What we believe

CALVARY DISTINCTIVES

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.

DOCTRINAL BELIEFS

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative, and the inerrant Word of God. 2 Tim 3:15-17; 2 Pet 1:21.

• We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Gen 1:1; Deut 6:4; Matt 28:19;John 10:30.

• We believe in the deity of Christ John 10:33; His virgin birth Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23; Luke 1:34-35; His sinless life Heb 4:15, 7:26; His miracles John 2:11; His vicarious and atoning death 1 Cor 15:3; Eph 1:7; Heb 2:9; His resurrection John 11:25; 1 Cor 15:4; His ascension to the right hand of the Father Mark 16:19; His personal return to earth in power and glory Acts 1:11; Rev 19:11-16.

• We believe in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because of the exceeding sinfulness of the human nature, and that all are justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood of Christ, and that only by God’s grace through faith alone are we saved John 3:16-19; John 5:24; Rom 3:23, 5:8-9; Eph 2:8-10; Titus 3:5.

• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those who are not unto the resurrection of damnation John 5:28-29.

• We believe in the spiritual unity of the believers in our Lord Jesus Christ Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 12:12-13; Gal 3:26-28.

• We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by Whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life Rom 8:13-14;1 Cor 3:16, 6:19-20; Eph 4:30, 5:18.

• We believe that we as Christians are examples of the love of God in this world. It is this (agape) love that we desire to possess and without which we have no right to call ourselves Christians 1 John 4:16-17.