What we believe
Calvary Chapel 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.
We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations as such, only their over-emphasis of the doctrinal differences that have led to the division of the Body of Christ.
We believe that the only true basis of Christian fellowship is His (Agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.
We believe worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.
We believe worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, we give a great place to music in our worship.
We believe worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, our services are designed with great emphasis upon teaching the Word of God that He might instruct us how He should be worshiped.
We believe worship of God is fruitful. Therefore, we look for His love in our lives as the supreme manifestation that we have truly been worshiping Him.
We believe in what is termed "The Apostles' Creed" as embodying all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity.
We believe 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; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, 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 who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings; His substitutionary atoning death; bodily resurrection; ascension into heaven; perpetual intercession for His people; and personal, visible return to earth. We believe that He is one and the same as God. He was fully human and fully God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the triune God, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, rigthteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower in ministry all who believe in Christ. We believe He indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Comforter, Teacher, and Guide. We believe that Jesus Christ baptizes the seeking believer with the Holy Spirit and power for service, either at the time of or subsequent to regeneration. We believe this baptism of the Holy Spirit for power and service is a separate work from the indwelling Spirit for salvation. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all biblical gifts of the Spirit as reflected through the fruit of that same Spirit.
We believe all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, and that they are the infallible rule of faith and practice. We believe all Scriptures are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness and therefore we place great emphasis on the teaching of the Scriptures, both Old and New testaments, and that by teaching all Scripture we are receiving the whole counsel of God.
We believe all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe when a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Savior, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all of their sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord.
We believe that a saved, regenerated person still has a sin nature, referred to in Scripture as the flesh, and that a born again believer must walk according to the Spirit so that they will not fulfill the deeds of the flesh, and that if we do sin, when we confess our sins that Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We believe that a child of God is positionally sanctified in Christ and sealed for salvation at regeneration, but practically is being sanctified as well, becoming more like Christ through obedience to His Word and that complete perfection and sinlessness will only occur when we meet our Savior face-to-face.
We await the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, and we believe in the literal second coming of Christ with His saints to rule the earth, which will be personal and visible. This motivates us to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's word, regular fellowship, participation in believer's baptism by immersion and Holy Communion.
We are neither five-point Calvinists, nor are we Arminians. We adhere firmly to the biblical teaching of God's sovereignty as well as man's responsibility. We avoid any theological systems of belief that go beyond the written Word and thereby divide the body of Christ.
We do not believe in the following:
- "Positive confession" (the faith movement belief that God can be commanded to heal or work miracles according to man's will).
- That human prophecy supersedes the Scriptures.
- The incorporation of humanistic and secular psychology into biblical teaching.
- The over-emphasis of spiritual gifts and experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of biblical teaching.
- That true Christians can be demon-posessed.
We believe in the universal Church, a living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all regenerate persons are members.
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. We practice baptism by immersion and believe Holy Communion is open to all believers in Jesus Christ.
We believe in the laying on of hands for the sending out of pastors and missionaries, and in conjunction with the annointing of oil by the elders for the healing of the sick.
We believe that the Bible clearly delineates that spiritual gifts are for the edification of the body and that they are to be exercised in love. We believe that love is more important than the most spectacular spiritual gift, and without love, all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless. In our services, we focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. We do not practice speaking in tongues during worship or while a Bible Study is in progress because we do not believe the Holy Spirit would interrupt Himself. We believe God is not the author of confusion and therefore the exercise of the gifts, particularly the more spectacular gifts such as speaking in tongues are encouraged in more intimate settings set aside for the purpose of edifying the body of Christ through the exercise of these gifts.