“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Saved by Grace
We believe that salvation in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for our sins and rose that we may live new lives, is a free gift from God. We can’t earn our own salvation, and we don’t have to! Without our doing anything at all – prayer, praise, or performing good deeds – God offers each and every person the gift of grace. God’s love for all of us never ends.
Through Faith
Our founder, Martin Luther, wrote that “Faith is God’s work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God. This faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing. It is impossible for it not to be doing 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.”
Apart from Works
Works don’t save us – only God’s grace which we experience through the gift of faith! However, once we’ve been transformed by God’s grace through faith, we can’t help but do good works in the world. When we’ve heard the good news that Jesus died and rose from the dead for us, we respond in joy by caring for our neighbors here in Massachusetts and around the world.
Lutherans are Biblical
Lutherans love the Bible, and believe it is the inspired Word of God about God’s interaction with people in the world. We read the Bible through the lens of God’s grace. We believe that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and recorded by faithful people. It is the story of God and God’s people – the story of God’s great love for us. When we read the Bible we become part of the story. The heart of the biblical message is the good news that Jesus Christ died and rose again to bring us into a new relationship with God. That relationship gives hope, comfort, and purpose to our lives.
Lutherans are Liturgical
“Liturgy” means “the work of the people,” and at First Lutheran Church we “work” at worship together. Worship is at the heart of our community. In worship we experience God together as we sing hymns, read passages from the Bible, the pastor preaches, connecting the Bible lessons with daily life, and we receive Holy Communion each week. Here at First Lutheran Church, we worship at 9:45am every Sunday.
For more information about Lutherans, click here to visit the website of ELCA.
First Lutheran Church 