GRACE ALONE. FAITH ALONE. CHRIST ALONE. GOD’S WORD ALONE.
We believe that men, women, and children are rescued from sin, death, and the power of the devil purely by the undeserved mercy of God in Jesus Christ. Period. Through faith (a relationship of dependence upon Jesus that God Himself gives), forgiveness, new life, and redemption become ours. God’s Word stands over us as the ultimate authority and serves as the rule and norm for all belief and life. Through it, God makes us aware of sin, fills us with faith in Jesus, and guides us in faith-filled living.
We believe the APOSTLES’ CREED contains the essentials of the Christian faith. . .
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The words of the Apostles’ Creed, along with the Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed, have served as a summary of Spirit-filled and scriptural belief since the earliest days of Christianity. They summarize what Christians have always confessed when they gathered around God’s Word in the name of God’s Son – and they are the truths that we believe, teach, and confess as Barefoot Christian Community.
“As for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15)
Throughout the history of the Church, each new generation of God’s people has been called to “hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering” trusting that “he who has promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23).
The Common Confession (below) is a seven-part statement of faith, highlighting some of the important biblical and confessional doctrines of Lutheran theology. As Barefoot Christian Community, we believe, teach, and confess. . . .
THE COMMON CONFESSION
1) The Lord Jesus Christ
We are people who believe and confess our faith in the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
2) The Gospel of Salvation
We believe and confess that all human beings are sinners, and that sinners are redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God alone justifies human beings by faith in Christ – a faith that God creates through the message of the Gospel. As ambassadors for Christ, God uses us to speak his Word and build his kingdom.
3) The Authority of Scripture
We believe and confess that the Bible is God’s revealed Word to us, spoken in Law and Gospel. The Bible is the final authority for us in all matters of our faith and life.
4) A Common Confession of Faith
We accept and uphold that the Lutheran Confessions reliably guide us as faithful interpretations of Scripture, and that we share a unity and fellowship in faith with others among whom the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and the sacraments are administered in accordance with the Gospel.
5) The Priesthood of All Believers
We believe and confess that the Holy Spirit makes all who believe in Jesus Christ to be priests for service to others in Jesus’ name, and that God desires to make use of the spiritual gifts he has given through the priesthood of all believers.
6) Marriage and Family
We believe and confess that the marriage of male and female is an institution created and blessed by God. From marriage, God forms families to serve as the building blocks of all human civilization and community. We teach and practice that sexual activity belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman.
7) The Mission and Ministry of the Congregation
We believe and confess that the church is the assembly of believers called and gathered by God around Word and Sacrament, and that the mission and ministry of the church is carried out within the context of individual congregations, which are able to work together locally and globally.
