What We Believe

The following paragraphs simply summarize what we believe as a church family. We believe the Bible and teach it to be perfectly true. Every belief and teaching of Bellmead Calvary flows from God’s Word. For a more detailed account and description of our doctrine, feel free to request a doctrinal statement from the church office or download our church constitution at the bottom of the page.

The Bible

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God.  The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life.  The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man.  The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning.  The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the Church in its teaching and preaching ministry (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21).

God

We believe in 1 Triune God, eternally existing in 3 persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 14:10, 26; II Cor. 13:14).

Son

(1) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8).

(2) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5; II Peter 2:24).

(3) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 9:24; I John 2:1-2).

Holy Spirit

(1) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14).

(2) We believe the Holy Spirit was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and otherwise helps the believer (Gen. 1:2; John 14:26; 16:13; Rom. 8:14, 16; Eph. 1:13-14; II Thes. 2:7).

(3) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27).

(4) We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer.  God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12).

(5) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary.  We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing (I Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-31).

Sin and Salvation

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19).

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19).

The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

(1) We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5).

(2) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 1:11-15).

The New Testament Church

(1) We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27).

(2) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

(3) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16-1, 4; I Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).

(4) We recognize water baptism by immersion, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and the Lord's Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the Church in this age (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; I Cor. 11:23-26).

The Last Days

We believe in the pre-tribulational Rapture of the church saints, followed by the seven-year Tribulation. We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of one thousand years. Following this one thousand years is the Great White Throne judgment and then the new Heaven and new earth (I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22).

*For a more detailed look at our church by-laws, beliefs, and covenant download our church constitution below.