At Park River Bible Camp we take the Christian faith, that is the teachings of the Holy Scripture, very seriously. We believe that the Word of God, that is the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, reveal God’s Holy Law along with His wrath and judgment against sin, as well as God’s great grace given to us in His Son Jesus Christ. These revelations – both of God’s law which condemns sin and God’s gospel which raises those who were dead in sin to new life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, are the two core teachings of the Christian faith. Among Lutherans these two teachings are known as “Law” and “Gospel.” The law reveals that all are born into sin and are by nature children of wrath. The law shows us how we are to live and who we are to be. It serves us as a mirror which shows us all our blemishes. It is like the scale which reports our true weight. It is the light which reveals the sinfulness of our inner thoughts, the lusts of our eyes, the pride of our heart and all our hidden secrets. The law says, “Do, Do, Do” and since we do not “do” willingly and with a cheerful heart it also says, “die, die, die!” The Gospel says, “Look, here is Christ. He has done it all for you. He has done all the righteous deeds the law requires. He has died for you on a cross. He has taken away your sin. He is your savior. He washes you clean in the water’s of baptism and raises you to new life. He gives you his body and blood for the forgiveness of sin. He sends you preachers to proclaim to you God’s rich mercy. Do not fear. Do not be afraid my beloved child. I have redeemed you. I have saved you. You are mine.”
In later blogs we will walk through some of the core articles of the Christian faith as expressed in the three ecumenical creeds. These creeds serve as summaries of the Christian faith and are universally accepted as true by the entire Christian church. Any group that does not recognize them as true is either completely ignorant or is simply not a part of the Christian church.