God loves you and there is nothing you can do about that!
Central to Lutheran theology is the concept of Grace. We believe that God loves us, no matter what. God’s love does not depend on us being perfect. As human beings, we cannot achieve perfection. There will always be sin and brokenness in our lives. Sins in our understanding are not so many evil actions, but sinfulness is a condition humans live in.
Martin Luther defines sins as “The Human Heart Turning In On Itself.” In other words, Luther believes that selfishness is the core obstacle in the human quest to be holy. Humans are capable to do great works of love, but sooner or later they always fall prey to their desire to be at the center of the universe. Then they push God from his throne and replace him with the “magic that is me.”
This condition of sinfulness can lead to bad, unethical, and unhealthy choices.
We believe that sinfulness works a bit like pregnancy. Either you are pregnant or you are not pregnant. So we believe that either you are sinful or you are not. The reality of human life is that even the greatest saints remain sinners. Good and bad, light and darkness reside next to each other and create a wide variety of shades and textures in human life. There are no bad people who wouldn’t have a trace of good in them. Equally, there are no good people who do not carry within them the capability to be bad.
Recognizing this inescapable duality of the human condition Lutherans believe that humans are “Sinners And Saints At The Same Time.”
In the scripture we find God’s promise to forgive us our sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. Because God loves us unconditionally, God’s Grace Comes To Us As A Free Gift.
All the good works Lutherans do, we do in response to this experience of grace. We serve a hurting and suffering world because the world needs our service. We know that God loves all people, and we try to do likewise. We are called to follow Christ and pour God’s love back into the world again. So we strive to do “God’s Work With Our Hands” and become agents of grace.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
God loves you and there is nothing you can do about that!
Central to Lutheran theology is the concept of Grace. We believe that God loves us, no matter what. God’s love does not depend on us being perfect. As human beings, we cannot achieve perfection. There will always be sin and brokenness in our lives. Sins in our understanding are not so many evil actions, but sinfulness is a condition humans live in.
Martin Luther defines sins as “The Human Heart Turning In On Itself.” In other words, Luther believes that selfishness is the core obstacle in the human quest to be holy. Humans are capable to do great works of love, but sooner or later they always fall prey to their desire to be at the center of the universe. Then they push God from his throne and replace him with the “magic that is me.”
This condition of sinfulness can lead to bad, unethical, and unhealthy choices.
We believe that sinfulness works a bit like pregnancy. Either you are pregnant or you are not pregnant. So we believe that either you are sinful or you are not. The reality of human life is that even the greatest saints remain sinners. Good and bad, light and darkness reside next to each other and create a wide variety of shades and textures in human life. There are no bad people who wouldn’t have a trace of good in them. Equally, there are no good people who do not carry within them to capability to be bad.
Recognizing this inescapable duality of the human condition Lutherans believe that humans are “Sinners And Saints At The Same Time.”
In the scripture we find God’s promise to forgive us our sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. Because God loves us unconditionally God’s Grace Comes To Us As A Free Gift.
All the good works Lutherans do, we do in response to this experience of grace. We serve a hurting and suffering world because the world needs our service. We know that God loves all people, and we try to do likewise. We are called to follow Christ and pour God’s love back into the world again. So we strive to do “God’s Work With Our Hands” and become “Agents Of Grace.”