What We Believe, Teach and Confess
We believe the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God without factual error. In that word, specifically Romans 3:23, the Lord states through His Apostle Paul: “All (people) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Therefore we believe that every human being is conceived and born (bent) toward sin, without a fear, love, or trust in God and is unable to turn to God for help and is therefore under the sentence of eternal punishment. (Eph. 2:1-10; Ps. 51:5).
Jesus Christ, true God, and true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is the only Saviour from sin and the only Intermediary between God and humanity (Jn. 1:1-3,14; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Jn. 5:20; Acts 4:12). By His perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross, He has won the entire forgiveness of sins and eternal life for every human being, from the beginning to the end of the world (Rom. 3:21-26; Gal. 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 2:2). Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-5) and now reigns at the right hand of God as Lord over all (Eph. 4:10-12). We are justified, or declared not guilty, in the sight of God and rescued from sin, death, and damnation not by our works but solely by God's undeserved kindness, His grace given as a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ, whose perfect life and sacrificial death as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" fully atones for our sins (Rom. 3:21-28; Eph. 2:8; John 1:29).
The blessings and benefits of Jesus' saving death and resurrection, namely the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation, are offered, delivered, and applied to us by means of the Gospel in all its forms (the preached and written Word, Baptism, Absolution, Lord's Supper), through which the Holy Spirit works faith in Christ. To this end Christ has instituted the Office of the Ministry and sends pastors to preach and administer the holy sacraments in His stead and name (Jn. 6:63; 16:12-15; Lk. 24:47; Mt. 28:19; Jn. 20:21-23; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
In a time when it's common for religious organizations to seem confused about what they believe, we cling to the historic Christian faith as set forth in the Holy Bible and presented in the confessional writings of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. At First St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, we have been called by God the Holy Spirit for the purpose to spread the Kingdom of God by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and by the proper administration of the Sacraments. We teach through religious instruction of children, youth and adults, according to the confessional standard of Lutheran Church-Canada.
We acknowledge and accept all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the revealed Word of God, verbally inspired and inerrant (His infallible revelation given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in all parts and words recorded without error in the original manuscripts by the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists) as the only rule and norm of faith and practice; and the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church contained in the Book of Concord:
The three Ecumenical Creeds. (Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian)
The Unaltered Augsburg Confession.
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession.
The Smalcald Articles.
The Large Catechism of Luther.
The Formula of Concord.
The Small Catechism of Luther (which includes: The Ten Commandments, The Apostle’s Creed, The Lord’s Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Confession, The Sacrament of the Altar)
Commonly Asked Questions
1. What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is a sacred act that God has established to provide the forgiveness of sins, life, salvation and strength to live in Him through a visible means. A sacrament is God coming to humankind, not humankind coming to God. The doer, in the sacraments is Christ Himself.
2. What are the sacraments of the Lutheran Church?
We recognize Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the two sacraments instituted by Christ. Absolution is also considered another sacrament.
3. What is Baptism?
Baptism means to apply water to a person in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for forgiveness of sins and salvation. In Baptism, God removes all guilt and sins we are born with. Through Baptism, God makes us new people. Baptism is the washing of water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s Word in Matthew 28:19. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “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.” Baptism ‘effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation to all who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare in Mark 16:16a, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”
4. What is the Lord’s Supper?
“It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine, given to us Christians to eat and to drink The holy evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and also St. Paul, write thus: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” The forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given to us in the sacrament.
5. Why does Lutheran Church-Canada practice closed communion?
The Apostle Paul warns us in 1Corinthians 11:27-29 “27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” Because the Lord’s Supper is an expression of unity in confession and requires personal examination, we ask that those new to our church first examine their understanding of God’s word with the Pastor before communion.
6. What is Holy Absolution and Confession?
Holy Absolution, which is the forgiveness of sins spoken by the Pastor to a penitent sinner in Jesus' name, actually offers, delivers, and applies the forgiveness of sins to the repentant person with the full authority of the crucified, risen, and reigning Christ (Mt. 16:19; 18:18; Jn. 20:21-23). The word of forgiveness in Holy Absolution is to be heard as Christ our dear Lord speaking to us Himself (Luke 10:16). ‘Confession consists of two parts. One is that we confess our sins. The other is that we receive absolution or forgiveness from the confessor as from God himself, by no means doubting but firmly believing that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven.’
* Above ‘’ taken from Luther’s small catechism.