About Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
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We follow Jesus by obeying his commands. He calls us to love our neighbour, and for At Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, that means the whole of Ballwin. We are called to embody the love of Jesus in our neighbourhoods and networks. We encourage each other to love the city in the specific ways God is calling us to. This love takes a variety of forms: serving those in need, befriending the lonely, welcoming the immigrant, seeking justice for the oppressed, speaking the good news to those who have not heard, participating in culture-making, pursuing vocational calling with integrity. Through these acts of love, we seek the good of the city, recognizing the importance of the city in God's story of salvation. We seek to be a city on a hill, a place that cannot be hidden, whose good works bring glory to God.
We believe that God has spoken through the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments. They are the verbally inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority that stands over every realm of human knowledge and endeavor. Therefore, the Bible is to be believed in all that it affirms, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
About Jesus Christ: We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, Light from Light, God from God. He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless life. He was crucified as an atonement for sin and He bodily rose again on the third day. He ascended to the right hand of the Father where He reigns over all. He will bodily and visibly come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
About Separation of Church and State: We believe that each local church is self-governing, and must be free from interference by any external ecclesiastical or political authority; that every human being is ultimately responsible to God in matters of faith and life; and that each person is free to worship God according to the dictates of his/her conscience. We further believe that governments are established by God; that Christians, as good citizens, should be subject to governing authorities insofar as possible, recognizing our greater allegiance to God and His kingdom in matters wherein human authorities conflict with clear, biblical mandates.
