Anchorage Lutheran Church is called to be a congregation of believers in Jesus Christ,
Lord and Savior of all humanity.
God’s Word guides us, His Spirit leads us, and His truth sustain us in our faith and witness of Him.
What we believe and teach is based on the foundational truths taught in the Scriptures
and witnessed to by the “Historical Confessional Writings” of the Reformation.
"And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
-Matthew 28:18-20
There is one eternally existing God who has three distinct persons:
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
-Genesis 1:1
We describe to God the Father the work of creation.
He is the creator of all that exists, both visible and invisible, and is therefore worthy of all glory and praise.
God is perfect in love, power, holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy.
He is unchangeable and therefore is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you had known me, You would have known my Father also.
From now on you do know Him and have seen Him."
- John 14:6-7
Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is the true and complete expression of God.
He is the Christ, the promised messiah of old, Savior of all humanity.
There is no journey into the presence of God, no awareness of the truth of God,
and no spiritual life with God except through Jesus.
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
-John 14:26
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is working in us daily through His gifts which are received at baptism and is the very power and presence of God in our lives.
Through word and sacrament the Holy Spirit creates, builds, and strengthens our faith and witness.
"So God created man in His own image,
In the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
- Genesis 1:27
The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created in the “image of God,” holy and innocent, male and female.
We, men and women created by God, are called to honor God with our lives,
love one another, and care for the world He created for us.
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- Romans 3:23
Choosing their own path, Adam and Eve marred the image of God with which they had been created.
Sin entered the world and the image of God in humanity has been tarnished forever.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
- Ephesians 2:8-9
Grace, God’s love for us is accomplished for us by Jesus.
He is The Christ who has redeemed us from sin, death, and the devil.
We receive and accept this grace by means of the Faith God gives to us by His Holy Spirit.
Salvation is not our work. We boast of God not ourselves.
“…through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known …”
- Ephesians 3:10
The Church is called to be the visible body of Christ,
sent to the world to reveal the wisdom of God’s glorious gospel.
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep."
- 1 Corinthians 15:20
This is the undeniable truth upon which our Faith relies.
Jesus, crucified, died, and buried, rose again!
This is the truth which underlies our hope
and empowers our love for God and for one another.
