About Calvary Baptist Church
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What We Believe
The SCRIPTURES
We believe the Bible to be the verbally and plenarily inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God. We believe God spoke through holy men as He moved them to record His very words. We believe the Bible to be eternal and the complete and final revelation of the will of God to man. We believe the Bible is the sole source of truth and authority and is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, opinions and creeds are to be tried.
We believe that the only true translation for English-speaking people is the King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Version. We believe that God has preserved His Word throughout time and translation.
(II Tim. 3:16-17, II Peter 1:19-21, Acts 1:16, Acts 28:25, Psalm 119:105, 130, 160, Luke 24:25-27, 44-45, John 17:17, Psalm 119:89, Prov. 30:5-6, Roms. 3:4, I Peter 1:23, Rev. 22:18-19, John 12:48, Isa. 8:20, Eph. 6:17, Roms. 15:4, Luke 16:31, Psalm 19:7-11, John 5:45-47, 39)
GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one true and living God, and infinite, intelligent spirit. He is a God of truth, holiness, goodness, righteousness, love, and justice. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, immutable, eternal, and sovereign. He is the Almighty Creator of the universe and supreme ruler of heaven and earth. He is worthy of all worship, honor, praise, confidence, obeisance and love. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, yet executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
(Ex. 20:2-3, Gen. 1:1, Gen. 17:1, I Cor. 8:6, Eph. 4:6, John 4:24, Psalm 147:5, Psalm 83:18, Psalm 90:2, Jer. 10:10, En. 15:11, Rev. 4:11, I Tim. 1:17, Roms. 11:33, Mark 12:30, Matt. 28:19, John 15:26, I Cor. 24-6, I John 5:7, John 10:30, John 17:5, Acts 5:3-4, I Cor. 2:10-11, Phil. 2:5-6, Eph. 2:18, II Cor. 13:14)
JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God, the only Saviour for sinful man. He is the second Person of the Trinity, the express image of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus Christ has existed since eternity past and has in these last days come in form of a man to save us from our sin. Jesus Christ was born of Mary while she was still a virgin, making Him 100% man and 100% God. He lived a perfect, sinless life and went to the cross of Calvary to pay our sin debt. Jesus Christ took upon Himself the judgment for all man's sins. He was crucified, died and was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures.
(John 1:1, 14, I John 5:7, Heb. 1:3, John 1:14, 29, I Cor. 15: 1-4)
HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit (Ghost) to be the third Person of the Trinity, the sealer and indweller of the believer. He is the comforter who guides and directs into all truth, reproving and convicting men of sin. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer at the very moment of salvation and abides with the believer continually. Although the Holy Spirit cannot be removed, He can be quenched and/or grieved.
(I John 5:7, Eph. 1:13, 4:30, John 16:8, 13, I Thes. 5:19)
SALVATION
We believe that a person is saved (redeemed) from their sin when they humbly turn to Jesus Christ in the heart of repentance and faith. Repentance is a change of mind which results in a change of direction and/or action. A person must first change his/her mind about their sin, false religion, their life without God, and all things contrary to the holiness of God. Faith is acting upon the belief that Jesus Christ alone can save an eternal soul from his lost condition according to God's Word. Salvation is obtained through faith alone. It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, for our works are but filthy rags. It is the blood of Christ that purchased our salvation, for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. There is only one way to salvation for every man, and any man can respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be born again.
(Matt. 1:21, Acts 20:21, 3:19, Roms. 10:9-10, Eph. 2:8-9, II Peter 3:9, I Tim. 2:4, I Peter 1:18-19, Heb. 9:22)
ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe that once a person has truly responded by faith in Jesus Christ alone, he is truly saved, that he becomes a child of God and remains saved always. As the believer did nothing to earn their salvation, there is nothing that he can do to lose it. It is not according to the power of the flesh or the will of man, but it is the power of God which keeps us saved. There is nothing that can be done by the individual believer or any outside force that can cause a true saint to be lost again.
(Roms. 11:29, 8:37-39, John 10:28-29)
CHURCH
We believe that the church is a called-out body of baptized believers, organized to carry out the work of Jesus Christ - the Great Commission. The church is local, visible and independent of any board, denomination, organization, or any other usurper of authority. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and the church is His bride and body. Jesus Christ has given His churches authority on this earth and has promised that the church will always exist. It is the purpose of the church to share the gospel of Christ with the lost, to baptize them and to teach them all things according to the scriptures. We believe that a true church is the pillar and ground of the truth. We believe that the church was started by Jesus Christ Himself, with the twelve apostles, prior to His ascension.
(I Cor. 12:28, Matt. 16:18-19, 18:15-20, Eph. 5:23, I Tim. 3:15)
ORDINANCES
We believe that there are two, and only two, ordinances given to Christ's churches to perform in remembrance of Him until His return. They are baptism and the Lord's Supper. They are mere pictures of the substitutionary work Christ performed on the cross for sinful man. Neither have any saving merit.
BAPTISM
We believe that baptism is by immersion in water as an outward testimony of the faith one has placed in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Baptism does not save, but is an answer of a good conscience toward God. Baptism is the fulfillment of obedience and places a believer into the membership of that local body (church) which performs the baptism.
(I Peter 3:21, Matt. 3:15, Acts 2:41, Eph. 4:5)
LORD'S SUPPER
We believe this to be the second and final ordinance given to the church. We believe that like baptism, it is an act of remembrance of what Christ did on the cross for us, and is strictly for the membership of the local assembly administering the Supper. Only those who are in good standing with the Lord, in that local assembly are to partake of this ordinance. The elements of the Lord's Table are to be unleavened bread (the symbol of the pure, sinless body of Jesus Christ) and grape juice (the unfermented blood of the grape which represents the pure, sinless blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ). The purpose of this ordinance is to show the Lord's death, til He comes.
(I Cor. 11:24-30, Matt. 26:26-29)
SANCTIFICATION (SEPERATION)
We believe that every Christian is called to be separated, to stand apart, from the philosophies, actions, fashions, and amusements of this world. Upon salvation, a believer is made a new creature, translated from the power of darkness (this present world) into the kingdom of His dear Son (the family of God). We believe that as a child of God, the saint will desire to follow the Lord in all areas of holiness and sanctification, and has a desire to please his Lord.
We believe that a saint should also be careful to try all spirits, whether they be of God, and to mark and avoid those who teach contrary to the doctrines taught in the Bible.
(II Cor. 5:17, I Peter 1:15-16, II Cor. 6:17-18, Col. 1:13-14, I John 4:1, Roms. 16:17)
FUTURE EVENTS
We believe that the next event on God's prophetic calendar is the Rapture of the saints. In the Rapture, all born again believers will be raised up to meet the Lord in the air. After the Rapture, there will be a seven-year tribulation period, which the anti-Christ will have his time. Halfway through, the anti-Christ will turn against Israel. At that same time, God will begin to judge the world. At the end of the tribulation period, Jesus Christ will return to destroy His enemies and will set up His Millennial Kingdom, ruling and reigning for 1,000 years. After the Millennial Reign of Christ, those who rejected Jesus Christ will be found guilty at the Great White Throne judgment and will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. Upon this judgment, the eternal state begins.
(I Thes. 4:15-18, Matt. 24:29-31, Rev. 19:11-21, 20:4, 21:1-5)
