Beliefs

PURPOSE

Our Mission

Bringing people into a life-changing relationship with God and each other

Our Vision

A church for the city that reaches the world for Christ

OUR DOCTRINE

In the simplest of terms, the Gospel is “Good News”. But, what exactly is the Good News that we proclaim at Salem First Baptist Church? Knowing the answer to this question is vital, because it holds the key to experiencing a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ!

THE WORD OF GOD:

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme authority in all matters to which they speak.

2 Tim. 3:15; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:13; Ps. 119:105, 12:6; Prov. 30:5

THE TRINITY:

We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

GOD THE FATHER:

We believe in God the Father—an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to

Him through Jesus Christ.

Genesis 12:1,26,27; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Cor. 13:14

JESUS CHRIST:

We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son, and has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We believe further that He is not only true God, but true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into Heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal visible, pre-millennial and imminent return from Heaven.

Matt. 1:22-23; Isa.9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Heb. 4:14-15; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 6:14-15; Titus 2:13

HOLY SPIRIT:

We believe in the Holy Spirit, His personality, and His work in regeneration, sanctification and preservation. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to implement Christ’s work of redeeming the lost and to empower the believer for godly living and service.

2 Cor. 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 2:12, 3:16; Eph. 1:13; Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:18

MAN:

We believe God created man—male and female—in the image of God and free from sin. We further believe that man became and is now a sinner by nature and choice and is therefore spiritually dead. We also believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior.

Gen. 1:27; Ps. 8:3-6; Isa.53:6a; Rom. 3:23; Isa. 59:1-2

SALVATION:

We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God and was purchased by Christ on the cross, and is received by man through faith, apart from any human merit, works or ritual. We believe on the basis of John Chapter 10 and Romans Chapter 8, that this salvation once experienced by the individual is eternally secure.

Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 5:1

THE CHURCH:

We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. We believe that the true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We believe that this body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have been immersed upon a credible confession of faith and have associated themselves for worship, for instruction, for evangelism and for service. We believe that the two ordinances of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE:

We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority. We further believe that every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life and that each should be free to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT:

We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in his life; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself the full stature of

maturity in Christ.

I Cor. 3:9-15; II Cor. 5:9-11

ETERNITY:

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and the lost, the eternal existence of all men in Heaven or Hell, in divine judgments, rewards and punishments.

John 3:16; 14:17; Rom. 6:23; 8:17-18; Rev. 20:15; I Cor. 2:7-9

Beliefs

OUR VALUES

WORSHIP | We encourage a lifestyle of heart-felt service and adoration to the character and grace of God.

BIBLICAL TRAINING | We value the Bible as God’s truth which is to be taught clearly and lived courageously.

PRAYER | Prayer is the privilege of every child of God and is foundational to fostering a relationship with Christ and fulfilling His vision that we become a house of prayer for all nations.

MISSION | We value participation in God’s mission to build His kingdom in our community and around the world.

DISCIPLESHIP | We value equipping people to grow in their relationship with God and find their place in the body of Christ.

GRACE-BASED COMMUNITY | We value relationships marked by authenticity and integrity lived out in an atmosphere of grace, joy and love.

FAMILY AFFIRMING | We support the spiritual nurturing of the family as one of God’s dynamic means to foster the Christian faith.

EXCELLENCE | We believe excellence honors God and inspires people.

GENEROSITY | We value generous giving that flows from a grateful heart

CULTURAL RELEVANCE | We believe the church should be culturally relevant while remaining doctrinally pure.

MOBILIZATION OF SERVANT LEADERS | We believe that a church should operate as a unified community of servants of men and women stewarding their spiritual gifts for the glory of God and the church.