Forgiveness/Salvation/Eternal Life
According to the Apostles’ Creed the work of God the Father was that He created the world and continues to sustain it with his loving care; God the Son, paid the price for our sin by dying on the cross. His was the work of redemption; and God the Holy Spirit Created the church, forgives our sins, saves us from death, and gives us eternal life.
Holy Baptism
In Matthew 28:19 Jesus commissions the church to, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We baptize because Christ commanded us to do so. The benefits of baptism are forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Romans 6: 23, I Peter 3:20 and Titus 3: 5
Holy Communion
In the midst of the celebration of the Passover which was a reminder of how God saved his people from slavery and death at the hands of Egypt, Jesus instituted a new Passover meal that we call Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, the Sacrament of the Altar. The word Sacrament is Latin and it means a “mystery.” Something we may not understand but believe in. Jesus took bread, broke it and said, “Take and eat, this IS MY BODY.” (He does not say, this represents, this symbolizes, this illustrates my body.) Later he took the cup and said, “All of you drink from this cup for this IS MY BLOOD, shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (Jesus does not say, this represents, symbolizes, or illustrates my body.) In some mysterious way in which we do not understand we become one both physically and spiritually with Jesus Christ. We receive forgiveness, and where there is forgiveness there is salvation and eternal life. We are told to partake of Communion as often as it is offered. Communion is the new Passover meal which frees us from slavery to sin and death.
All who are baptized, repentant, and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and that Christ is truly present in the Sacrament are welcome to commune at Immanuel.
Priesthood of All Believers
A priest is one who brings God and people together. In Hebrews 13, Jesus is called “our high priest.” Christ is the one who by his death and resurrection brings God and people together. But each one of us in our own way is a priest. Each one of us has a “calling” from God.
That calling can take many different forms: Doctors and nurses are in a healing ministry, lawyers and judges are in a justice ministry, stay at home parents are in a family ministry, an architect and builders are in a housing ministry, etc. No matter what our calling is, we represent God. The way we greet the stranger, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, carry out our callings is a reflection of God in our lives. Through our callings we serve both God and people.
Scripture / Creeds / Teachings
We believe, teach, and accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the sole authoritative source and norm of our proclamation, faith, and life.
The Trinity
While the concept of a Triune God, three persons in One God, is hinted at throughout Scripture, Matthew 28:19, is one of the few places that the Triune God is mentioned, “Go, and baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The concept of the trinity is one of the most difficult to understand, but it is not about “understanding”, it is about believing. For example, H20.
We all know that is water. Now at 31 degrees what happens to H2O? It becomes a solid. Is it still H20? What happens to water at 50 degrees? H2O becomes as liquid. Is it still H2O? Of course. What happens to H2O at 212 degrees? It becomes a gas/vapor. Is it still H2O?
God reveals himself to us in three ways, One God, but as Father who creates and sustains all creations; a Son who redeems, saves the world through his death on the cross; and finally as the Holy Spirit who creates faith, calls us to worship, brings us forgiveness, will raise all the dead at Christ’s return, and who brings us eternal life.