OUR BELIEFS

Our Reformed philosophy of Christian education is based on certain core beliefs, which we hold to be true. These core beliefs are first and foremost to be found in God’s Word, the Holy Bible. We recognize the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word of God. It represents the rule for all of life and explains God’s gracious way of salvation. It is therefore the only authoritative and infallible source of all core beliefs at Grace Christian Academy.

We believe that the three Forms of Unity (the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dordt, and the Heidelberg Catechism), in so far that they are demonstrably based on the Word of God, represent a detailed explanation of God, of His creation, and particularly of man’s fall and God’s gracious work of salvation in restoring His elect sinners through Christ’s redeeming blood. We also hold to the Five Points of Calvinism and the Five Solas of the Reformation.

Summary of the Confessional Heritage and Core Beliefs of Our Academy

God’s Attributes

There is one true God, and He is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, omnipresent, independent, omniscient, indivisible, almighty, perfectly wise, just, gracious and the overflowing fountain of all good. “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, and only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (I Tim. 1:17).

The Trinity

This God, though One in essence, has revealed Himself in three distinct and coequal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (I John 5:7).

Special and General Revelation

God has revealed Himself to man by two means. First, He reveals Himself in His creation, in His providence, and in man’s conscience (“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” Rom. 1:20). Second, He reveals Himself far more clearly in His special revelation, the Holy Bible. (“But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith” Rom. 16:26.)

Infallibility and Inspiration of the Bible

The Bible is the Word of God and “came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is the singular, complete, and infallible Word of God and is essential to know unto salvation. In our consideration, the King James Version of the Bible represents the most accurate translation of the most dependable original texts of Scripture into English.

Perfect Creation

This Word of God clearly tells us that God’s creation took place on 6 literal 24-hour days. God created man perfect and upright, and after His own image in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them” (Gen. 1:27). “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created them” (Col. 3:10). “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).

God created marriage to be between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:18-25). God teaches us in His Word that this marriage union between one man and one woman reflects the relationship Christ has with His Church (Eph. 5:21-33).

God created us in His image and each person is created male or female (Gen. 1:27). Those who reject their biological, God-given sex at birth reject God’s perfect design for them.

God has commanded that intimate sexual activity is reserved for marriage and exclusively between a man and a woman.

Fall and Redemption

Man willingly subjected himself to sin and fell from his holy state. Consequently, all people are conceived and born in sin and will die in sin, unless they are regenerated by the Spirit of God, finding their salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Col. 2:13).

Christ the only Mediator

There is only one Mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who in one Person is both God and Man:

“Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed).

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

The Church

The Lord has one universal Church, drawn from every age and from “all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9).

“We believe and profess, one catholic or universal Church, which is an holy congregation, of true Christian believers, all expecting their salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by his blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Ghost. This Church hath been from the beginning of the world, and will be to the end thereof; which is evident from this, that Christ is an eternal King, which, without subjects, cannot be. And this holy Church is preserved or supported by God, against the rage of the whole world; though she sometimes (for a while) appears very small, and in the eyes of men, to be reduced to nothing: as during the perilous reign of Ahab, the Lord reserved unto him seven thousand men, who had not bowed their knees to Baal. Furthermore, this holy Church is not confined, bound, or limited to a certain place or to certain persons, but is spread and dispersed over the whole world; and yet is joined and united with heart and will, by the power of faith, in one and the same spirit” (Belgic Confession Article 27).

“Moreover, the promise of the gospel is, that whosoever believeth in Christ crucified, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction, to whom God out of his good pleasure sends the gospel” (Canons of Dordt, Second Head of Doctrine, Article 5).

“What believest thou concerning the “holy catholic church” of Christ? That the Son of God from the beginning to the end of the world, gathers, defends, and preserves to Himself by His Spirit and Word, out of the whole human race, a church chosen to everlasting life, agreeing in true faith; and that I am and for ever shall remain, a living member thereof” (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 54).

Our View of Our Children

We believe “that we with our children are conceived and born in sin, and therefore are children of wrath, in so much that we cannot enter into the kingdom of God, except we are born again” (Baptismal Form, Psalter 1912).

