Purpose and Declaration of Faith

Purpose
The church of Jesus Christ is the living and active Body and Bride of Jesus Christ which has been challenged and ordained to take the Gospel, the Good News about the new and eternal life available in Jesus Christ, to this generation; it is to provide an atmosphere where learning and healing happens so all believers in Jesus Christ may know the joy of new life in Christ Jesus here in this life, in anticipation of the joy that is ours eternally with Him; we are to be one body of unified believers who actively creates a contagious fellowship empowered by His love demonstrating His grace to all.

We exist to:

Celebrate the Living God:

• Through an awareness of, and response to, God’s presence in adoration and worship
• Through communion and a commitment to Jesus Christ
• Through unity and praise in the Holy Sprit

Cultivate Personal Growth in Christ

• Through the study of Biblical Doctrine
• Through the application of Biblical Principles
• Through the development of mature Christians who reflect the character of Christ

Care about one another in Christ:

• Through sharing the joys, growth and needs of one another
• Through recognition, development, and the use of the gifts of the Spirit by every believer
• Through service and sacrifice to meet each other’s needs

Communicate Christ to the World:

• Through the penetration of society
• Through reproducing our life in Jesus Christ by personal evangelism
• Through discipling by celebration, cultivation and caring

The Bible

We believe the Bible, including the Old and New Testaments, to be the God-breathed, inerrant in the original writings and infallible in accurate translations, Word of God that is our final authority for faith and life. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)

The Godhead

We believe that there is one Triune God, worshipped equally in balance, who exists eternally in three persons: FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT who are co-existent, co-equal, and co-eternal.  (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 3:16-17; John 10:30)

The Father

We believe in God the Father, who is an eternal spirit, worshipped in spirit, who is the creator of all things, all powerful, all-knowing, ever-present.
(John 4:24; Revelation 19:6; Jeremiah 23:24; Hebrews 4:13; Genesis 1:1;
Psalm 139:7)

The Person and Work of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ was pre-existent and was the primary agent of creation. We believe in the incarnation through the virgin birth in order to reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption was accomplished through His death on the Cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. We believe in His literal bodily resurrection, His ascension and exaltation into Heaven, His present mediatorial High Priestly office and His ultimate kingdom and eternal reign. (John 1:1-5; Luke 1:26-38; I Peter 2:24; I John 2:1-2; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Colossians 1:17-20; Romans 3:24-26)

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment leading to salvation. He is the supernatural agent in the regeneration of believers. He indwells, seals, and fills believers; His comforting presence and conviction assures believers of salvation and enables us to live Godly lives. (John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 12:12-13; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18)

The Dispensation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The indwelling Holy Spirit bestows His spiritual gifts on members of the body according to His own will for the purpose of winning the lost and strengthening believers. Initially, some gifts were for signs as confirmation of the spoken word of the disciples. Gifts as signs are no longer a common purpose; today gifts are given for the building up and encouragement of the church. (Mark 16:17-20, Acts 2:22, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Hebrews 2:4, Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Corinthians 12-14)

Satan

Satan exists; neither as a force to be feared nor as a force to be ignored. He and his kind were angels cast out to earth as a result of their desire to be equal to God. Defeated by the blood of Jesus Christ he now exists in enmity to God and believers.
(Ezekiel 28:12-15; Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 20:1-3; 1 John 3:8)

The Total Depravity of Man

Man in his fallen condition, caused by sin, is totally helpless to do anything about his condition. (Genesis 1:26-27, 3:6-13; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)

Salvation

Salvation comes as a result of our accepting by faith the gift of His grace. The redeemed once saved are kept by the completeness of His sacrifice. (Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 8:1, 38-39, Galatians 5:13)

The Two Natures of the Believer

In the life of every saved person dwell two natures, the old sin nature and the new nature created by salvation, with provision made for victory of the new over the old through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:13, 8:12-13, 1 John 1:8-10, 3:5-9)

The Church

The local church is a fellowship of born-again believers. It is sovereign and autonomous in deciding matters of church policy and affiliation. The universal church is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age, and is the body and espoused bride of Jesus Christ.

We celebrate the following ordinances of the church:

• The marriage between a man and a woman
• The dedication of parents
• The water baptism of believers
• The celebration of communion as a remembrance

(Eph. 1:22-23, Acts 14:20, 27, 17:28-32, 1Tim. 3:1-13, Luke 22:14-20; Mark 16:16; Matthew 28:19-20)

The Second Advent of Christ

We believe in the “Blessed Hope” the imminent, personal and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Zechariah 14:4-11, Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6)

The Eternal State

There will be a bodily resurrection of all mankind of all time. The souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord; awaiting the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. The souls of the unbelievers at death are in conscious misery until the second resurrection when they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and the condemned shall be cast into the Lake of Fire with Satan and all unbelievers to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (John 11:25-26, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Revelation 20:11-15)
 

If you are interested in joining our fellowship and want to fill out an Affiliation Request Form, you can find a PDF Form by clicking here or you can pick up one at Calvary Chapel Fernley.