The only true God reveals himself in Scripture as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is one divine being or essence. At the same time God is three divine persons. Since God is three in one, we call him the Holy Trinity. This is a profound mystery far beyond our understanding.
Church and State
God has given a certain set of responsibilities to the Church and a certain set of responsibilities to the state. The Church is responsible for calling sinners to repentance, proclaiming forgiveness in Christ, and encouraging believers in Christian living. The state is responsible for punishing the guilty, protecting the innocent, and promoting order and peace among all citizens.
The Church
The holy Christian Church consists of all people in all times and places who truly believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Since we cannot read hearts and judge the sincerity of others, the Church remains invisible to us, known only to God.
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God
The Word of God
God reveals himself to mankind through his written word, the Holy Scriptures. The primary purpose of the Scriptures is to reveal to us the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, our only Savior.
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The Creation
Through his powerful Word, God created all things in six days, as recorded in the first two chapters of Genesis. God created Adam and Eve, the first two humans, in his perfect image. Therefore Adam and Eve, our first parents, were morally righteous and lived in perfect harmony with their Creator and with creation.
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The Fall
Tempted by the devil, Adam and Eve fell into sin. They lost for themselves and for all their descendants the righteousness in which they had been created. As a result all people are sinful and corrupt by nature. We are conceived and born as enemies of God. We are subject to the wrath and punishment of God and to physical and eternal death. Our natural fallen condition is called “original sin.” As a result of this lost condition, we commit actual sins in our thoughts, words, and actions.
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The Person of Christ
God the Father sent his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem mankind. True God from eternity, Jesus took on human flesh and a human nature when he was conceived in the virgin Mary. He became one of us but this miracle of his incarnation—becoming fully human. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.
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The Work of Christ — Justification
Unlike us, however, Jesus was conceived and born without sin. Unlike our father Adam and us, Jesus resisted perfectly every temptation of the devil. He lived a sinless life in our place.
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The Means of Grace
The Holy Spirit works faith in the hearts of sinners and grants forgiveness, life, and salvation through certain means. We call these the means of grace. The means of grace are the word of God and the holy sacraments.
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Conversion
Only God is able to work in the heart of a lost sinner the conversion from unbelief into faith. The human soul cannot cooperate in this conversion in any way. Until the Holy Spirit reaches the human soul through the gospel in word or in sacrament, the soul remains dead in unbelief.
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Prayer
Prayer is good work. Through prayer, a believer enjoys the privilege of bringing his thanks, praise, and concerns to God, who promises to hear the prayers of his faithful people. God promises to answer prayer according to His good and gracious will.
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