The following are the core beliefs of Calvary Chapel Lake Norman, based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

THE BIBLE

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; II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:3-4, 21).

THE TRINITY

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; this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4;
Isaiah 44:8, 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3).

GOD THE FATHER

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; He hears and answers prayer; and He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2, 102:27; John 3:16, 4:24; I Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3).

GOD THE SON

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, 8:58,11:25; I Corinthians 15:3-4; I Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; I John 1:2; Revelation 1:8).

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

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 (John 16:8-11; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26, 15:13,16; II Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 9:14). 

We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide (John 6:13, 14:16-17, 16:8-11; Romans 8:26). 

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. 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 (I Corinthians 12-14).

SIN

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 (Matthew 11:28; John 3:16; Acts 3:19, 20:21; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 8-9; I John 2:2; Revelation 22:17).

HEAVEN AND HELL

We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell, and all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ, will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord. 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, 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-49; Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:23; I Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11, 20:11-15).

ORDINANCES

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

MALE LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH

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 (I Corinthians 11:1-12; I Timothy 2:1-15). 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 (I Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16).

CHRIST’S SECOND COMING

We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to Earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and the eternal blessing of the righteous and endless separation of the wicked (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15). 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; I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-16, 5:9; II Peter 2:7-9; Revelation 3:10, 5:7-10, 7:13-14).

MARRIAGE

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 Testaments (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11,18-20, 7:1-3,8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; I Timothy 1:9-11).

HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED FROM THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION

We believe that the Bible clearly teaches that human life is precious and that murder is wrong (Genesis 9:6). Uniquely, among all creatures, only man has the capacity for a relationship with God. Only man has a soul. Only man was made in God’s image, God’s likeness (Genesis 1:26).

We believe that the Bible affirms that God is establishing and sustaining this relationship with an individual from conception (Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:13). It is unquestionable that the human soul must be present from conception. Body and soul cannot be separated until death.

We believe that the incarnation of Christ also has important implications for medical ethics. Jesus Christ reveals not only the nature of deity but also the nature of what is human. The incarnation of the divine Son of God began with the conception and not the manger in Bethlehem – “he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary” (see Matthew 1:20). Since Jesus shared our humanity and was made like us in every way (Hebrews 2:14,17), our own human life must also have begun at conception. The early church was at the forefront of ending the practice of abortion in the Roman Empire. We believe this is central to Christian doctrine.

Calvary Chapel Lake Norman, therefore, affirms that human personhood begins at conception and that the human embryo is precisely that – a human embryo. There are enormous practical implications which flow from this belief. Not only is abortion
wrong, but also any practice which deliberately destroys human embryos. This includes human cloning, the use of drugs which prevent the implantation of an embryo or drugs and vaccines which use human DNA from aborted cells in their production.