How God creates and stregthens faith

1.        We believe that faith is a gift which God the Holy Spirit works in our hearts.  Man does not have the capacity to become a believer on his own.  (Ephesians 2:1; Romans 8:7-8; Genesis 6:5; John 15:16)

2.        The tool which God uses to create faith and to strengthen faith is the “means of grace,” that is, the gospel, either in the word itself or in the sacraments.  Through the Gospel God creates or strengthens faith.  (Ephesians 2:4-5,9-10; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:17; 1Corinthians 10:12; Ezekiel 36:26)

3.        We believe that a person can lose their faith, and once again become an unbeliever.  It’s vital, therefore, that each believer continue to be connected to the Word of God.  (1Timothy 1:18-20; Luke 8:13; 1Corinthians 10:11-12; 2Peter 3:17-18)

4.        We believe that baptism is a powerful tool by which God creates – or seals – faith in the heart of the individual.  Since baptism is God’s work, we believe that baptism is meant for all, including infants.  (1Peter 3:21; Titus 3:5-6; Romans 6:3-5; Acts 2:38-39; Matthew 28:19)

5.        We believe that in the Lord’s Supper is also a powerful tool by which God gives to us forgiveness, spiritual life, and salvation.  In the Lord’s Supper we receive Jesus’ true body and blood together with the bread and wine, for Jesus says, “This IS my body, this IS my blood.”  (The bread and wine don’t change into Jesus’ body and blood, nor do they merely represent Jesus’ body and blood.)  (Matthew 26:26-28; 1Corinthians 10:16)

6.        We believe that in addition to being a wonderful gift from God to us, that the Lord’s Supper is also a powerful confession of a commonly held faith.  For that reason, and because the Lord’s Supper can be taken to a person’s harm, we practice close communion, believing that a person ought first to be instructed in the truths of the Word before attending the Lord’s Supper. (1Corinthians 10:17; 11:23-29)

7.        We believe that through His Word and Sacraments God works faith in the hearts of individuals, and in so doing He builds His Church, that is, the group of all believers.  That Church – the “Holy Christian Church” – is also called “the invisible church,” for only God can read hearts, so only God knows who belongs to that “church.”  The Holy Christian Church cannot be attached to any one denomination, but will be found wherever the Word of God is proclaimed.  (1Peter 1:22-2:12; Isaiah 55:10-11)

8.        We believe that, since we cannot read hearts and are indeed forbidden to read hearts, that we are to determine which churches/groups we join or practice fellowship with on the basis of their official confession of faith.  Where error is found, we would lovingly but firmly refuse to practice fellowship, lest we give the impression that the error is okay, or that God’s Word isn’t clear.  (Romans 16:17; John 8:31-32; Matthew 7:15)