Calvary Evangelical Baptist Church - Doctrinal Statement

Section 1
Doctrinal Statement

1. Verbal Plenary Inspiration.  We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally and fully inspired by God, that they are inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Pet. 1:19-21; John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16)
2. The Trinity.  We believe in one God, absolute, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, manifesting Himself in three co-equal personalities – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (Gen.1-27; Matt. 3:17; Prov. 30:4; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4; 1 John 5:7)
3. Deity of Christ.  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and that He is true God and true man. (Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 1:13-20; Heb. 2:9; John 10:30)
4. Total Depravity of Man.  We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are under condemnation which God’s righteousness requires. (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7-9; 3:1-24; Ps. 51:5; Jer. 2:1-3; Is. 64:6; Rom. 1:18-21; Rom. 3:10-12; 2 Thess. 1:8-9; James 2:10)
5. Substitutionary Atonement Justification by Faith.  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that He rose again bodily from the grave for our justification; and that all who trust and believe in Him are justified from all things on the grounds of His shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit and works.  (Acts 13:38-39; Rom. 3:19-28; 10:1-13; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-8)
6. New Birth.  We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ in trusting faith are born again by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and thereby become the children of God.  Regeneration is not reformation of the Adamic nature, but rather the creation of a NEW nature by the Holy Spirit. (1 John 5:1; Gal. 3:26; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Cor. 15:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:14-17).
7. Two Natures.  We believe that those who are born again possess two natures and that they may be victorious over the old through the power of the new, but that the eradication of the old nature is unscriptural. (Rom. 6:13; 8:2-3; Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 4:22-24; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9;1 John 1:5-10)
8. Eternal Security.  We believe that the scriptures teach the eternal security of the believer.  We reject the teaching that a public profession of faith in Jesus is license for sin. We further believe that evidence of a person’s regeneration is manifested in those who keep his commandments and abide in Him. (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; John 5:24; Ps. 37:28; John 10:27-30; Rom. 3:20-24; 4:1-8;1 John 3:24; 1 John 5:10-13)
9. Holy Spirit.  We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person (the third person of the Godhead), whose ministry includes the administration of the Godhead, regenerating the lost, convincing men of sin, revealing Christ, teaching truth, restraining evil, energizing believers, and placing each believer into the body of Christ. (John 16:7-15; Titus 3:5)
10. Resurrection and the Present Ministry of Christ.  We believe in the resurrection of the crucified, physical body of our Lord, Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven and His present life there as our High Priest, Advocate and Intercessor. (John 2:18-22; Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24:1-26;John 20:1-29; Acts 2:31; 1 Cor. 15:3-25; 1 Pet. 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11)
11. Second Coming of Christ.  We believe in the personal, bodily, visible pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ, preceded by the rapture (caught-up) of His Church (all born again believers) and to establish His kingdom on earth, reigning as the only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-19; Titus 2:11-13; 1 Cor. 15:51-58; Rev. 1:7)
12. Resurrection and Judgment.  We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead – the saved to life of eternal glory and bliss in heaven with Christ and the unsaved to a life of eternal pain and suffering in the lake of fire with Satan. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:24-29; Rev. 20:6; Matt. 18:8-9;Mark 9:43-49; Luke 16:19-31; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:1-10)
13. Separation.  We believe in separation from all worldly practices and in wholehearted devotion to the redemptive program of Christ as the only Scriptural basis for a happy and fruitful Christian life. (Rom. 12:1-2; James 4:4-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Cor. 6:14; Col. 3:1-17; Rom. 6:1-14)
14. Evangelism and Missions.  We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to be a personal witness and to do his or her utmost to give the Gospel of Christ to the whole world.  Because all men everywhere without Christ are lost and bound for eternal punishment and cannot believe Him of whom they have never heard, we believe that we are debtors to all men and have the responsibility of giving them the Gospel.  Jesus left us the command that we should all be witnesses for Him, and should take the Good News of the Gospel to every place where men are to be found.  We believe that to carry out this command, we must ourselves be witnesses by our lives and word to all lost men by modeling Christ in our character and conduct.  We must support by prayer and financial aid those who go out under sound missionary agencies to represent us in other parts of the world. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 8:4; John 17:18)
15. The Church.  We believe that the Church: (1) is composed of regenerated baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, fellowship, spiritual growth, and service; (2) has been commissioned by Christ to propagate the Gospel unto the uttermost parts of the earth; (3) has absolute right of self government, free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only Head (superintendent) is Christ who directs His Church through the power of the Holy Spirit; (4) has final authority over all matters of membership, church policy, government, finance and benevolence rests with all truly regenerate believers, the ‘body of Christ,’ the active believers in good standing.  (John 4:24; Acts 2:41-47; 7:49, 50; 13:1-3; 14:23; 20:17, 20, 27, 28; Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 5:23-27)
16. Church Government.  We believe, according to the New Testament Scriptures that the burden of governing the church is placed on a plurality of Pastors (Elders).  The Pastoral Board shall oversee the congregation and make policy decisions with regard to the affairs, functions, direction, and business of the church.  (1 Tim. 5:17; Acts 20:17-28; Titus 1:5-9; and Eph. 4:11).
17. The Ordinances.  We believe that Christ gave only two ordinances to the Church to be observed until He returns:

