Calvary
Baptist
Church
Baptist
Church
Articles of Faith
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Article I – Of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written, was verbally inspired and is the product of the Spirit
controlled men; and therefore is truth without admixture of error for its matter. We believe that it is the true
center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds, and opinions. (II Timothy
3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21)
Article II – Of the True God
We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the
God head there are three personal distinctions – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – yet one in
substance and equal in every divine perfection. (Exodus 20:2, 3; I Corinthians 8:6, I John 5:7)
We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can
be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He
never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist of laying aside His deity; that
as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. (John 1:1, 2; John 5:
20; Luke 1:26-38)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and Son and of the same substance
and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the Agent of
the New Birth and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer, in
dwelling every true Child of God. (II Corinthians 13:14; John 13:16, 17; Romans 8:14-27)
Article III – Of the Devil, or Satan
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age; author of all powers of
darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; II
Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)
Article IV – Of the Creation
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind,” by direct
act, and not by the process of evolution. (Genesis 1:2; Colossions 1:16, 17; John 1:3)
Article V – Of the Fall of Man
We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence but by voluntary
transgression fell into sin, thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all
mankind is born in sin and shaped in iniquity and become willful sinners with the first expression of
personal choice, and so are without excuse before God. (Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19)
Article VI – Of the Redemption from Sin
We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the redemption wrought by Jesus
Christ, when He voluntarily took upon Him a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His
suffering, death and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the
blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess and that it is the
immediate duty of all to accept these offers of mercy. (John 1:1-3, 14; Acts 16:30-33)
Article VII – Of Salvation by Grace
We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin
and this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure. (Acts
16:31; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 10:9-13)
We believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ.
(John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6)
Article VIII – Of the Church
We believe that the Church universal is a New Testament institution; unknown to the Old Testament
prophets; established by Jesus Christ, Who is its sole head; revealed through the holy Apostles; empowered
and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; His “Body” for service and His “Bride” for glory. It began with the
New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture. (Matthew 16:18;
Acts 1:8, 2:1-13, 41-47, 15:14; Romans 16:26; I Corinthians 12:12-28; Ephesians 1:22, 23, 3:21, 5:23-33; I
Thessalonians 4:13-16)
We believe that the Church universal is manifest through the local church which is a congregation of
immersed believers, associated by covenant through faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the
ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His
Work; that its officers are bishops (or pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government,
directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership,
policy, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local church is final.
Article IX – Of the Ordinances
We believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion
of a believer in water and is properly called “Believer’s Baptism”. It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way
our faith in our lives as it produces death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite to
the privileges of church membership. The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of our Lord’s death until He
comes and our continual fellowship with Him, should be proceeded by baptism, always by careful self-
examination and the reading or reference to appropriate passages of scripture. (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5;
I Corinthians 11:23-32)
Article X – Of the Righteous and Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only
such as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God,
are truly righteous in God’s esteem; while all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight
wicked, and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both during life and after death, in the
everlasting conscious felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (Malachi 3:18;
Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 6:25; John 8:21)
Article XI – Of the Return of Christ
We believe in the bodily, personal, imminent, pretribulational, premillennial return of Jesus Christ; that He
will come to catch away His church, coming only into the air, and that He will come with His church at the
close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and the set up His kingdom on earth. (I Thessalonians 4:13-
18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21)
Article XII – Of the Resurrection
We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the
coming of Christ for His church and caught up with transformed living saints to meet the Lord in the air, and
that the wicked dead will be raised at the close of the Millennial kingdom and stand in their bodies at the
Great White Throne of judgment to receive their final doom. (John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation
7:9-17, 20:11-15)
Article XIII – Of Separation
We believe in personal separation from all practices and influences which hinder a Spirit-filled life. We
believe in ecclesiastical separation form all forms of apostasy. This we believe necessary as the only
scriptural basis for a happy and useful Christian life. (Romans 6:1-14; Galatians 5:16-25; James 4:14; I John
2:15-17; II Corinthians 6:14, 7:1; Colossians 3:1-17; Romans 12:1)
Article XIV – Of Mission
We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to be a personal soul winner and to do
his utmost to give the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; John 17:18, 20:21; II
