What We Believe

At Zion we trust explicitly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Zion is a biblical, sacramental, and historic church which promises to connect you with salvation, truth, and beauty. For more information, keep reading below, talk to our pastor, or read our synod’s article.

What have we done?

It is self-evident that all people have done wrong against God and each other. Each one has wronged others. Each one has been wronged by others. The hurt we cause to one another cannot be simply swept under the rug or made up for with mere words like, “I’m sorry.” Something must be done about it, or we all deserve terrible punishment for the many ways we’ve wronged others. We need someone to save us from this. We need a savior.

Who can save us?

God sent his son, Jesus the Christ, to save us from our wrongs. The salvation won for us by Christ is done through his holy life, death, and resurrection.

Christ’s Life – Jesus said that he came to fulfill God’s Law (cf. Matthew 5:17), God’s standard for truly good living. Jesus did this to provide a morally perfect life before God that could stand in place of each person’s own life, which is filled with wrongdoing (“sin”) toward God and others. Through trust (“faith”) in Christ, his perfect life is credited to you as a free gift (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:18-19).
Christ’s Death – The wrongdoing (“sin”) each person commits is serious and deserves death of the body and everlasting death (torment) in hell. To save you from that, Jesus willingly gave up his life, paying the penalty for your sins and the sins of the whole world, on the cross (cf. John 10:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; 1 John 2:2). Through trust (“faith”) in Jesus’ death for you (and not by what you do) you are declared not guilty of all wrongdoing by God because Christ has already paid the penalty (cf. Romans 3:21-28).
Christ’s Resurrection – Because the natural consequence of wrongdoing is death (cf. Romans 6:23), Jesus has saved you from your own death by conquering death. By raising himself from the dead, he has shown that his life and death for us was a complete success. You are forgiven of all sins and credited with Christ’s perfect life. Through trust (“faith”) in Jesus’ resurrection, you also will certainly rise from the dead and live in everlasting perfection and joy (1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; Revelation 21:1-8).

How is this good news preached and practiced at Zion?

Biblical – The basis for everything taught at Zion is the Holy Bible. As Christians have taught throughout the centuries, we believe the Bible is God’s Word and is without error. Every word is the exact word God wanted in its exact place (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
Sacramental – We believe what the Bible teaches: Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are God’s work, not ours, and through the Sacraments, God gives to you, personally, what Jesus won for you on the cross: forgiveness of sins, everlasting life, salvation, and real power for every day living (Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 3:21; Matthew 26:26-28).
Historic – We believe the same, timeless truths which have been handed down to all Christians from Jesus Christ. Chief among these truths is that we are saved from our own wrongdoing by Christ alone. He does this for us because of his undeserved love alone (“grace alone”). This salvation is a free gift from God received by each person through trust alone (“faith alone”), not by what a person does. This trust (“faith”) cannot be produced by our own hearts, but comes from the only authoritative source of truth and power, God’s Word alone (“Scripture alone”). These timeless truths were taught by the prophets of old and by Christ’s twelve apostles (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 2:19-22). These truths were strongly re-emphasized and brought back into sharp focus by the Lutheran Reformation in the 16th century.

What can I expect to find in services and bible classes?

Salvation – St. Peter correctly preached, “Salvation is found in no one else [except Jesus], for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). At Zion we promise you will receive the gifts of God’s Word and Sacraments, centered in Jesus Christ, which give you peace with God, joy and peace for daily living, and the sure, unshakeable hope of victory over death and life everlasting.
Truth – We believe what Jesus said about himself, when he said “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). Therefore, people cannot “find their own truth,” but rather, absolute truth is real, flows from Christ alone, and is found in God’s Word. At Zion, we promise to preach and teach to you the pure and unadulterated truth at all times.
Beauty – In worship and in daily life we embrace the rich and beautiful symbolism and practices which the Church has used throughout the centuries to impress the Bible’s teachings upon the mind and heart (cf. Hebrews 13:7; 1 Corinthians 4:14-17). At Zion, we promise you will not find mindless ceremony, but purposeful tradition using the very Words of God, which give both children and adults a foundation to fall back on in times of trouble and temptation. We also embrace the beauty of God’s design for the world, cherishing and respecting the different and uniquely valuable callings in life he has given to men and women, to married and unmarried, to husbands and wives, to parents and children, to teachers and students, to workers and employers, to pastors and parishioners, to government officials and citizens, and to whatever other callings are part of the world God designed for each of us to be a blessing to one another in various ways.