Calvary Chapel Baptist Church

We affirm the following statements of faith from Converge Worldwide (formerly the Baptist General Conference):

The Bible

The Bible is God’s inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word. It is God’s revelation to humanity, written by human authors under the power of the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is God-breathed (1 Tim The Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, are without error in their original manuscripts and serve as the ultimate authority for faith, doctrine, and conduct. Through the Bible, God reveals His character, His redemptive plan through Jesus Christ, and His will for all creation. We affirm that Scripture is sufficient and timeless, providing everything necessary for salvation and godly living. [e.g., 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21]. 

The Trinity

We believe in the Trinity, one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are distinct yet inseparable, coequal and coeternal, sharing the same divine essence. The Father, the source of all creation; the Son, the incarnate Word who redeems; and the Holy Spirit, the life-giving presence who sanctifies; we believe in the convicting, regenerating, and guiding power of the Holy Spirit in which all three work in perfect unity. Though each person of the Trinity has unique roles in the story of redemption, they are always in complete harmony, acting as one true God worthy of all worship, glory, and praise. [e.g., Matthew 28:19; John 1:14; 16:5-13]. 

God the Father

We believe in God the Father, the creator of everything seen and unseen, the I AM. We believe He is an infinite personal God, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humanity, hears and answers prayer, and desires for us to know Him. We believe He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ [e.g., John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 1:1-3].

Jesus Christ

Jesus is our wonderful Lord and Savior! He came to Earth as both fully God and fully human, driven by love to sacrifice Himself on the cross for the sins of the world. Three days later, through the power of the Holy Spirit, He rose from the dead, appearing to many before ascending to Heaven. He did all of this so we could be with Him for eternity. We believe that when the Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary’s cross, it was for our sins and that through His substitutionary atonement, all who accept Him as their personal Savior have eternal life; that there is salvation in no other way, and that all
who reject Him as their vicarious Savior are eternally lost. John 3:16, 36; 14:6; 1 Peter 3:18; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-13

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide [e.g. John 14:26; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:22]. 

Regeneration

We believe all people are sinners by nature and choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates those who repent their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior [e.g., John 1:12-13; 3:3; Acts 2:38; Titus 3:5]. 

The Church

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, which is a company of believers in Jesus Christ who were baptized in a credible profession of faith and associated with worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world [e.g., Matthew 16:16-18; Ephesians 2:19-22]. 

Christian Conduct

We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others, that their conduct should be blameless before the world, that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions, and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ [e.g., Ephesians 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3-7].  

The Ordinances

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is a believer’s immersion into the triune God’s name. We believe that Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper to commemorate His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ [e.g., Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 22:14-20].   

Religious Liberty

We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other [e.g., 1 Peter 2:13-15; James 4:12; Romans 14:4].

The Last Things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity [blessedness] of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked [e.g., Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 1:6-11; Revelation 20:11-15].  

Marriage

We believe marriage is a sacred union established by God, intended to unite one man and one woman in an enduring, exclusive partnership characterized by mutual care, support, and intimacy. Furthermore, we maintain that marriage is the sole rightful context for sexual activity, as referenced in passages such as Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:5-6, 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, Ephesians 5:22-33, and Hebrews 13:4.