What We Believe
Summary
We believe in the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who is the creator and sustainer of all things. We affirm the authority and sufficiency of the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the ultimate guide for faith and life. We embrace the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. We acknowledge the sovereignty of God in salvation and the calling of believers to live a life of holiness and obedience. We celebrate the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper as visible signs of God's grace. We emphasize the priesthood of all believers and the importance of the church as the community of faith. We anticipate the glorious return of Christ and the consummation of God's kingdom.
Tenets of Faith
He is the creator and sustainer of all things (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17). He spoke the world into existence through the inseparable operations of the Trinity. He is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth; incomparable in all that He is; one God but three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:14). Through the Law, prophets, and Writings, He proclaimed His Son, Christ Jesus, foretelling the coming of a new covenant in Him (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 24:27)Through the new covenant, God predestined believers for adoption to Himself as Sons (Ephesians 1:5). Hence, God is said to have “planned our salvation.”
Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature (Hebrews 1:3). And through him, God created all things (Colossians 1:16-17). He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), and was crucified for the transgressions of the world 1 Corinthians 15:3). On the third day, he was raised to life, by the power of God, and after appearing to the apostles and countless witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), ascended to the right hand of the Father, where he presently makes intercession for all those who put their trust in Him (Hebrews 7:25). Bottom line, Christ came, first, to be a propitiation for sin, which encompasses expiation (removal of sin) and the satisfying of God’s righteous wrath. Christ’s sacrificial death removed sins (expiation) while making God propitious (favorable) toward those who were previously His enemies (Romans 3:25). Hence, Christ, through His atoning work, is said to have “purchased” our salvation.
The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, is of one substance with the Father and the Son. He is fully God, eternally proceeding from both the Father and the Son. The Spirit’s first ministry is to glorify Christ (John 16:14). Additionally, He calls people to repentance, convicts humanity of its sin, and indwells/empowers believers for Godly living and service. All who are in Christ inherit the gift of the Spirit by whom they are preserved until the consummation (Ephesians 1:14).
God created man, both male and female, in His own image (Genesis 1:27). He exalted them as His vice-regents, granting them dominion over the entire earth. However, the man, Adam, disobeyed God, resulting in the moral downfall of his descendants and their subsequent alienation from God. Now, man is utterly corrupt and incapable of seeking after God (Romans 3:11). Yet God, being rich in mercy, did not count man’s sins against him. Instead, he put forth Christ as a propitiation on his behalf (1 John 2:2). Thus, if man calls upon the name of the Lord, he, by virtue of Christ’s substitutionary death, will be saved.
Distinctive: Complementarianism
We believe that men and women have equal value and dignity in the sight of God. However, He appointed each to specific yet complementary roles in both the home and the church. With regard to the church, both men and women are called to lead; however the role of elder is reserved for qualified men (see 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1).
We believe that God has spoken most clearly in His word (John 14:25-26, Deuteronomy 6:6-7). We believe the Bible to be the inspired (2 Timothy 3:16), inerrant, infallible Word of God in its original manuscripts. It is the supreme authority in all matters of doctrine and practice.
A divinely established institution made up of believers from all ages.
Specifically, it manifests itself in the earth through local churches, spread throughout the world.
We believe in the 3-fold ministry of the church: ministry to God (Colossians 3:16), ministry to believers (Colossians 1:28), and ministry to unbelievers (Matthew 28:19). However, the church’s influence extends beyond space and time to the eternal domain. In the book of Ephesians, it is called to make known the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10).
The church’s Involvement in Society:
We believe that we are sojourners/exiles (1 Peter 1:1-2). As exiles, we are called by God to seek the welfare of our local community, state, and nation by obeying the law of the land, praying for our nation, and caring for the most vulnerable (Jeremiah 29:7).
Concerning marriage:
We believe that marriage is between one [biological] man and one [biological] woman. (Mark 10:6; Genesis 1:27)
Concerning life:
We believe that life begins eternally with God (Psalm 139:16). Moreover, Scripture affirms that the things which are seen are formed from the things which are unseen (Hebrews 11:3). If this is true, life (a seen thing) is but the manifestation of its controlling authority—the eternal, unseen space of God. With this in view, life, in all of its stages, shall not be infringed upon by any “seen” (worldly) persons and authorities. In essence, we believe that God is the "giver and taker of life," not man. Salt Bible Church is 100% pro-life.
Affirmations
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