What Does it Mean to be Lutheran?
Officially, our beliefs are expressed in the documents of the Book of Concord. To summarize, the Lutheran church teaches and confesses
that there is salvation in Christ alone – by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of God’s word alone.
- Ephesians
2:8-10
St. Paul Lutheran Church believes that the Bible is actually and literally God’s word.
- 1
Timothy 3:14-17
We believe that God caused people to write it, and that the Bible tells us the absolute truth (John 17:17), especially about who God is and what he has done for us.
We believe that, among the many things God teaches us in the Bible, the two most important are his Law and Gospel.
God summarizes the Law in this statement, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with and all your strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31) And, of course, we know that we simply can’t do that. Not one of us has ever been able to love God and everyone else completely (Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:12), so all of the members of our congregation are in the same boat. We know we’re sinful people (Romans 3:23), and the many frustrations in our lives show that. Our whole world is complicated by sin and the results of sin. (Romans 8:22-23; 1 John 2:16-17)
Thankfully, we also know the Gospel.
The word Gospel just means “good news.” And at St. Paul we depend on it! The good news of God’s word is that our heavenly Father loved us, in spite of our selfishness, so much that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. (Hebrews 10:1-5; 11-14) By Jesus’ death and resurrection he removed the obstacle of sin between himself and us, and made it possible for us to be one with him again. (John 14:6; 1 John 2:1-2)
When we come together to worship and serve, we’re learning from the Bible more about our heavenly Father who loves us, and we’re encouraging each other as we seek to live like his children.
Want to learn more? That’s the best part! St. Paul Lutheran Church is a place to search God’s word together. In the meantime, check out the link below.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE BELIEVEOur Vision
SOWING TRUTH
Our church and school are united in standing firm on our Biblical beliefs. We are bold and unashamed to share truth.
BUILDING FAITH
We are action-takers and aim to provide ways for people to spiritually grow. We want SPAA to be a place where people deepen their faith.
SHINING LOVE
We are focused on outreach and impact. Both in our immediate community and throughout Ann Arbor, we strive to reach people with God's love.