A Lutheran is a member of a movement that is trying to communicate the truth of Christianity according to its basic sources: Scripture, Faith, Grace, and Jesus Christ.
Lutherans believe in “Scripture Only“. This means that we believe that only Scripture is ultimately useful in understanding who God is. We believe that theology (the task of studying God) is important, but that it is only useful when it is tied to what God has revealed about Himself in the Bible.
Lutherans believe in “Faith Only“. This means that we believe that we don’t need to do good works in order to be saved. We believe that we simply need a level of trust that receives what God has done and is doing for us. We do believe that good works are necessary, but “necessary” in the way that they flow out “necessarily” from a saved person – not as a pre-requisite for salvation.
Lutherans believe in “Grace Only“. This means that we believe that we don’t make God love us, but that He chooses to do so. We believe that there is nothing inherently loveable about who we are, but that God chose to create us, love us, and redeem us from our own sins because of His great love.
Lutherans believe in “Jesus Christ Only“. We believe that God sent Jesus Christ almost 2000 years ago to be born among us, live with us, die for us on the Cross, and raise again out of a tomb for us. We believe that this Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.