What We Believe

Calvary has been formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The human phraseology employed in this statement is not inspired nor contended for, but the truth set forth is held to be essential to a full Gospel ministry. No claim is made that it contains all the truth in the Bible, only that it covers orthodox fundamental matters.

WE BELIEVE that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (The Bible) are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which the church operates and is the basis for which the church is governed. We believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures (Isaiah 28:13; Nehemiah 8:8; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:3-4, 21)

WE BELIEVE that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory. We believe that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8, 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3)

WE BELIEVE in the person of God the Father, an Infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, sovereign wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2, 102:27; John 3:16, 4:24; I Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3)

WE BELIEVE in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit is both fully God and fully man. We believe in His virgin birth; incarnation; sinless life; miracles and teachings; His substitutionary, atoning death upon the cross; His physical, bodily resurrection; His ascension into Heaven, His perpetual intercession for His people and His personal, visible return to Earth (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-2, 8:58, 11:25; I Corinthians 15:3-4; I Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; I John 1:2; Revelation 1:8)

WE BELIEVE in the person of the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Christ (John 16:8-11; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26, 15:13, 15:16; II Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 9:14)

WE BELIEVE the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide (John 16:13, 14:16-17, 16:8-11; Romans 8:26)

WE BELIEVE we are called to be filled with the Holy Spirit, which is different and distinct from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, which occurs at the moment of salvation (John 14:3, 17, 20, 22 and  Acts 1:8)

WE BELIEVE in the present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit in regard to the exercise of all biblical gifts according to the instructions and guidelines given to us in God’s Word. The Bible’s lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations at various times as seen fit by the grace of God. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. We believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters (I Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12; Ephesians 4; 1 Peter 4:10)

WE BELIEVE in the laying on of hands for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the ordination of pastors, elders, and deacons, and for the receiving of the perpetuity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:6, 8:17; 1 Timothy 4:14)

WE BELIEVE that mankind is created in the image and likeness of God; that mankind fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice, falling short of God’s standard and breaking His commandments - and therefore are under God’s righteous judgment. Yet, God saves and gives new life to all who come to Him in repentance and faith, trusting in the person and atoning work of Jesus Christ. At the cross, Jesus Christ died in our place as our substitute, absorbing God’s wrath that should have come upon us. Because Jesus died for the sins of the world, the invitation to believe is open to all, and whoever desires may come unto Jesus for new life and the forgiveness of sins (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 11:28; John 3:16; Acts 3:19, 20:21; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 8-9; I John 2:2; Revelation 22:17)

WE BELIEVE we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts and that there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. We believe that repentance of sins, as well as faith in Jesus Christ, are both necessary requirements for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22)

WE BELIEVE 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 and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life
(1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18,
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11)

WE BELIEVE in what is termed “the apostles’ creed” as embodying the fundamental facts of the Christian faith.

WE BELIEVE the church is the Body of Christ with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus' great commission to evangelize the lost world. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture (Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; John 17:11, 20-23; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1 3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8 11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 12:23; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3)

WE BELIEVE that marriage is exclusively the legal union of one genetic male and one genetic female sanctioned by the state and evidenced by a marriage ceremony. We also believe that legitimate biblical sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, transgenderism, bisexuality, cross-dressing, pedophilia [minor-attracted person] and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation, viewing and/or distribution of pornography and efforts to alter one’s physical gender or gender-related appearance are incompatible with a true biblical witness. Therefore, we perform marriages in accordance with the Bible consistent with the Old and New Testament (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3, 7:8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; I Timothy 1:9-11)

WE BELIEVE in the creation and God as the Creator. We believe that God created man and that He created them male and female. As such, He created them different so as to complement and complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” or “orientations” are unnatural, sinful, and unacceptable to God (I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Timothy 1:9-11). Accordingly, this ministry will not perform any marriage ceremonies between two individuals of the same sex. It will not condone or recognize such same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships even if the state passes laws that provide for recognition of such unions.

WE BELIEVE that the Lord, Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for the church: the water baptism of believers and Communion.
 
WE BELIEVE that the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized by immersion in water in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Water baptism signifies that the believer is buried with Christ and is risen with Him to walk in the newness of life. While water baptism is not what saves an individual, it is an integral and immediate step of obedience upon the regenerate life of a new believer (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38)
 
WE BELIEVE that the Lord’s Supper (Communion) was instituted by the Lord himself exclusively for believers to be taken in a symbolic manner. In the observance of the Lord’s Supper, believers are to partake of the elements by: examining oneself; remembering Jesus’
sacrifice upon the cross; and by professing their union and ongoing faith in Christ as their only Lord and Savior (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; I Corinthians 11:23-28)

WE BELIEVE in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell, and that all those who repent and place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord. Those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord in Hell
(Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3, 5:22, 18:9, 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-49;
Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:23; I Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11, 20:11-15)
 

WE BELIEVE in an imminent, pre-tribulation rapture of the church. The rapture of the church is the event in which God “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period. God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with all living believers, who will also be given glorified bodies at that time. The rapture is to be distinguished from the second coming. At the rapture, Lord Jesus comes “in the clouds” to meet us “in the air.” At the second coming, Lord Jesus descends all the way to the earth to establish His millennial kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)
 

WE BELIEVE that God, in His own time and His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to Earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and eternal blessing of the righteous in heaven, and endless separation of the wicked in hell (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15)
 

WE BELIEVE that heaven and earth will pass away and they will be replaced by the new heavens and the new earth. This new creation will be the eternal dwelling place of all believers in Jesus Christ and will be completely free from sin, evil, sickness, shame, suffering, and death. Everything will be restored as God originally intended it to be in the Garden. A major feature of the new earth will be the “New Jerusalem.” This glorious city represents the final state of redeemed mankind forever in fellowship with God (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Mark 13:31; Revelation 21-22)