About God
The Bible teaches that God is three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one Divine Being. This teaching is called the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus told His followers to make disciples “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
The Bible also tells us that God is love. It was because of His love for His sin-afflicted creatures that God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. This love is undeserved and unconditional. That means that we don’t have to do anything to make God love us more and that we can’t do anything that will make God love us less. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
About Jesus
Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was sent by His divine Father to be the Savior of the world. Although He was true God, He was also born as a true human being and lived a perfect life on our behalf. He died on the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead to assure us of eternal life. “Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be held onto but made Himself nothing and being found in appearance as a man He became obedient to death – even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).
About sin
Sin is any thought, word, or deed that violates God’s commands that are taught in the Bible. But sin goes deeper than that. Sin is also a condition that afflicts all of us. This condition of original sin is like a spiritual birth defect. The sins we commit are rooted in our sinful condition. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
About grace
We call God’s unconditional and undeserved love for us by a special word: grace. The Bible teaches us that we are saved by grace alone because of Jesus. Salvation is God’s gift to us, offered out of His perfect love for us, for the sake of Jesus who died and rose for us. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves – it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
About receiving God’s grace
God gives His grace through His promises found in the Bible and through the sacred acts of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through these gifts God works to bring us to faith in Jesus and to keep us in that faith. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children” (Acts 2:38-39).
About the Bible
The Bible is the pure Word of God. The Holy Spirit inspired people like Moses and Isaiah, Matthew and John, and Peter and Paul to write down the stories and promises that are found in the Bible. In the Bible’s pages we learn about God’s love for His creation and how Jesus redeemed creation through His death and resurrection. “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).