Our Beliefs

What we believe

Calvary Chapel Greenville is associated with the Fellowship of Churches of Calvary Chapel, holding to the principles of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives. As a body of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Below are the doctrinal beliefs of Calvary Chapel Greenville and supporting Scripture references:

ABOUT GOD AND HIS WORD

  • WE BELIEVE the Bible, the Old and New Testaments canons to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative, and inerrant Word of God. It is our supreme and final authority for faith and life (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Peter 1:21-23).
  • WE BELIEVE there is only one God, (YHWH-Yahweh) (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5). God created all things, (Genesis 1:h1; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11); upholds all things (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3); and governs all things (I Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 103:19; Philippians 2:10-11).
  • WE BELIEVE that one true God is eternally existing in three distinct persons: the Father (John 6:27); the Son (Matthew 1:22); and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 3:16, 28:19; John 10:30, 14:16; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

ABOUT JESUS

  • WE BELIEVE in the Deity of Christ (John 10:33); in the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16, Luke 3:22); in Jesus Christ being both fully God (John 1:14) and fully man (Acts 2:22):
    • in His conception by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)
    • in His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:34-35)
    • in His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15, 7:26; I Peter 2:21-23)
    • in His miracles (John 2:11)
    • in His vicarious and atoning death on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 2:9)
    • in His bodily resurrection from the dead on the third day (John 11:25, 1 Corinthians 15:4, Acts 2:24)
    • in His triumph over death (I Corinthians 15:20-22), hell (Acts 2:31), and Satan (Colossians 1:13; Colossians 2:15)
    • in His forty days of post-resurrection appearances to certain eye-witnesses as proof of His bodily resurrection (Acts 1:3; John 20; I Corinthians 15:4-8)
    • in His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19) and His personal return to earth in power and glory (Acts 1:11, Revelation 19:11-16)
  • WE BELIEVE that the Father sent Jesus into the world to reveal the true nature of God (I John 5:20); to reveal God’s love for fallen man (I John 4:9); to become acquainted with man’s fallen condition (Hebrews 2:18); to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8); and to be the Savior of the world (John 3:17; I John 3:14). 

ABOUT MAN

  • WE BELIEVE that God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:27) and for His own pleasure (Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16).
  • WE BELIEVE that the first man, Adam, sinned, and from Adam all men have inherited the same sinful nature (Ephesians 2:3). Therefore, all men incur the same penalty for sin as incurred by Adam, which is death – both physical and spiritual separation from God (Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:9).
  • WE BELIEVE in the bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:5-6, Revelation 20:12-13).

ABOUT SALVATION

  • WE BELIEVE that salvation is a gift of God (Romans 5:15; Ephesians 2:8). It is given by God’s grace (Romans 3:24) to those who acknowledge their sin (I John 1:9); repent and turn from their sin (Acts 3:19; Acts 20:21); call upon Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:13; Colossians 2:6); and have faith in Jesus to save them (Romans 3:24-25; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8).
  • WE BELIEVE that a person trusting in his own works of righteousness can never save himself (Romans 3:27-28; Romans 4:5; Galatians 2:16-21) or improve his standing with God (Galatians 3:10), for man is complete and acceptable to God only in Christ (Colossians 2:10; Ephesians 1:6).
  • WE BELIEVE in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because of the exceeding sinfulness of the human nature, that all are justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood of Christ, and that only by God’s grace through faith alone are we saved (John 3:16-19, 3:24, Romans 3:23, 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5).
  • WE BELIEVE in the spiritual unity of the believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-13, Galatians 3:26-28).
  • WE BELIEVE that a man remains eternally secure only as long as he perseveres in the faith, continually trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 15:2,6; Romans 11:22; I Corinthians 15:1-2; Colossians 1:21-23; I Timothy 4:16; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 6:11-12; Hebrews 10:35-39; I Peter 1:9; I John 2:24-25; Hebrews 3:14).

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

  • WE BELIEVE in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8); the Holy Spirit is given by Jesus Christ to those who believe on Him (Acts 3:33), to indwell the Christian (John 16:17; John 20:22), and empower the Christian to live a godly life (Romans 8:13-14, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19-20, Ephesians 4:30, 5:18; Acts 1:8).
  • WE BELIEVE in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as the gift of God (Luke 24:49), which, like salvation, is only received through faith (Luke 11:13; Galatians 3:14; Luke 3:16, Acts 1:4-5); and that the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:9-11) are for the building up of the Church body. These gifts are for the last days and, therefore, can be expected to be in the Church today (Acts 2:17, 38-39). The motivating factor for the use of the gifts is love (1 Corinthians 13), and therefore will be operated “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

ABOUT THE CHURCH

  • WE BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two Ordinances to the Church: 1) Baptism and 2) the Lord’s Supper. We believe in baptism by immersion and communion open to all believers (1 Corinthians 11:24-29, Matthew 26:26-30).
  • WE BELIEVE that we as Christians are examples of the love of God in this world. It is this (agape) love that we desire to possess and without which we have no right to call ourselves Christians (I John 4:16-17).
  • WE BELIEVE that the Christian life should be a life of sanctification and holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:15-16). Such a life cannot be lived out through a person’s own efforts (Galatians 3:3), but this life is also a gift from God (Romans 6:22), a by-product of fellowship and communion with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:13-16, 1 Thessalonians 5:23). The Christian’s responsibility is to walk in the light of the Spirit (Galatians 5, Romans 8, 1 John. 1:7); to walk in faith (Colossians 2:6-7); to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1); and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23) by sowing to the spirit (Galatians 6:8).

ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL

  • WE BELIEVE that those people not found written in the book of life (Revelation 20:15) who have not obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) will be eternally punished by being cast into the lake of fire (Matthew 13:41-42, Revelation 20:15). But those who believe in Jesus Christ will receive eternal life (Romans 6:23, 1 John. 5:13) and live forever in His presence (1 Thessalonians 4:14, Rev. 21:3).

ABOUT THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST

  • WE BELIEVE in the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth (Revelation 19) to take vengeance on the enemies of God (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, 2:8; Revelation 19:19-21). He will also come with ten thousands of His saints (Jude 14, Colossians 3:4) to execute judgment upon all men (Jude 15); to be glorified and admired in all that believe in Him (I Thessalonians 1:10); to reign on the earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4); and to establish His everlasting Kingdom (2 Samuel 7:13, Daniel 7:14, I Peter 1:11). After He returns, the elements will be burned up with fervent heat (Luke 21:33, 2 Peter 3:10), and He will create a new heaven and a new earth (Is. 65:17).
  • WE BELIEVE that the Church of Jesus Christ should live in expectancy (Luke 21:28, Rev. 22:20) and readiness (Matthew 24:44, I Thessalonians 5:6) for the imminent return of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 24:42, 25:1-13). Those saints which are alive and remain will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air and shall ever be with Him (Luke 17:36, I Thessalonians 4:17).