Home » Blog » Heaven or Hell

Heaven or Hell

Posted by faithlccville in Blog | Comments Off on Heaven or Hell

Oct 11, 2014

Which way to go? Can’t make up your mind? We see yards decorated with tombstones and ghosts and spooky costumes with kids inside walking the streets looking for treats. For most its harmless fun, a way to get out and visit the neighbors. For Martin Luther it was a time to nail a statement on the church door: you cannot buy a person’s way into heaven by giving money to the church.

Luther was a very devout Roman Catholic monk who worked very hard trying to make God happy. But he feared Him terribly. Then he discovered that God sent His Son Jesus, not to judge him, but to bear all of his sins on the cross. That’s when Luther saw the gates of paradise open before him. He said he was born again.

So began the reformation of the Church. It did not come easily. Yet many others discovered that same wonderful truth of the Bible. We are saved by grace through faith alone, not by works, but by faith in Christ. No one need fear the wrath of God because Jesus suffered for our sin, and hell and death as well. The way to heaven is paved by the Lord Jesus. Hell is real. So is Satan. But Jesus protects us, loves and accepts us. All we do is accept his free invitation to come to a banquet with him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

468 ad

Statement of Faith

THE APOSTLES' CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and of earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And is seated at right hand of God the Father Almighty,
From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit.
The holy catholic church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And of the life everlasting.

Amen.

GRACE ALONE — SOLA GRATIA

God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.

FAITH ALONE — SOLA FIDE

By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.

SCRIPTURE ALONE — SOLA SCRIPTURA

The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.

Who is Jesus?

For more than 2,000 years people have asked this question. We were not present when Jesus lived on this earth, but in the Bible we have the record of His birth, life, death on the cross, and resurrection. Through the study of the Bible, you can seek the answer to this age-old question.

What does "Synod" mean?

The word "Synod" in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod comes from Greek words that mean "walking together." The term has rich meaning in our church body, because congregations voluntarily choose to belong to the Synod. Though diverse in their service, our congregations hold to a shared confession of Jesus Christ as taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Lutheran congregations are confessional. Our congregations believe the Lutheran Confessions are a correct interpretation and presentation of biblical doctrine.

Contained in The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, these statements of belief were transcribed and shared broadly by church leaders during the 16th century.Luther's Small Catechism contains essential summaries of our beliefs, while the Augsburg Confession gives more detail about what Lutherans believe.

"What About?" Series

"What About?" is a series of 27 pamphlets, written by former Synod President Rev. Dr. A.L. Barry, that address doctrinal topics, moral issues and concerns in the church to help Christians grow in their understanding of these important questions.