Our Beliefs

At Joy Church Salem, we believe there is a GOD – the God of the Bible, the creator of the universe and sustainer of all things! We believe He created us ON PURPOSE for A PURPOSE, to be in relationship with Him because He loves us. Love demands choice. Free will led to SIN – the violation of God’s absolute moral law. Sin separated us from God, breaking relationship with Him and others, bringing death into the world, both in our physical bodies and our spiritual being. BUT God sent His son JESUS to become a man, live a perfect life and die on the cross for our sins. He ROSE from the dead defeating death and sin. By trusting in Jesus we can become right with God and enter into relationship with Him, healing our relationships with others. We have been gathered into God’s family, the CHURCH, and given a mission to make disciples of Jesus. We live our lives as an act of WORSHIP, seeking to love others like Jesus loves us. We celebrate that through Christ’s sacrificial and substitutionary death we have been granted eternal LIFE and will spend eternity with Him.

Statement of Faith

The Bible is God’s Word to us

The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God, written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. In its original writing, the accepted canon of the Holy Scriptures is infallible and without error. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs about living.

(2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16, I Corinthians 2:13,2 Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 12:6, 119:105, 160, Proverbs 30:5, Romans 16:25-26)

The Trinity

We believe in the Eternal Godhead. ONE God existing in THREE persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, coequal, distinguishable but indivisible.

(Genesis 1:26, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 1:35, Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14,1 Peter 1:2)

Creation

We believe God is the creator of the Universe.

(Genesis 1:1, 26-27 Psalm 90:2)

The Fall

We believe in the total spiritual depravity of man and inability to attain divine righteousness.

(Genesis 3, Romans 5:12-21)

Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary’s womb. The second person of the Trinity and coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus, while both fully God and fully man, lived a sinless human life. He died on the cross as a sacrifice and atoned for the sins of mankind through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day demonstrating his power over sin and death. He ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory.

(Isa. 7:14; 9:6, Matthew 1:18-25, 24:30, 26:63-64, Luke 1:27-35, John 1:1-5, 14, 18, 14:2-3, 10-30, Acts 1:9-11, Romans 1:3-4, 4:5, 6:4, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Philippians 2:5-6, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, I Timothy 2:5, 3:16, 6:14-15, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 4:14-15, Revelation 1:7)

Salvation

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We believe we can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. We are saved by grace through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life, relinquish our authority and make Jesus the Lord of our life.

(John 1:12, 29, 14:6, 17. 23,  Acts 2:21, 3:19, 16:31, Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:1, 9, 11, 6:23, 8:11, 10:9-10; Galatians 2:16, 3:8, 26, Ephesians 2:8-9, Colossians 1:20, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 9:12, 22, I John 1:7, 9, Revelation 1:5, 3:20, 5:9) 

Sanctification

Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and His Church that the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life.

(Romans 12:1-2, II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, Hebrews 2:11, I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23)

Marriage

We believe marriage is a holy institution defined in the Bible as a covenantal union, between one man and one woman. Marriage is used in the Bible as a symbol that describes the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church.

(Genesis 2:18-25, Malachi 2:16 Matthew 19:4-6, Ephesians 5:25, Revelation 19:7-9)

The Sanctity of Human Life

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child in a mother’s womb is a living human being.

(Genesis 1:27, Deuteronomy 18:9, Jeremiah 1:5, 32:35, Psalms 139:13-14, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 13:8). 

The Church

We believe that The Church, which is portrayed in scripture as both the Body and the Bride of Christ, is the instrument that God is using to extend His Kingdom. The Church is made up of every believer all over the world. We also believe in the public gathering of the local church. For community, prayer, worship, teaching and preaching of the Bible and administering the sacraments.

(‭‭Psalms‬ 100:04, 122‬:‭1‬, Matthew ‭21‬:‭13, 28:19; John 17:11, 20-23, Acts 2:41-47, 5:42 II Corinthians 5:16-21, Ephesians 1:22, 2:14-22; Hebrews 10:25, Revelation 5:9; 7:9) 

Water Baptism

We believe in the foundational doctrine of water baptism by immersion. A divine ordinance and Holy sacrament. A public declaration symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

(Matthew 3:16-17, 28:18-20, Acts 2:37-39, 8:12, 36-38, 10:47-48, 19:1-6) 

Communion

We believe in the divine ordinance and Holy sacrament of the Table of the Lord. A powerful time of remembrance partaking elements symbolic of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.

(Matthew 26:26-28; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-32)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, coequal with the Father and the Son. Active in creation and throughout the Old Testament. Promised by the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension and given at Pentecost. We believe that the church was empowered by the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts for the work of building the Kingdom of God. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He empowers the believer to witness, understand spiritual truth and lead a life of separation from the world and dedicated to God.

(Genesis 1:1-2, Joel 2:28-30, John 14:16-17, 25-27, 16:5-13,Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4, 33, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, Galatians 5:16-26, Ephesians 1:13, 5:18)

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

We believe in the indwelling (receiving) of the Holy Spirit upon salvation as well as the baptism (filling) of the Holy Spirit as a distinct and separate experience.

(Joel 2:28-30, Mathew 3:11, John 1:32-34; 20:22, Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 9:17, 10:44-47; 19:1-6, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Galatians 3:14, Ephesians 5:18)

Gifts of the Spirit

We believe in the operation of the Gifts of the Spirit as manifested in the Early Church, present and available in the church today.

(Romans 1:11, 11:29, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4:7-16, 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Hebrews 2:4, 1 Peter 4:10.)

The Devil

We believe in the reality, personality and eternal judgment of Satan and his angels.

(Matthew 25:41, John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 20:10-15). 

Eternity

We believe in eternal life for believers and eternal punishment for unbelievers. Heaven and hell.

(Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; 41, Mark 9:43-48, John 3:16. 5:24, 17:24, 2 Corinthians 5:1, II Thessalonians 1:9; Hebrews 9:27, 11:16; I Peter 1:4, Revelation 14:9-11, 20:10-15, 21:8)

In addition to these essential beliefs, we have liberty in other non-essential beliefs. (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8)