We are Bible believers! We believe the King James Bible is the perfect, inspired, and preserved Word of God. It is the inerrant, infallible, and complete Word of God. We believe the Holy Spirit of God verbally and completely inspired the Word of God. (I Peter 1:19-21; II Timothy 3:15-17). We believe that the inspired Word of God has been divinely preserved, to this day, without contradiction or error, in the King James Bible (Psalm 12:6-7, 138:2; Matthew 25:18; John 12:48). The King James Bible is the sole authority for our faith and practice at Calvary Baptist Church.
We believe there is only one God. The God of Heaven is a triune God, eternally existing in three persons–God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit–equally eternal in being, identical in nature, and equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14, John 14:10, 26, 15:16-17, 26, Ephesians 4:6, I Timothy 1:17)
God the Father: We reject the ecumenical teaching that God is the Father of all and that all are brothers. We believe that He is the Spiritual Father of only those who have been Biblically born again. (John 3:3, 1:12, Ephesians 4:6, Philippians 1:2).
God the Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14:2; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2).
God the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person Who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9;
I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14). We believe that He is the Divine Teacher Who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20,27). We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary (I Corinthians 1:22, 13:8; 14:21-22).
We believe the Genesis account of Divine Creation as found in the King James Bible. We believe that what one believes about his origin will largely determine his philosophy of life. We believe creation was a direct act of God, in six, literal, 24 hour solar days, instantaneous and miraculous. We believe man was created in the image of God and all reproduction was “after their kind.” We reject evolution, any/all deviations of evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution, ALL as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1-2; Colossians 1:16-17; Job 26:7; Psalm 33:6, 9; John 1:3)
We believe the Genesis account of the flood. The Great Flood is the answer to questions about fossilization, contour of the earth, seasons, and other scientific observations… not evolution or chance. (Genesis 6-8)
We believe that Satan is a created angel who enjoyed heavenly honors, but fell through pride and ambition to be like God the Father drawing after him 1/3 of the angelic host. Satan is now the "prince of the power of the air" and the "god" of this world's system. We believe that Satan is the author of sin and the enticement behind the Fall of Man; we also believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. He walks about this world as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour spiritually! (Job 1:6-7; I Peter 5:8; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 2:10).
We believe that man (beginning with Adam and Eve) was created in the image of God but fell through sin in the Garden of Eden bringing not only physical death but also spiritual death (separation from God). Now, the entirety of mankind is totally depraved, having inherited a sinful nature, is bent toward sinning, and will continue to become more and more sinful in thought, word, and deed with each passing generation. (Genesis 1:26-27, Gen. 2:16-17, Gen. 3:1-6, 16-19, Romans 3:10-23, 6:23)
We believe God is not willing that anyone should perish in hell, but that all men should repent of their sin, plead for forgiveness, and humbly trust Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior! (II Peter 3:9) (John 3:16-18)
Here's How You Can Know For Sure Heaven Is Your Eternal Home...
There are four main things you need to KNOW:
1. Realize You Are A Sinner
Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The reason we come short of God's glory (God's righteousness or perfect nature) is because "all have sinned". "All" includes every single person. Sin is nothing more than disobeying God and His Word - it's not just murdering or stealing. For example, Adam and Eve ate from the tree that God told them not to touch - that was the first sin. So the first thing you must do is agree with the Bible and admit to God that you are a sinner.
2. Realize You Owe a Sin Debt
Romans 6:23a - "For the wages of sin is death;"
A “wage” is what we get for what we do. We work a job, we make money. We commit a crime, we suffer the consequence. Likewise, when we sin, there are the consequences we face for the sin we have committed. God tells us that the consequence of our sin is death - an eternal death which is also called the Second Death.
Revelation 20:14-15, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Secondly, you must realize that if you die in your sins, then you must pay the penalty for your sin by dying in Hell - forever.
3. Realize that Jesus Christ Has Already Paid Your Sin Debt
Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Although sin brings eternal death in hell, God wants to give us eternal life in Heaven. You must realize that you cannot gain eternal life by going to church, being baptized, or by just being a good person. Heaven is a free gift from God made possible by Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection 3 days later.
John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Romans 5:8 - "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
So the third thing you must realize is that Jesus has paid your sin debt by dying for you and rising again, and eternal life is only gained through Him.
4. Realize that You Can Be Saved By Trusting Christ
Although Jesus died to pay everyone's sin debt, not everyone is on their way to Heaven. You must confess your sin to God, believe what Jesus has done for you, and ask Jesus to save you. By doing so, you are choosing to trust in Jesus' work on the Cross and you are choosing to receive God’s free gift of Salvation and Eternal Life in Heaven.
Romans 10:9 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Romans 10:13 - "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, simply bow your head and humbly:
1. Admit to God that you are a sinner.
2. Tell Him you believe Jesus died for you and rose again.
3. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and save your soul from Hell.
