The Bible

We believe that the Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments (1 Cor. 2:7-14, 2 Pet. 1:20-21), is the only authoritative, sufficient, and infallible Word of God, verbally inspired and without error in the original manuscripts (2 Tim. 3:16). We hold to a normal literal interpretation of Scripture. and infinitely perfect in every way.

We believe there is only one living and true God (Deut. 6:4; Is. 45:5-7), existing in a unity of three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who are co-equal, co-eternal, co-substantial, and each equally deserving of worship and obedience. (Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14). He is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1:1-31; Eph. 3:9), holy, sovereign (Rev. 4:8; Psalm 103:19), loving, and infinitely perfect in every way.

We believe that God the Father is the first person of the Trinity who is the only absolute omnipotent ruler in the universe (Rom. 11:36). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator, He is the Father of all men (Eph. 4:6), but He is Spiritual Father only to believers (Rom. 8:14). God the Father elects (Eph. 1:4-6), calls, justifies (Rom. 8:30), adopts (Rom. 8:15), and ultimately glorifies His own. 

We believe in the eternal deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His becoming a man without ceasing to be God (Phil. 2:5-8; Col. 2:9), in His virgin birth (Is. 7:14), in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross (John 10:15; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Pet. 2:24), in His bodily resurrection (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:20,23), and in His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33). We believe He ever lives to make intercession for His saints (Heb. 7:25), and that He is coming again to rule and reign in power and glory (Is. 9:6-7; Luke 1:31-33).

We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts men of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-9). He regenerates sinners (Titus 3:5) and places them into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). He also seals (Eph. 1:13), comforts (John 15:26), indwells (Rom. 8:9-11), illuminates (1 Cor. 2:12), guides (Rom. 8:14), equips and empowers (Gal. 5:22-23) believers for Christ-like living and service. He gives gifts for the building up of the church (1 Cor. 12:11; 1 Peter 4:10-11). Every Christian is gifted by the Spirit of God for the purpose of edifying the church and doing the work of the ministry (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Rom. 12:6-8).

We believe that man was created sinless in the image of God (Gen. 1:26; 2:7; James 3:9) with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Gen. 2:7,15-25). God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s will for man in the world (Isa. 43:7, Col. 3:16, Rev. 4:11). Through transgression man incurred physical and spiritual death (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). As a result, all human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. (Eph. 2:1-3) Apart from God’s gracious intervention, man is without help, hope, and is completely depraved (Rom. 5:12).

We believe that the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life is a miraculous work of God by grace alone, through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9), in Christ alone (John 14:6; I Pet. 1:18-19). It is the unmerited demonstration of God’s love, available to all those who repent (turn from their sin) and trust in Jesus’ atoning death and victorious resurrection (2 Cor. 7:10; Luke 13:3; Heb. 9:28; John 1:12). It is only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ that man can be justified, sanctified, and ultimately glorified (1 Cor. 6:11; Rom. 8:30).

We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. This should result in a life that is separated from sin and set apart to God (Rom. 6:1-2; 1 Thess. 4:7). He commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially (Matt. 22:37-39; John 15:12-13) and to live out our faith in growing obedience to the Word and Holy Spirit so that we are progressively changed into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). Growing Christians use their God-given gifts for the purpose of edifying the church (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Pet. 4:10), doing the work of the ministry, and obeying our Lord’s command to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20).

We believe in both the imminent return of Christ and the gathering up of His church, which is known as the blessed hope (1 Thess. 4:16; Titus 2:13). We believe in the tribulation (2 Thess. 2:7-12; Rev. 16), the personal and physical second coming of Christ to establish His millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:1-7), and the eternal state wherein the unsaved are judged and condemned to a literal hell (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:11-15), and the saved are glorified to enjoy everlasting blessing in the presence of God (2 Pet 3:10; John 17:3; Rev. 21:2).

We believe that the church is both the body and the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 5:23-32; Rev. 19:7-8), into which all true believers of the present age are placed, and that the members of this spiritual body should assemble themselves together in local churches (I Cor. 11:18-20; Heb. 10:25), which consist of committed baptized believers. We believe that the New Testament describes congregational church government as being pastor/elder led and deacon served (1 Tim 3:1-13 ; Titus 1:5-9). We believe that the commission of the church is to make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey Christ’s commands (Matt 28:19-20). The fulfillment of this commission eventuates in the perpetual and intentional establishment of new local churches (Acts 13; Acts 14:23, 27; II Tim. 2:2). We believe that the church must maintain its purity by practicing both biblical discipline (Matt. 18:15-19) and separation from false teaching (Matt. 7:15-20; II Timothy 3:14; Titus 3:10).

We recognize both believer’s baptism by immersion (Matt. 3:13-17; Acts 8:36-39; Rom. 6:3-4) and the Lord’s Supper (Communion) (Acts 2:38-42) as the Scriptural ordinances for the church in this age. Both of them visibly and tangibly express the Gospel, and though they are not means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in faith-filled obedience, these ordinances spiritually nourish the believer and bear witness of the work of our Savior (I Cor. 11:23-26).

We believe that God has both ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: the home, the church, and the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and has balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14).

We believe God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We further believe that any form of adultery, fornication, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, bisexuality, trans sexuality, bestiality, pedophilia, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12).
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-
16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7).

Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until the death of a spouse. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt.19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes both the unjustified and unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. (Ex. 20:13, 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)

Because the Bible commands Christians to make every effort to live at peace and to resolve disputes with each other either privately or within the church (Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 6:1-8), the members of Calvary Bible Church are required to resolve conflict among themselves according to biblically based principles, without reliance on the secular court system. Consistent with its call to peacemaking, the church shall encourage the use of biblically based principles to resolve disputes between itself and those outside the church, whether they are Christian or not, and whether they are individuals or corporate entities.
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (1Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32).
If a conflict of interest arises in the making of a discussion that would result in the personal gain of a deacon, board member, or pastor/elder, he will be excused from the meeting in which the decision is made.

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