Statement of Faith
The Word of God – We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and the final authority in all matters to which they speak. (II Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:20-21).
The Trinity – We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; we believe that these are equal in every distinct perfection, and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Deuteronomy 6:4; John 10:30).
God the Father – We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humanity, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (John 4:24; John 6:27).
Jesus Christ – We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son, who has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfection 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 in heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal, visible return from heaven. (John 1:1; John 1:14; I Peter 1:18-19; I Corinthians 15:4-7).
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. (Acts 5:3-4; John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 12:23-30; Ephesians 5:8).
Man – We believe God originally created persons, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. We further believe all people are sinners by nature and choice and are spiritually dead. We also believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-19).
Salvation – We believe in salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, was purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross, and is received by faith, apart from any human merit, works or ritual. We further believe salvation results in righteous living, good works, and proper social concern. (Ephesians 2:4-10; Titus 3:4-5).
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 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 the ordinances of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Ephesians 4:11-16).
Christian Conduct – We believe that the supreme task of believers is to glorify God in their life and that their conduct should be blameless before the world. We further believe that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions and that they should seek to realize for themselves the full stature of maturity in Christ. (I Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 4:16; II Corinthians 9:6-8).
Unity – We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 17:20-22; Acts 4:32; I Corinthians 1:10, 12:13; Romans 12:4; Galatians 5:14-15; Ephesians 4:3-6, 16; I John 2:9-11).
The Last Things – We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal existence of all people either in heaven or hell, in divine judgements, rewards and punishments. (John 3:16; Romans 6:23, 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15).
Separation of Church and State – We believe that each local church is self-governing 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 one should be free to worship God according to the dictates of conscience. (Acts 5:29).
Our Creed
The West Salem Baptist Church Family
We gather together because we believe we have a relationship with God, our Creator, and Father, through Jesus Christ, his Son, and our Savior.
He, though absolutely innocent, took upon himself all our sins and sinfulness in his death on the cross. He was then raised from the dead as the forerunner of God’s gift to us of eternal life; life forever in relationship with God.
We now enjoy an intimate and growing relationship with our Father in heaven and are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to live as God first intended; to live lives that please Him in every way.
Although, at times, we stumble and fall, relying upon God’s love and patience, and acknowledging our failure, we continue on knowing that God has forgiven our sin and continually cleanses us from every kind of wrongdoing.
We are committed together to cooperating with the Holy Spirit and others to bring at least one pre-Christian one step closer to Jesus Christ this week.