Our mission at Calvary Baptist Church is simple:
We look forward to serving with you!
Calvary Baptist Church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. We adhere to The Baptist Faith and Message which is a detailed explanation of the biblical beliefs held by Southern Baptists.
Each statement below is followed by Scripture references which can be used to help you understand our foundational beliefs.
There is one and only one living and true God. God reveals Himself to people in three different persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons have distinct personal attributes, but they exist together as one God.
Psalm 90:2, 2 Corinthians 13:14
God the Father reigns with providential care over all of creation. He is the creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and ever present. God is set apart from mankind because of His holiness, yet He is personal and He seeks to be in fellowship with His creation.
Matthew 7:11, Matthew 23:9, John 17:1-8, Romans 8:14-15, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came to earth as God incarnate to save sinners. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended into heaven’s glory where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father and He will return to earth again to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 1:22-23, Romans 1:3-4, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 4:14-15
The Holy Spirit reveals to people their need for Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts mankind of their sin and then works to conform them to the image of Christ. He empowers the believer to live a life of discipleship and He blesses them with spiritual gifts to be used for the glory of Christ.
John 14:15-17, John 14:25-26, John 16:7-13, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:1-17, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 5:25, Ephesians 1:13
The Bible is God’s most complete and comprehensive revelation of Himself to humanity. The Bible was written by men under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is God-breathed and is therefore inerrant, true, and trustworthy. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and values. The Bible presents the standards by which humans should live. Because all Scripture is inspired by God it is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness.
Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 30:5, 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21
Mankind is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all people are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God and are inclined toward sin. Sin separates people from God and leads them into a life of unrighteousness.
Genesis 1:27, Psalm 8:3-6, Psalm 139:1-24, Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23
By God’s grace salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is no salvation apart from repentance of sins and personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Salvation is not earned through good works, rather saving faith is evidenced by good works, obedience, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Those who truly believe in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross are secure in their salvation for eternity.
John 1:10-13, John 3:16, John 14:6, Romans 5:1, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10, Galatians 3:26, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 7:25, 1 Peter 1:3-5, 1 John 3:1-3
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers. The church should work together to teach the Gospel, fellowship with one another, share communion together, and pray as evidenced by the early church. The church represents Christ to the world and it is charged with the responsibility of making disciples of all nations. Each member of the church is responsible for fulfilling that task and accountable to Christ as Lord. The church should be unified in its doctrine and its practice of faith.
Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:19-22, Ephesians 3:8-11, Colossians 1:18
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. Baptism symbolizes the believer’s death to their sin, the burial of their old life, and their resurrection to walk in a new way of life serving Jesus Christ. Baptism does not save a person, but it is their public display of surrendering their own life and following Christ in faith. Being a church ordinance, baptism is a prerequisite to the privilege of church membership.
Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:21-22, Acts 2:41-42, Romans 6:3-11, Colossians 2:12
The Lord’s Supper is a time where baptized members of the body of Christ partake of the bread and the fruit of the vine to remember and honor the death, burial, and resurrection Jesus Christ. Communion is act of obedience and a symbol of love and reverence for the Redeemer who paid for the sins of humanity
Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:7-20, John 3:14-17, 6:58, John 6:58, Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 10:16-21, 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, 1 John 1:7
God is the source of all blessings in life. All that an individual has should be viewed as a gift from God. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute their time, talents, and material possessions for the advancement of Christ’s cause on earth. These resources should be given cheerfully, regularly, proportionately, and liberally. Tithing should be regularly practiced for the support of Christ’s body, the church, as God commands. Individual tithes are then used collectively to accomplish the Lord’s purposes.
Genesis 14:20, Leviticus 27:30-32, Deuteronomy 8:18, Malachi 3:8-12, Matthew 6:19-21, Acts 2:44-47, Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
The family is the foundational institution of human society. The building of enduring Christian families should be of primary concern for all believers in Christ. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The union between Christ and His church is the model for God’s unique gift of marriage. Marriage provides for men and women the framework for intimate companionship and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. A Christian marriage should be focused on working together to bring glory to God. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents should demonstrate for their children a Godly marriage and they should constantly teach their children the truths of the Bible. Children are to honor and obey their parents.
Genesis 1:26-28, Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalms 127:1-5, Psalms 128:1-6, Proverbs 6:20-22, Ephesians 5:21-33, Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:18-21, Titus 2:3-5, Hebrews 13:4
God will bring about the end of the world in His own time and in His own way. At that time Jesus Christ will return to earth to judge all mankind. Humans will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is to enjoy eternal life in Heaven with the Lord.
Matthew 16:27, Matthew 19:28, Matthew 24:30-44, Matthew 25:31-46, Luke 12:40, Luke 21:27-28, John 3:16, John 14:1-3, Acts 1:11, Acts 17:31, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:17-18, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, 2 Timothy 4:8, Hebrews 9:27-28. Revelation 20:15, 22:7