Calvary Chapel explicitly rejects the five points of Calvinist TULIP, particularly limited atonement and unconditional election. Chuck Smith taught that Christ died for all humanity and that salvation is offered to all who respond in faith. Calvary Chapel generally holds to an Arminian-leaning view of free will and universal prevenient grace, while affirming that salvation is entirely by grace through faith.

Regarding eternal security, Calvary Chapel teaches that genuine believers are kept by God's power, though it avoids both hyper-Calvinist determinism and the view that salvation can be lost by minor failures. The emphasis falls on trust in God's faithfulness rather than on a theological system. This distinguishes Calvary Chapel from both the Reformed tradition and classical Arminianism.