4. Then believe that He promised to save you.
We believe Christians, once they are saved, are kept by the power of God and secured in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; I Peter 1:5) Salvation was not attained by any merit on man's part but solely on our faith in the Work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary; therefore the responsibility of "keeping" our salvation is the Lord's and not ours. We are saved by grace through faith and that salvation is eternal! Praise God, we can rejoice in the assurance of our eternal salvation that rests in the Person of Christ and the truth of God's Word. (I John 5:11-13).
We believe that Biblical Baptism is the complete immersion of a believer in water in the name of "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost". Biblical Baptism is a beautiful picture of our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. It is a picture of our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, and it is the obedient submission of the child of God to the Will of the Father. Not to obtain salvation from the Lord but in response to our salvation. Biblical baptism by immersion is a prerequisite of church membership and partaking of the Lord’s Supper. (Acts 8:36-39, Matthew 3:6, 16, Matthew 28:19, John 3:23)
We believe that every Child of God was created, in part, to bring glory to God and to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord (Rev. 4:11) by separating from worldly and sinful practices. A person, once he has truly accepted Christ as Savior, is a new creature in Christ and should live a holy and consecrated life. He should separate himself from the world and all its lust, and strive to live in obedience to the Word of God. (Romans 12:1-2, I John 2:15-17, II Corinthians 5:17, 6:14-18, I Peter 2:9, II Timothy 2:19)
We believe that a Scriptural church is a visible assembly of saved and baptized believers covenanted together under the Word of God to carry out the Great Commission. The church of Jesus Christ exists today with an unbroken history from the personal ministry of Jesus on earth to this present day; and this church is a self-governed, independent body having Christ as the Head, the Holy Spirit for its Guide, and the Bible as the sole authority for our faith and practice. (Mark 16:15, Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:21)
We believe that true, Bible believing Baptists are not protestants, and that our doctrine can be traced back to the teachings of Christ and His disciples.
We are not part of a denomination. We are independent and fundamental. The only Scriptural offices of the church are the Pastor (I Tim. 3:1-7) and Deacons. (I Tim. 3:8-13) The two ordinances of the local church are Baptism (Matt. 3:13-17, Acts 2:41) and the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-29).
We believe that God has defined in His Word that “marriage” is between one man and one woman for one life.
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 and leading them, through consistent lifestyle examples 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)
We believe that any marriage outside of God's definition is an immoral attempt to have God's blessings upon what God calls abomination. Any sexual acts outside of marriage (or deviations of God’s Design for Marriage) either physical, mental or emotional, are classified as sin in the Bible (this includes any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography). (Genesis 2:24, Genesis 19:5,13, Genesis 26:8-9, Leviticus 18:1-30, Romans 1:26-29, I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9, I Thessalonians 4:1-8, Hebrews 13:4)
We believe that God intends on marriages lasting “till death do they part”. Divorce is not in God's original intent and is always extremely hurtful to all involved, especially the kids. While divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the Church and may be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of Pastor or Deacon. (Malachi 2:14-17, Matthew 19:3-12, Romans 7:1-3, I Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6)
We believe that human life begins at conception; thus, the unborn child is a living human being with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereunto.
We believe abortion is the unjustified, unexcused termination of an unborn or newborn human life, thus we believe that abortion is murder.
Further, we reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16, Psalm 51:5, Psalm 139:14-16, Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 49:1-5, Jeremiah 1:5, Jeremiah 20:15-18, Luke 1:44)
We believe the "Rapture" of the church is the next event on God's Prophetic timeline. The Rapture of the church is the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation, pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His children! (I Thessalonians 4:13-17)
The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will take place after the 7-year Tribulation Period and is the subsequent return by Jesus to earth with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom. (Zechariah 14, Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6, I Thessalonians 1:10)
We believe that God is Our Ultimate Authority in all things! (Gen. 1:1, Exo. 20:1-7, Col. 1:15-17) We further believe that God has ordained and created earthly authority, existing in 3 basic institutions (Pro. 21:1, Rom. 13:1-7):
1) The Home (Ephesians 5:22-24); consisting of father, mother, and children, embracing their distinct roles within the home. Homes built upon the Word of God are to be the foundation of society; and we've seen evidence in America that as the homes go, so go the churches and the country. Our homes need the Lord!
2) The Church (Hebrews 13:7); consists of pastors, deacons, and congregation; joyfully embracing their areas of service to their Heavenly Father within the body of Christ. The church is not the building, it's the people; the bride of Jesus Christ!
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 licensing and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
3) Civil Government (I Peter 2:13-16); in America, consisting of its 3 branches of government (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) serving its people by the founding documents that forged this great nation. It was understood in the inception of America, that we the People were endowed by our "Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Further, Government is instituted among men to help secure those most basic and noble rights!
Each of these 3 institutions was designed by God, created by God, and functions best when centered on God! God's intent is for them to operate in unity together; therefore, each should carefully fulfill their God-given responsibilities within their respective, Biblically assigned, spheres of responsibility.