Our Core Beliefs
There is but one eternal and sovereign God who has identified Himself in the Bible as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; one God in three equal persons. (Matthew 28:19; Isaiah 45:5a; John 10:30; John 14:16-18)
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, fully God and fully man, who willingly went to the cross to pay the price for the sins of the world; He literally rose from the grave and ascended into heaven and will literally return to earth some day to judge all sin and usher in an eternal kingdom. (Luke 1:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Galatians 4:4-5)
The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father to convict the world of sin; to indwell, empower and guide all believers. (John 16:7-8, 13)
The Bible is the only inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God, and is the final authority and revelation of God’s truth and will. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Life, from conception to natural death, is sacred in that all people are created by God, in His image and for His purpose. (Genesis 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Sin is rebellion against God and disobedience to His Word. A sinful nature is inherent in all humanity and results in separation from God for eternity. (Romans 3:23)
By God’s grace, forgiveness and restoration of one’s relationship with God is received through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This results in eternal salvation. (Luke 24:47; 2 Peter 3:9)
The church is made up of all people who have believed the message of the Bible and have put their trust in Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the church. (Ephesians 4:15-16)
There is a literal eternal heaven and a literal eternal hell. All people will spend eternity in one of these two destinations. (Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 25:31-33)
Our Core Values
These are the Core Values of Emmaus Free Lutheran Church.
- Because Emmaus values the Bible as God’s infallible, inerrant and inspired Word, we will treat it with reverence and it will govern all that we do.
- Emmaus values being relevant to the culture in which we live, while remaining true to the doctrines of Scripture.
- Emmaus is committed to teaching that all people need to be brought into a right and healthy relationship with God through Jesus Christ’s completed work on the cross as the only way of salvation.
- Emmaus believes in the necessity of continual personal spiritual growth, beginning at the point of redemption, and continuing through this life into eternity.
- Emmaus values worship as an integral expression of our relationship with God, expressed both corporately and individually through praise and thanksgiving and through the daily living out of our faith. We do not recognize any one “style” of worship over another, but strive for authenticity at a heart level.
- Emmaus believes that the Body of Christ functions most effectively when all members employ their God-given spiritual gifts, and values loving and committed relationships lived out within the local congregation.
- Emmaus is committed to equipping families to love and serve God, beginning in early childhood and growing toward a Christ-centered adulthood, married or single. We value marriage as a God-designed relationship between one man and one woman for life.
- Emmaus is committed to Missions, both far and near. People far from God matter to Him; therefore, they matter to us.