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Lutheran Beliefs - p. 4
The teachings of a truly Lutheran Church are based on the words written by the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament. The Bible tells us about Jesus Christ.
On this and the following pages are succinct explanations regarding some of the beliefs of the Lutheran Church.
 Redemption (Matthew 5:17; 20:28, Romans 5:19, Isaiah 53:6, 2Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus, who is both God and man, humbled himself by becoming a man and dying on the cross. He did this to redeem all people from the judgment for sin, the fear of death, and the power of the devil.
He fulfilled the law perfectly and took on himself the guilt of all our sins. He ransomed us by the sacrifice of his life on the cross. God has looked on Jesus' death as our death for sin. The resurrection of Jesus is proof that God has accepted what Jesus did as payment for the sins of all people.
Justification
(Ephesians 2:8-9, 2Corinthians 5:19, Romans 3:22-24; 3:28; 4:5)
God judged all sinners righteous in his sight when Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. God declared everyone free from guilt and punishment owed for our sins. The sinner receives this free gift of forgiveness, not by doing good deeds, but only by faith.
 A person is justified in God's eyes when he or she believes in Christ and his redemptive work. This justification is strictly a gift from God that cannot be earned by personal works.
Sanctification
(James 2:17, Hebrews 11:6, Romans 7:19, Isaiah 64:6, 2Corinthians 7:1, Galatians 5:6)
Faith in Jesus Christ is living and active. This faith motivates us to perform good deeds that are pleasing to God. True faith, nourished by God's Word, delights in performing the holy will of God.
In this sinful world, however, even the best personal works of a Christian are still dirtied with sin. We will never be perfect in this life. Jesus Christ was the only perfect human and, therefore, the only human able meet God's demand for perfect adherence to His laws.
Because Jesus was perfect for us, we, through faith in our Savior, have eternal life with God. We are naturally driven to perform good deeds and help our fellow humans because of our Savior. These good deeds by themselves, without first being motivated by faith, cannot earn us an eternal place in heaven with God.
Repentance
(Isaiah 55:6-7, Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17, 2Corinthians 7:10, Luke 18:13-14)
Repentance is an ackowledgment of sin and sincere regret for it. A repentant sinner also trusts that God will forgive sin for Jesus' sake. Repentance is a condition of the heart without which no one can hope to be saved.
Every truly repentant sinner is assured of God's free and full pardon. Therefore, he or she will seek to forsake a sinful life and to live a holy life for God.
An Open Invitation
St. John Lutheran Church in Libertyville is dedicated to spreading the entire truth of God as found in the Bible.
We invite you to stop by for worship or contact our pastor to discuss the questions and/or concerns on your mind. You'll find us to be open and honestly interested in conveying how God's word fits into our lives.
St. John Lutheran Church
501 W. Park Ave. (Rt. 176)
Libertyville, IL 60048
847.362.4424
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