Martin Luther lived in Germany from 1483-1546. A law student
turned Roman Catholic priest he joined the order of St. Augustine.
Luther struggled with feeling certain of the promise of God’s
salvation. He was plagued by the feeling that it was impossible to
attain salvation through his own effort to obey to God’s commands,
performing penitent acts, going on religious pilgrimages, or through
his personal devotional decision. Luther was bothered by a God who
seemed so angry, distant from the world, and inaccessible to humans.
After receiving his Ph.D. Luther became a professor teaching Theology,
New Testament Greek, Hebrew, and Latin at Wittenberg University.
Note:He
was the first to translate the Latin Bible into German, which served as
the basic building block for the present day German Language.
Reformation Tagline: sola
gratia, sola fidei, sola scriptura
While searching the Scriptures for answers Luther read in St. Paul’s
Letter to the Romans 1:17, "The one who is righteous will
live by faith." Then again he read in 3:28,
For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works
prescribed by the law. Luther now realized that salvation
comes to us by God’s free Grace alone (sola gratia)
for the sake of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and
not through any efforts of our own doing. Further, God’s grace can be
lived out in this present life when we have faith alone
(sola fidei), that is trust, in God’s promises and in nothing
else. The gift of faith, sealed by the Holy Sprit in the sacrament of
baptism, and affirmed in the sacrament of Holy Communion and the
proclamation of the Word, means that our status before God, our purpose
and worth in this life NEVER depends on: how we feel, or
having the right experience, or being free of doubts, or on our success
or failures. Rather our status before God depends solely on
the act of God in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
testified to and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Luther’s new confidence in a loving, close and openly accessible God
through the power of the Holy Spirit was based upon his reliance solely
on the authority of Scripture, (sola scriptura), which came into
conflict with church law and doctrine. His debate with church law
eventually launched the Protestant Reformation of the 16th
century. The Lutheran church worldwide is the oldest and largest of the
churches of the Reformation. At the turn of the millennium (2000)
Martin Luther was ranked among the top five most influential personas
of the last 1000 years!
The Lutheran Church holds to
the Reformation Principle: salvation by Grace alone
through faith alone; and to Catholic Substance,
the power of God comes to us through Word and Sacrament centered in the
Church and stewarded by a properly called, educated and structured
ministry. (A ministry of clergy and laity).The Lutheran Church
of Our Saviour
As a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America LCOS is a:
praying
church, believing that with grateful souls we are eager to listen to
the Holy Spirit both individually and corporately in worship.
missionary
church, serving God in different ways in the community, but telling the
old unchanging story.
praising
church, believing that God so loves
the world that we still encounter Jesus Christ, the living Word, who
comes to us in the spoken Gospel and made visible in the
Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.
hope
filled church believing that as God’s children, living in
God’s world, our future is filled with new possibilities through the
transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
welcoming
church inviting all God’s people in need of God’s assurances through
the Word and Sacrament.
Are
your ready to take the leap of faith, trusting solely in God’s
Grace? Join us Sunday at 9:00 (traditional) or 11:00
(contemporary) for Worship, and begin your adventure in the
mission of LCOS!