What we believe

Lutherans believe in the Triune God. Triune means three-in-one, and refers to the mystery that God has revealed himself to us as 3 distinct entities in one divine being: the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe God brought all things - the universe, the earth, sea and all creatures- into being. We believe that God's Son, Jesus Christ, became human to save us. Jesus gives us hope and transforms our lives through his death on the cross and his resurrection to new life. The Holy Spirit is within us, given by Jesus, and is active in our lives at all times. At North Buffalo, we invite believers to be mindful of the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

We believe in scripture as the record of God's Spirit speaking to us through the authors of the various books of the Old and New Testament that collectively make up the bible. We believe these writings show us God's promise and revelations, centered around Jesus Christ's life and work. Through these, God inspires, teaches and directs us to boldly proclaim his grace and mercy to the world through acts of love and service to others. We believe all people are loved by God, have inherent value, and are part of God's plan. Through worship, prayer, bible study and fellowship, we connect more deeply with God's story of salvation and grace. We believe acts of love and faith are fruits of the faith and being saved, rather than necessary means to achieve salvation, which we cannot achieve by ourselves.

We are a Lutheran congregation. The Book of Concord consists of 10 documents that form the basic doctrinal confessions of the Lutheran faith. Lutherans believe we are saved by God's grace alone, not by our good deeds or anything else we do or fail to do. In essence, we believe God loves us, always, and these good news set us free to share God's love boldly with others. In the words of Martin Luther, “Faith is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God.  Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. And so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that believers would stake their lives on it a thousand times. This confidence in God’s grace and knowledge of it makes believers glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all His creatures." (from Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans)