Statement of Faith
We
at Calvary Baptist Church believe in the Bible as
the inspired Word of God, which tells of the divine Christ, Who
had a supernatural birth, Who spoke life-giving words, Who performed miracles, Who lived a sinless life, Who died an atoning death, Who rose bodily in glorious splendor, Who intercedes as a high
priest and Who will one day return in supernatural glory to
establish a millennial kingdom on earth.
We
furthermore believe concerning the following:
The
Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men
supernaturally inspired; that it
has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain
to the end of the age, the only complete and
final revelation of the will of God to man, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct,creeds and opinions
should be tried. The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible shall be the official translation used by the church for preaching and
teaching purposes.
1. By “The Holy Bible” we mean that collection
of sixty-six books,
from Genesis to Revelation,
which as originally written IS the very Word
of God.
2. By “inspiration” we mean that the books of the Bible were
written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings
were supernaturally and
verbally inspired as no other writings have ever
been or ever will be.(2 Timothy 3:16-17;
2 Peter 1:19-21; Acts 1:16; Acts 28:25; Psalm 119:160;
Psalm 119:105; Psalm 119:130; Luke 24:25-27; John
17:17; Luke 24:44-45; Psalm 119:89;
Proverbs 30:5-6; Romans 3:4; 1 Peter 1:23; Revelation 22:19; John 12:48; Isaiah 8:20;
Ephesians 6:17; Romans 15:4; Luke 16:31; Psalm 19:7-11; John 5:45-47)
The True God
We believe that there is one, and
only one, living and true God, an
infinite, intelligent Spirit,
the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth;
inexpressibly glorious in
holiness and worthy of all possible
honor, confidence,
love and
obedience; that in
the unity of the Godhead
there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost,
equal in divine perfection and executing
distinct but harmonious offices in the great
work of redemption. (Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; John
14:10, 26; John 15:26;
2 Corinthians 13:14)
The Person and Work of Christ
1. 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; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2; 14; 2 Corinthians
5:19-21;
Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8)
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our
redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious,
substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification
is made sure by His
literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Romans
3:24-25; Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
3. 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
1:9-11;
Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John
2:1-2)
4. We believe in the
“blessed hope” the personal, imminent, coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in
the air for all redeemed ones
in Christ, both those that are alive and remain and those that are asleep in Him. (1 Thessalonians
4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Titus 2:13)
5. The Second
Advent
of Christ: We believe in the premillenial, personal
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all His
saints to earth to conquer His
enemies and establish
His kingdom on earth; to rule and
to reign in righteousness
and peace for one thousand years as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Zechariah
14:1-5; Revelation
19:11-16; 1 Thessalonians
3:13)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal
with God the Father
and God the Son and of the same nature.
That He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers
in to the body of Christ, indwelling and
sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians
3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30)
2. We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers
to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and opportunity of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 1:17-18; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)
3. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers by Jesus Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit manifests His
gifts through obedient and yielded believers
in Jesus Christ. (John 14:15-26, 16:7-8;
1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
4. We believe that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is to permeate a believer’s life, revealing a mature life devoted
to Jesus Christ. (Galatians
5:16, 22-25)
The Devil,
or Satan
1. We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors;
but through pride and ambition to be as
the Almighty, fell and
drew after him a host of angels.
2. We believe that Satan is
a personal being, a fallen angel,the
author of sin, and the instigator of the fall of man.
3. We believe him to
be the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience,
the god
of this age, the accuser
of the brethren, the adversary of Christ and
His Church, and that he transforms himself as
an angel of light to entice and deceive.
4. We believe that he
counterfeits the works of God by fostering religious movements and systems
of doctrine, which systems in every case are characterized by denial
of the efficacy
of the blood of Christ and
of salvation by grace alone, and
is destined by God’s judgment
to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to
be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 12:7, 9-10,
20:10; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:15; Genesis 3:1-6;
Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:14-15)
Creation
We believe in
the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and
not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own
image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of
evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through
interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and
vegetable life was made directly and God’s established law was that they should
bring forth only “after their kind.” (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; Acts 4:24;
Colossians 1:16-17;
Hebrews 11:3; John 1:3; Revelation 10:6; Romans 1:20; Acts 17:23-26; Jeremiah 10:12; Nehemiah 9:6; Genesis
1:26-27; Genesis 2:21-23; Genesis 1:11; Genesis 1:24)
The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary
transgression fell from his
sinless and happy state,
in consequence of which all mankind are now born sinners,and
therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.(Genesis 3:1-6,
24; Romans 5:12, 19; Romans 3:10-19;
Ephesians 2:1, 3; Romans 1:18; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans
1:32; Romans 1:20, 28; Galatians 3:22)
The Virgin Birth
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost,
in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin,
as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God, and God, the Son. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; Mark 1:1; John 1:14; Psalm 2:7; Galatians
4:4; 1 John 5:20; 1 Corinthians 15:47)
The Atonement for Sin
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial
offices of the Son of God, who
by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet
without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His
death as
a martyr, but was
the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place,
the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord,bearing our sins in His
own body on the tree; that,
having risen
from the dead,
He is now enthroned in
heaven and
uniting in His wonderful person
the tenderest sympathies
with divine perfection, He is ever qualified to be a suitable, compassionate and all-sufficient Savior. (Ephesians 2:8; Acts
15:11; Romans 3:24; John
3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians
2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53: 4-7; Romans 3:25; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2
Corinthians 5:21; John
10:18; Philippians 2:8; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; Isaiah 53:11; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Isaiah 53:12; Hebrews 9:12-15;
Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:2)
Grace in the New Creation
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new
birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and
not a process; that
in the new birth the
one dead in trespasses
and in sins is made a partaker
of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift
of God; that the new creation is
brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and
solely by the power of
the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth,
so as to secure our
voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its
proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and
newness of life. (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:1; John
3:6-7; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans
6:23; Ephesians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians
2:13; John 1:12-13; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9)
The Freeness of Salvation
1. We believe in God’s electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are freely made to all by
the gospel; that it is the immediate offer
to all mankind to accept them by a cordial,
penitent and obedient faith; and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the
gospel; which rejection
involves him in an aggravated condemnation. (1 Thessalonians 1:4; Colossians 3:12; 1 Peter 1:2; Titus
1:1; Romans 8:29-30; Matthew
11:28; Isaiah
55:1; Revelation 22:17; Romans
10; 13; John 6:37; Isaiah
55:6; Acts 2:38; Isaiah
55:7; John 3:15-16; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1
Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians
2:4-5; John
5:40; John 3:18; John 3:36)
2. We believe that the new birth of the believer
is an act of God the Spirit and comes only through individual faith in Jesus Christ and no other act such as confession, baptism, prayer, or
faithful service is to be added to believing faith as
a condition of salvation. (John 1:12; Romans 1:16; Galatians
3:24; Ephesians 2:8; Romans
4:5)
Justification
We believe that the great gospel
blessing which Christ secures
to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes
the pardon of sin, and the gift
of eternal life on principles of righteousness;
that it is bestowed not in consideration of
any works of righteousness which we have done;
but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is
imputed unto us. (Acts
13:39; Isaiah
53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 8:1; Romans 5:9; Romans 5:1; Titus
3:5-7; Romans
1:17; Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11; Romans 4:1-8; Hebrews 10:38)
Repentance and Faith
We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces,
wrought in
our souls by the quickening Spirit
of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness,
and seeing the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God
with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for
mercy; at the same
time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing
Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. (Acts 20:21; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:37-38; Luke 18:13; Romans 10:13; Psalm 51:1-4, 7; Isaiah
55:6-7; Luke 12:8; Romans 10:9-11)
The Church
1. We believe that Calvary Baptist Church
is a congregation
of baptized believers united by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, said church being understood to
be the citadel and propagator of the Divine and Eternal
Grace; observing the ordinances
of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges
invested in them by His Word; that its
officers of ordination are Pastors whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We hold that the local
church has the absolute right
of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals
or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through
the Holy Spirit; that
it is scriptural
for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and
method of its cooperation; on all matters
of membership, of policy,
of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of
the local church is final. (Acts 2:41-42;
1 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 8-11; Acts
14:23; Acts 6:5-6; Acts
15:23; Acts 20:17-28;
1 Timothy 3:1-13; Matthew
28:19-20; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24;
1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts
15:22; Jude 3, 4; 2 Corinthians
8:23-24;
1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Leviticus 27:32; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13)
2. We believe that God is sovereign
in the bestowal
of spiritual gifts to every believer. God
uniquely uses evangelists, pastors,
and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in
order
that they can do the work
of the ministry. (Romans 12:3-8;
1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 4:11-12)
Baptism and The Lord’s
Supper
1. While recognizing that water baptism has no saving merit,
we believe that the believer should be baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
with the authority of the local
church,
to show forth in a solemn
and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and
risen Savior, with
its effect in our death to
sin and
resurrection to a new
life; that it is
pre-requisite
to the privileges
of a church relation and The Lord’s Supper. (Acts 8:36-39; Matthew
3:16; Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians
2:12; Acts 2:41)
2. We believe that The Lord’s Supper is a memorial service in
which
the elements symbolize the broken body and shed blood
of Christ at Calvary and
is to be partaken
of after solemn self-examination, by believers only, who are
walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:42;
1 Corinthians 11:23-31; Matthew 26:26-30)
Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good
order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and
obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of
our Lord Jesus Christ;
who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming King of kings of the earth. (Romans 13:1-7;
2 Samuel
23:3; Exodus 18:21-23;
Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14,
17; Acts 4:19-20; Daniel
3:17-18; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 23:10; Philippians
2:10-11; Psalm 72:11)
The Resurrection
and Return of Christ
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon
these subjects at their face and full value. Of the Resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily “the third
day according to the scriptures"; that
He alone is our “merciful and faithful
high
priest in things pertaining to
God”; “that this same Jesus
which is taken up from you
into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen
Him to into heaven”—bodily, personally and visibly; that the “dead
in Christ shall rise first”, that the living saints “shall all be changed
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,at the last trump”;
“that the Lord God shall give
unto Him the throne of His Father David”; and that “Christ shall
reign a thousand years in righteousness
until He hath put all enemies under His feet.” (Matthew
28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John
20:27; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Mark
16:6; Luke 24:2-7; Acts
1:9, 11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Revelation
3:21; Hebrews 8:1, 6; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John
2:1; Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews
5:9-10; John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Matthew 24:27; Matthew 24:42; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Luke 1:32; 1
Corinthians 15:25; Isaiah 11:4-5; Psalm 72:8; Revelation 20:1-6)
Missions
The
command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and this
Commission was given to the churches. Therefore, it is our duty to follow the Biblical admonition by
supporting mission endeavors in Benson, the State of Arizona, the United States
of America and foreign countries.
Matthew
28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you and, lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world. Amen.”
Mark
16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature.”
John
20:21, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath
sent me, even so send I you.”
Romans
10:13-15, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. How then shall they call on Him
in whom they have not believed? And how
shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach
except they be sent? As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring
glad tidings of good things!”
The Grace of Giving
Scriptural
giving is one of the fundamentals of the faith.
2
Corinthians 8:7, “Therefore as ye abound in everything, in faith, in utterance,
and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound
in this grace (giving) also.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-11)
We
are commanded to bring our gifts into the storehouse (common treasury of the
church) upon the first day of the week.
1
Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by
him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I
come.”
Under
grace we give, and do not pay, the tithe—“Abraham gave the tenth of the
spoils”; Hebrews 7:2, 4 –And this was four hundred years before the law, and is
confirmed in the New Testament; Jesus said concerning the tithe, “These ye
ought to have done.”—Matthew 23:23.
In
the New Testament it was the common treasury of the church.
Acts
4:34, 35, 37, “And brought prices of the things that were sold and laid them
down at the apostles' feet…Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and
laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Human Sexuality
1. We believe that the only
legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman, and that God has
commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage.
(Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:10-15; Ephesians 5:22-23)
2. We believe that
any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest,
adultery and fornication 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. (Genesis
2:24, 19:5, 13, 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1,
6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-9; Hebrews 13:4)
Any employee of the church engaged in any of the
aforementioned practices shall be immediately terminated from employment.
3. 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. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians
3:18-20; 1 Timothy 2:8-12, 3:4-5, 12)