Our Beliefs | Calvary Chapel Perfect Love

Summary Statement

Calvary Chapel Perfect Love has been established as a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ.

According to the Scriptures we believe,

Jesus is the Jewish Messiah (Jn. 4:22-26, Rom. 1:1-4, 16),
Jesus is the King of Israel (Matt. 1:1-2, Matt. 27:37),
Jesus is the Savior of the world (Jn. 1:28, Jn. 3:17),
Jesus is God (Jn. 8:58-59, Jn. 10:30-33),
Jesus claimed to be the Jewish Messiah, the King of Israel, the Savior of the world, God the Son in the flesh (Matt. 26:63-66).

Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe worship of God should be Spiritual; therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit confirmed by the Word. Scripture states, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Rom. 8:14) Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17) “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:24).

We are not a denominational church, nor are we opposed to denominations. However, we do not agree with the over-emphasis of doctrinal differences, and traditions of men which has led to division in the body of Christ. We believe that the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ’s (Agape) love, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.

In-Depth Statement

1. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which the church operates and is the basis for which the church is governed. We believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures. (Isaiah 28:13; Nehemiah 8:8; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:3-4 and 1:20-21).

2. We believe that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8 and 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3).

3. We believe in the person of God the Father, an infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2; Psalms 102:27; John 3:16 and 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3).

4. We believe in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-2, 8:58 and 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Revelation 1:8).

5. We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, Who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Christ; (Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 16:8-11; Romans 8:26 and 15:13,16; Hebrews 9:14).

6. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 14:16-17 and 16:8-11; Romans 8:26).

7. We believe in the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as a distinct and separate experience to that of regeneration, occurring, either subsequent to or simultaneous with salvation, evidenced by a greater dynamic in the Christian’s life enabling that person to be a bold and more effective witness. It is solely a work of God. The supreme evidence of the Spirit filled life is the fruit of the Spirit, love. We believe in the present day ministry of the Holy Spirit in regard to the exercise of all biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit according to the instructions given to us in 1 Corinthians Chapters 12 through14.

8. We believe the filling of the Spirit, unlike the baptism of the Holy Spirit, requires the believers willing pursuit and submission to the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is what believers are commanded to be. It happens often, but it should be continuous as we submit to God, because it has to do with the believer being moved or controlled by the Spirit in order to serve God in season or out of season, in a specific way, or for a special moment of boldness or inspiration. (Ephesians 5:17-18, Acts 4:31. See also Acts 2:4, 4:8, 13:9, Luke 1:67, 4:1, and Exodus 28:3, 31:3, 35:31).

9. We believe that all people are sinners by nature and choice, falling short of God’s standard and breaking His commandments – and therefore are under God’s righteous judgment. Yet God saves and gives new life to all who come to Him in repentance and faith, trusting in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. At the cross, Jesus Christ died in our place as our substitute, absorbing God’s wrath that should have come upon us. Because Jesus died for the sins of the world the invitation to believe is open to all, and whoever desires may come unto Jesus for new life and the forgiveness of sins. (Romans 3:23, Acts 3:19, Acts 20:21, Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 John 2:2, John 3:16, Matthew 11:28, Revelation 22:17).

10. We believe in the pattern and principle of male leadership and responsibility in both the home and the church, according to the sacrificial example of Jesus. We believe this limits the roles of pastoral leadership and doctrinal authority to qualified men (1 Corinthians 11:1-12, 1 Timothy 2:1-15).

11. We believe in the universal church, the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all who are born again are a part of the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16)

12. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for the church: (a) full immersion water baptism of believers, and (b) the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

13. We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, while those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord. (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3, 5:22, 18:9 and 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-49; Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11 and 20:11-15)

14. We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless separation of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15)

15. We believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church where all believers will meet the Lord in the air and be taken out of this world prior to the Tribulation that will come upon the earth. (Isaiah 26:20; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:36; Romans 1:18, 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-16 and 5:9; 2 Peter 2:7-9; Revelation 3:10, 5:7-10 and 7:13-14)

16. We believe that the land of Israel belongs to the Jews. God will never reject the nation of Israel, nor has the church replaced Israel. Israel has a special place in God’s plan and all the promises of God to Israel will be literally fulfilled. (Genesis 17:7-8, 18-19, Exodus 6:2-8, Jeremiah 31:35-37, Romans 11)

17. We reject:

(a) The belief that true Christians can be demon possessed and are helpless against the craft and wiles of the Devil;

(b) Any philosophy or theology which denies that human freewill can be exercised in the receiving of Christ’s free gift of salvation; specifically, we reject the belief that Jesus’ atonement was limited in its extent, instead, we believe that He died for all unrighteous people and that any perceived limitation rests in one’s free rejection of Christ’s finished work of atonement, and we reject the assertion that God’s wooing grace cannot be resisted or that He has elected some people to go to hell; instead we believe that anyone who wills to come to Christ may do so freely as a result of the Holy Spirit’s conviction and wooing persuasion of the heart;

(c) “Positive confession,” (e.g., the Faith Movement, that views faith as a force that can create one’s own reality or that God can be commanded to heal or work miracles according to man’s will and faith), and doctrinal viewpoints or spiritual phenomena, which are based solely on experience. We look to the Word of God for the basis of all our faith and practice.

(d) Human prophecy that supersedes or is contrary to Scripture; (5) any introduction of psychology and philosophy which is contrary to Scripture and is in substance “according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” into biblical teaching;

(e) “Open Theism” or “Freewill Theism” which reduces God’s timeless, unchanging, dynamic nature, and exhaustive foreknowledge of future free decisions, to creaturely modes of being and operation;

(f) The “Emergent Church” movement insofar as it departs from the historic orthodox Christian doctrines in favor of postmodernism, and

(g) The overemphasis of spiritual gifts, experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of biblical teaching.

Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality

17. We believe in the biblical account of creation and God as the Creator. We believe that God creates each man and woman and that He created them with the immutable and unchangeable nature of male and female to reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological and God given sex is sin and is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” or “orientations” are unnatural, sinful, and unacceptable to God. Accordingly, this ministry will not perform any marriage ceremonies between two individuals of the same sex. It will not condone or recognize such same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships even if laws are passed that provide for recognition of such unions.

18. We believe that God created man and that He created them male and female. As such He created them different so as to complement and complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. Therefore, we perform marriages in accordance with the Bible consistent with the Old and New Testament. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3 and 7:8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11)

19. We believe that the term “marriage’ has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25).

20. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4).

21. We believe that any form of sexual immorality is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10): and that legitimate biblical sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, transgenderism, bisexuality, cross-dressing, pedophilia and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation, viewing and/or distribution of pornography and efforts to alter one’s physical gender or gender related appearance are incompatible with a true biblical witness. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3 and 7:8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11)

22. We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Calvary Chapel Perfect Love as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to our Calvary Chapel Perfect Love congregants and community, it is imperative that members of the Board Trustees, all persons employed by Calvary Chapel Perfect Love in any capacity, or those who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality. (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22)

23. 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)

24. 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 beliefs and doctrines of Calvary Chapel Perfect Love. However, our compassion for a person struggling with sin should not be mistaken for approval of such sin.