WHAT WE BELIEVE

The center of the Bible, the Christian Faith, and what St. James teaches lies in Jesus Christ who died and rose for sinners. This act of God on the cross and empty tomb gives life to people burdened by their guilt and oppressed by their fears. This historical and divine reality makes a person alive and equipped to see themselves and the world with hope, peace and love for God and fellow human beings. This is the primary message of Christ’s Church for a world in crisis. We exist to enjoy God’s love and to share it. 

Scripture Alone. We believe the Holy Scriptures are authoritative for everything St. James teaches. Where it speaks, we must speak. Where it doesn’t speak, we don’t. While there are truths we can somewhat positive of through God’s gift of reason, we can be certain of God’s Truth as recorded in the Bible. God’s Word makes us Alive in Christ and allows us to truly live in the now and just survive.

Grace Alone. We believe that human beings are incapable by their own works to be righteous and live forever. We are tragic characters born with a desire that the world revolve around ourselves and our whimsical passions. Yet instead of letting us go our way toward destruction, God loves sinners! He finds us where we are at. He singlehandedly rescues us from our destiny and gives us a new destiny. He forgives us every sin and our sinfulness. He gives us eternal life and will raise us even from the dead. This gift is not connected to our works, or even our potential. It is free. That’s grace. It was won for us not by us paying a price, but by His Son, Jesus, who took our punishment on the cross and took our mortality with Himself through the grave, rising again from the dead. He not only saves us but continues to save us through our ups and downs as a Christian. He does this through the preaching of His Word, baptism and holy communion. It’s all by grace alone. God’s grace in Jesus makes us and keeps us alive.

Faith Alone. We have this life, forgiveness and hope by faith. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God opens our hearts to believe in His promises. Faith in Christ’s promises equals righteousness before God. Though we might not look alive in Christ all the time, we believe because He says so. Though we might not look like forgiven people, we believe it because God’s says so. Doing good works and loving our neighbor are fruits of believing that we are saved by God in Christ. They are not what makes us righteous but spring from a heart that believes it is forgiven and given eternal life!

St. James is a member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (lcms.org). We are a voluntary gathering (synod) of congregations united by our confession of faith (bookofconcord.org) and commitment to working together to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.