What Are Lutherans?

 

Lutherans are protestants.

Actually, we were the first protestants, and we still insist that Christ rules us all through Scripture alone, and saves us by grace alone, through faith alone.

 

Lutherans are catholics…

In fact, we are the oldest kind of catholics. We still believe and confess the ancient creeds of the Church and worship with the Church’s ancient liturgies. We rejoice in our Baptism, in Confession and Absolution, and in the Holy Supper of the Lord, because through them Jesus Himself comes to us with grace and saving power. And we are free to use gladly the whole Church’s heritage of hymns and traditions with which Christians have exalted their Savior for these two thousand years.

 

…but not Roman catholics.

We reject all additions to the teachings of the early Church. Most important, we deny that anything we could do, give, endure, or become could ever earn or deserve God’s love. On the contrary, we depend completely on what Christ alone has done, and given, and suffered in our place, knowing that God does not save us because we’re good – we’re not – but because Jesus has been good enough for all the world.

 

Lutherans are evangelicals – “people of the Good News”!

All of us are sinners who trust Jesus Christ are judged on His performance, not ours. Everything God’s Law requires of us, Jesus has done. Every punishment our sins deserved, Jesus has already taken. And because of what Christ did and suffered, everyone who believes in Him is found innocent by God! This Good News is all our hope and happiness, the center of our faith, and the reason for our lives. For God has promised in His Word that He will always forgive us and change us, and forgive us and care for us, and forgive us and finally bring us to Heaven forever – all by His great love for the sake of Jesus Christ, His Son. And every day until Heaven, Lutherans exist to tell this Good News so that through it, God will give our fellow sinners faith to trust His call:

“All is forgiven. Come Home.”