Corinthians 5:20)
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written, was verbally inspired and is the product of the Spirit
controlled men; and therefore is truth without admixture of error for its matter. We believe that it is the true
center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds, and opinions. (II Timothy
3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21)
Article II – Of the True God
We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the
God head there are three personal distinctions – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – yet one in
substance and equal in every divine perfection. (Exodus 20:2, 3; I Corinthians 8:6, I John 5:7)
We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can
be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He
never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist of laying aside His deity; that
as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. (John 1:1, 2; John 5:
20; Luke 1:26-38)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and Son and of the same substance
and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the Agent of
the New Birth and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer, in
dwelling every true Child of God. (II Corinthians 13:14; John 13:16, 17; Romans 8:14-27)
Article III – Of the Devil, or Satan
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age; author of all powers of
darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; II
Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)
Article IV – Of the Creation
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind,” by direct
act, and not by the process of evolution. (Genesis 1:2; Colossions 1:16, 17; John 1:3)
Article V – Of the Fall of Man
We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence but by voluntary
transgression fell into sin, thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all
mankind is born in sin and shaped in iniquity and become willful sinners with the first expression of
personal choice, and so are without excuse before God. (Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19)
Article VI – Of the Redemption from Sin
We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the redemption wrought by Jesus
Christ, when He voluntarily took upon Him a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His
suffering, death and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the
blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess and that it is the
immediate duty of all to accept these offers of mercy. (John 1:1-3, 14; Acts 16:30-33)
Article VII – Of Salvation by Grace
We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin
and this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure. (Acts
16:31; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 10:9-13)
We believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ.
(John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6)
Article VIII – Of the Church
We believe that the Church universal is a New Testament institution; unknown to the Old Testament
prophets; established by Jesus Christ, Who is its sole head; revealed through the holy Apostles; empowered
and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; His “Body” for service and His “Bride” for glory. It began with the
New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture. (Matthew 16:18;
Acts 1:8, 2:1-13, 41-47, 15:14; Romans 16:26; I Corinthians 12:12-28; Ephesians 1:22, 23, 3:21, 5:23-33; I
Thessalonians 4:13-16)
We believe that the Church universal is manifest through the local church which is a congregation of
immersed believers, associated by covenant through faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the
ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His
Work; that its officers are bishops (or pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government,
directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership,
policy, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local church is final.
Article IX – Of the Ordinances
We believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion
of a believer in water and is properly called “Believer’s Baptism”. It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way
our faith in our lives as it produces death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite to
the privileges of church membership. The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of our Lord’s death until He
comes and our continual fellowship with Him, should be proceeded by baptism, always by careful self-
examination and the reading or reference to appropriate passages of scripture. (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5;
I Corinthians 11:23-32)
Article X – Of the Righteous and Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only
such as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God,
are truly righteous in God’s esteem; while all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight
wicked, and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both during life and after death, in the
everlasting conscious felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (Malachi 3:18;
Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 6:25; John 8:21)
Article XI – Of the Return of Christ
We believe in the bodily, personal, imminent, pretribulational, premillennial return of Jesus Christ; that He
will come to catch away His church, coming only into the air, and that He will come with His church at the
close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and the set up His kingdom on earth. (I Thessalonians 4:13-
18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21)
Article XII – Of the Resurrection
We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the
coming of Christ for His church and caught up with transformed living saints to meet the Lord in the air, and
that the wicked dead will be raised at the close of the Millennial kingdom and stand in their bodies at the
Great White Throne of judgment to receive their final doom. (John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation
7:9-17, 20:11-15)
Article XIII – Of Separation
We believe in personal separation from all practices and influences which hinder a Spirit-filled life. We
believe in ecclesiastical separation form all forms of apostasy. This we believe necessary as the only
scriptural basis for a happy and useful Christian life. (Romans 6:1-14; Galatians 5:16-25; James 4:14; I John
2:15-17; II Corinthians 6:14, 7:1; Colossians 3:1-17; Romans 12:1)
Article XIV – Of Mission
We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to be a personal soul winner and to do
his utmost to give the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; John 17:18, 20:21; II
Corinthians 5:20)