus Christ Himself, for the forgiveness of their sins (Mt 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Luther's SealThe Christian life is one of continual repentance and faith, from which flow good works as the fruit of faith (Mt. 12:33; Lk. 24:47).

Luther's SealOur Lord Jesus Christ will appear visibly on the Last Day to raise the bodies of all the dead, to condemn those who reject Him in unbelief together with the devil and his demons to hell and eternal punishment, and to give eternal life to all who trust in Him for forgiveness, life, and salvation (Rev. 1:7; Mt. 25:31-46; Jn. 5:28-29).

Luther's SealHoly Scripture, or the Holy Bible, is the written Word of God, is the very "breath of God" and so is without factual error and is the only source and final authority and judge of all teaching, practice, and life. Holy Scripture preaches the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the repentance and faith of the sinner (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:22; Luke 24:47).

Luther's SealThe Word of God is a two-fold word - the Law, which reveals our sin and seeks and kills the sinner, and the Gospel, which announces, offers, delivers, and applies the forgiveness of sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, creates faith in Him, and gives new life and identity to the believer in Christ (Rom. 1:16; 3:21-22; Gal. 2:19-20).

University Lutheran Chapel - 1101 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 - 612-331-2747