Calvary Memorial Church

Calvary Memorial Church
Statement of Faith
Introduction. Calvary Memorial Church is in the Reformation tradition: Only Faith,
Only Grace, Only Scripture. The Church's Statement of Faith reflects that
tradition, as do the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. Applicants for
membership will assent to the Church's Statement of Faith, which is set forth as
follows:
A. We believe in God, Creator of all things, infinite in power, perfect, and
eternally existing in three persons -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Genesis
1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 8 and 19:1-4; Isaiah 40:21-31; John 1:1-17 and
14:1-20; Hebrews 1; Revelation 4:11)
B. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the verballyinspired
Word of God, without error in the original writings. They are the
supreme and final authority in faith and life, and provide standards of
morality and conduct which are absolute, not relative. (II Timothy 3:16-17;
II Peter 1:20-21; Galatians 5:19-23; Proverbs 4:27; Isaiah 30:21; Romans
13:9; Hebrews 4:12)
C. We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, that He became man, was begotten
of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and possessed a sinless nature
and life, and that throughout eternity He continues to be true God, entirely
infallible, and true man. We believe that He died on a cross for our sin as
a substitutionary and atoning sacrifice, was resurrected in His crucified
body, was seen by many, ascended into heaven and is there as our High Priest
and Advocate before the Father. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14;
Acts 1:3 and 1:9-10; I Corinthians 15:1-8; Hebrews 4:15-16 and 7:23-27; I
Peter 2:21-25; I John 2:1-2)
D. We believe man, both male and female, was created in the image of God, but
that man sinned and thereby incurred both physical and spiritual death. All
are born with a sinful nature, and are sinners. (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm
51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23 and 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3)
E. We believe that all sinners who repent, believe and trust in Jesus Christ by
faith (i.e., Christians) are saved based on His death and bodily
resurrection; they are born of the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of
God -- the only way of salvation. (Luke 7:48-50; John 1:12-13, 3:5-8, 3:16,
11:25-26 and 14:6; Acts 4:12 and 16:29-31; Romans 10:8-13; I Corinthians
1:18; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; Psalms 34:4-8
and 40:1-4; Isaiah 12:2, 25:9 and 45:22)
F. We believe that Christians are to live in accordance with the Scriptures by
the power of the Holy Spirit within them. (Matthew 4:4; John 14:15-18 and
23-24; Romans 6:2-4 and 8:4-5; II Corinthians 5:14-17; Galatians 2:19-20 and
5:13-25; Ephesians 5:1-2; Colossians 2:6-7; I Peter 2:12; I John 3:24 and
4:11-16; Psalm 1; Proverbs 7:2)
G. We believe that Satan exists; although his defeat is sure, he seeks to tempt
and deceive people and to distort the Word of God. (Matthew 4:1-11; John
12:31-32; II Corinthians 11:14; Ephesians 6:10-13; I Peter 5:8-9; Revelation
20:10)
H. We believe that the universal church, of which Jesus Christ is the Head, is
composed of all who believe and trust in Him by faith, and that its mission
is to fulfil His Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all people -- a
mission fulfilled through local bodies of believers working together for this
purpose. (Matthew 28:18-20; John 15:19; Acts 2:41-47, 14:27 and 20:28;
Romans 12:4-8; I Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 1:22-23 and 3:8-11)
I. We believe that baptism of believers and the Lord's Supper (communion) are
ordinances to be observed by the Church. They are not to be regarded as
means of salvation or prerequisites for membership in the Church. The Church
practices baptism by immersion. (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:38,
8:12 and 35-38; I Corinthians 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12)
J. We believe that Jesus Christ will return -- a bodily, visible, glorious
return in which God's purposes of grace toward mankind will find their
consummation, and that this has a vital bearing on the lives of believers.
(Matthew 24:30-31; Mark 13:26-33; Luke 21:27; John 14:1-6; Acts 1:10-11; I
Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Timothy 6:13-15; II Timothy 4:8; Titus 2:11-14; I
John 3:3; Revelation 1:7; Psalm 121:8)
K. We believe in the resurrection of the dead -- of believers in changed bodies
to everlasting life and joy with the Lord, and of unbelievers to judgment and
everlasting separation from God. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29 and 11:25;
I Corinthians 15:20-26 and 15:51-58; II Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation
20:11 to 22:5; Job 19:25-27; Malachi 3:16-18)
L. We believe that God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive
relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual
activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual,
homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin. (Genesis 2:24-25;
Exodus 20:14, 17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Matthew 19:4-6,
9; Romans 1:18-31; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; I Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7)
We believe that God created the human race male and female and that all
conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is
immoral and therefore sin. (Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 22:5)
M. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess
and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus
Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
N. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness,
respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing
behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated
and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the Calvary
Memorial Church.