1. The Lord’s Supper.  It was given to us as an ordinance by the Lord Himself for a memorial of His death until He comes and should not be taken unadvisedly, but with the examination of one’s life.  (Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20;1 Cor. 11:23-25)
2. Believer’s Baptism. It was given to us as an example to be identified with Christ and His baptism. We accept as the scriptural mode of baptism to be immersion.  (Matt. 3:13-17; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-48; Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13)

1. I believe in the full, verbal inspiration and authority of the Scriptures (God’s Holy Word) and that it is to be my authority by which to live a life pleasing unto God.  (Ps. 19:7; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).
   
2. I believe in the one true God existing in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (John 14:9-11, 16-17)
3. I believe in the deity, virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and present intercession of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Matt. 1:18-25; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; John 14:7)
4. I believe that God created the universe, heavens and earth, and man in the image of God. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:10, 23)
5. I believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit and His work of convicting, regenerating, indwelling, filling and sealing. (John 16:7-11; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:13)
6. I believe in salvation through grace, totally apart from works.  The only conditions are repentance and faith. (John 10:28; Eph. 1:13; 2:8-9; 1 Pet. 1:5)
7. I believe in righteous living and good works in the life of a believer as evidence of salvation, but not as a means for obtaining it.  (2 Tim. 1:9; James 2:14-26)
8. I believe in the personality of Satan and his present position as the god of this world in opposition to God while limited in power by Him.  (Luke 10:18; John 14:30; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 6:11-12)
9. I believe in the one true Church composed of all true believers of this age, organized into autonomous but cooperating local churches.  (Matt. 28:16-20; Acts 1:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:3-6, 22-23)
10. I believe in the pre-tribulational return of Jesus Christ for His Church and the visible and personal pre-millennial return with His Church. (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:1-6)
11. I believe in the eternal conscious existence of both the saved and the unsaved - the saved in eternal blessedness with Christ, and the unsaved in eternal punishment. (2 Cor. 5:1-10;Rev. 20:11-15)
12. I believe it is the Christian’s Biblical responsibility to live a life pleasing unto the Lord and that sins such as “fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, homosexuality” and the homosexual lifestyle and bestiality are against the teachings of the Scriptures. (Rom.1:27– 31; Lev. 18:22-23; 20:13; Gen. 19:4-14; Jud. 19:22-23; 1 Cor. 6:9).
13. I believe it is the Christian’s Biblical responsibility to love his fellow brother or sister in Christ enough to confront him or her if sin has been committed and there has been no desire to repent. The purpose of this meek and gentle confrontation is to help restore the believer back to full fellowship with God when he or she has erred or strayed from the faith in his or her walk or lifestyle.  (Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1-2)
14. I believe it is the Christian’s Biblical responsibility to honor the Lord through regular church attendance and worship, Bible study and fellowship, giving of tithes and offerings, and sharing of spiritual gifts by participating in the work of the ministry for the glory of God.  (Heb. 10:24-25; 2 Tim. 2:15; Malachi 3:8-9; Rom. 12:5-10; 1 Cor. 12:1-7; James 2:14-18; Eph. 4:11-15)
15. I believe in what the Scriptures declare as it relates to the role of women, women in ministry, young men and the Biblical authority of man.  (Gen. 3:16; Rom. 16:1; I Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5 :22-24;  1 Tim. 2:12: 2 Titus 1-8).