There are many who believe in the gifts and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but they don’t
have a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching, nor do they look to the Word to guide their
experiences with the Holy Spirit. There are many who have a strong emphasis on teaching
the Word of God, but they don’t share the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available
and valid today. In Calvary Chapel we find the teaching of the Word, and an open heart to
the work of the Holy Spirit. It is this balance that makes Calvary Chapel a distinct and
uniquely blessed movement of God. And so it’s important to understand the Biblical
principles that make up the picture of why God has allowed us to exist and grow.
This is not to say that all Calvary Chapels are identical. I’m always amazed at how God can
take simple basic elements and create such variety out of them. Basically, all of us have two
eyes, a nose, a mouth, and two ears, and yet how different we all look from each other!
People also have different emotional make-ups. Now, God loves everyone. He loves the
highly emotional and He loves the dull and unemotional. In the same way, wanting all men
to be able to relate to Him, God created a wide variety of churches. Some churches appeal
to those who are very emotional in their nature while others appeal to a more staid and
formal personality. God, desiring to reach and bless all kinds of people, seems to enjoy
having a wide variety of churches so that everybody’s needs might be met, from the highly
emotional to the very formal, and all those in between. Each of us has a part to play in
God’s plan, but we all need to know where we fit in this wide spectrum. That is why it’s
crucial for us to grasp what we call the Calvary Chapel Distinctive. As we see what makes
our fellowship unique, we will also come to better understand our position in the body of
Christ.