STATEMENT OF FAITH

ABOUT GOD

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.  He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. (Gen. 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin.  He is co-equal with the Father and the Spirit.  Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross.  He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.  He ascended to Heaven and will return again to earth to gather all believers to live with Him eternally. (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11)

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son.  He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Christ.  He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.  He provides Christians with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  He gives every believer a spiritual gift.  As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily. (John 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13)

ABOUT THE BIBLE

The Bible is God’s Word to us.  It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  Because it is inspired by God, it is the Truth without any mixture of error. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:105, 160)

ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character.  People are the supreme object of God’s creation.  Every person has tremendous potential for good, but all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.”  This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Romans 3:23)

ABOUT SALVATION

Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it.  We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works.  Only by trusting in Jesus as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty.  When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved.  Eternal life begins the moment one receives Christ into his life. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Titus 3:5)

ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity.  If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it.  Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.  It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. This security is evidenced by a changed life of ongoing spiritual growth and a desire to multiply. (John 10:29; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Luke 8:4-15; John 8:31-32; Matthew 10:22; Hebrews 3:14; James 2:14-26; 1 John 2:19)

ABOUT ETERNITY

People were created to exist forever.  We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with Him in Heaven is eternal life.  Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Revelation 21:1-8; Matthew 25:46; John 14:1-3).

SALEM’S PROCESS

Gathering Worshipers

Worship is the way we corporately express our adoration of God. Every aspect of our worship is based on God’s Word and empowered by His Holy Spirit. More than singing a few songs, worship is our response to the awesome God we serve and what He has done for us. Throughout the week, we desire to live lives that honor God with every breath—and on Sundays, we gather together to express our love to Him.

Growing Disciples

You’ve got to grow. At Salem Baptist Church, you will be challenged to grow in your walk with God by learning and applying God’s Word in every aspect of our lives. We strongly believe that as the church it is our job to continually help people grow and mature in Christ.

Serving Others

It’s not about me. That’s the theme here…Jesus gave us the greatest example through His life of being a servant. He commands us to do the same by serving others in your life, and leading others to serve others through projects planned specifically to engage the lost community around you with the Gospel through words AND deeds. It’s a “here’s what the sermon was about, now let’s go DO IT” time.

Sharing Jesus

Service is wonderful and necessary, but service just for good deeds sake is not enough. We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel. That means saying the WORDS of the gospel…not just passively living it out and hoping people see Jesus in us. Intentionality is key here.

Everything we do at Salem Baptist Church points back to one of these values. Every little thing we do is rooted in this process.