We believe that “in this the love of God was manifested, that He sent His only begotten Son into the world, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Canons of Dordt, Head One, Article 2, which references 1 John 4:9 – “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him,” and John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”)

We also acknowledge that God in “His Word … testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature, but in virtue of the covenant of grace, in which they, together with the parents, are comprehended…” (Canons of Dordt, First Head of Doctrine, Article 17). Indeed, children, who are members of the church by baptism, have a privileged position as “God speaketh unto Abraham, the Father of all the faithful, and therefore unto us and our children (Gen. 17:7), saying, ‘I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.’ This also the Apostle Peter testifieth, with these words (Acts 2:39), ‘For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.’ Therefore God formerly commanded them to be circumcised, which was a seal of the covenant, and of the righteousness of faith; and therefore Christ also embraced them, laid his hands upon
them and blessed them (Mark 10)” (Baptismal Form, Psalter 1912).

Additionally, infants also are to be baptized, “since they, as well as the adult, are included in the covenant and church of God; and since redemption from sin by the blood of Christ, and the Holy Ghost, the author of faith, is promised to them no less than to the adult; they must therefore by baptism, as a sign of the covenant, be also admitted into the Christian church; and be distinguished from the children of unbelievers as was done in the old covenant or testament by circumcision, instead of which baptism is instituted in the new covenant” (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 74).

Although infant baptism places us under the privileges of an external covenant relationship with God, we need the personal regenerating work of the Holy Spirit to bring us into the covenant of grace in an internal, saving covenant relationship with God. We therefore reject the error of “presumptive regeneration” which teaches that covenantal, baptized children are to be considered regenerated and sanctified in Christ until the contrary should become evident from their doctrine and conduct when they
become older. “For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly: and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter: whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. 2:28-29). “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

We recognize that though the inclusion in the covenant is an inestimable blessing, each child still needs to personally experience the saving work of God in their hearts. Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).

The Five Points of Calvinism

1. Man’s total depravity

“Therefore all men are conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, incapable of saving good, prone to evil, dead in sin, and in bondage thereto, and without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, they are neither able nor willing to return to God, to reform the depravity of their nature, or to dispose themselves to reformation” (Canons of Dort, Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine, Article 3).

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). “God looked down from heaven upon the children of men; to see if there were any that did understand that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 53:2, 3).

2. Unconditional election

“Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world, He hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of His own will, chosen, from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault from their primitive state of rectitude into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom He from eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the foundation of salvation. This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by Him, and effectually to call and draw them to His communion by His Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of His Son, finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of His mercy and for the praise of His glorious grace” (Canons of Dort, First Head of Doctrine, Article 7).

“For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Rom. 9:15-16).

3. Limited atonement

“It was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby He confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation and given to Him by the Father” (Canons of Dort, Second Head of Doctrine, Article 7.)

“I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are Thine” (John 17:9).

4. Irresistible grace

“And this is the regeneration so highly celebrated in Scripture and denominated a new creation: a resurrection from the dead, a making alive, which God works in us without our aid. But this is in no wise effected merely by the external preaching of the gospel, by moral suasion, or such a mode of operation, that after God has performed His part, it still remains in the power of man to be regenerated or not, to be converted or to continue unconverted; but it is evidently a supernatural work, most powerful, and at the same time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and ineffable; not inferior in efficacy to creation or the resurrection from the dead, as the Scripture inspired by the author of this work declares; so that all in whose heart God works in this marvelous manner are certainly, infallibly, and effectually regenerated, and do actually believe. Whereupon the will thus renewed is not only actuated and influenced by God, but in consequence of this influence, becomes itself active. Wherefore also, man is himself rightly said to believe and repent, by virtue of that grace received” (Canons of Dort, Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine, Article 12).

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:44, 45).

5. The perseverance of the saints

“Whom God calls, according to His purpose, to the communion of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and regenerates by the Holy Spirit, He delivers also from the dominion and slavery of sin in this life; though not altogether from the body of sin and from the infirmities of the flesh, so long as they continue in this world…By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and the temptations of sin and of the world, those who are converted could not persevere in a state of grace if left to their own strength. But God is faithful, who having conferred grace, mercifully confirms and powerfully preserves them therein, even to the end” (Canons of Dort, Fifth Head of Doctrine, Articles 1 & 3).

“And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

Five Solas of the Reformation

1. Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone

God’s Word, the Bible, is the sole and sufficient authority by which all matters of faith and practice may be settled and is sufficient of itself to be the final authority of Christian Doctrine. Nothing is to be added to it, including new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 2:16,17).

2. Sola Gratia – Grace Alone

The salvation of a sinner is by God’s grace alone. No merit of man neither before nor after regeneration, contributes to his salvation. Salvation, from beginning to end, is God’s sovereign gift to the unworthy and undeserving. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

3. Sola Fide – Faith Alone

The justification of a sinner is received by faith alone without any works of merit. “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28).

4. Solus Christus – Christ Alone

Salvation is in and through Christ alone. Christ’s atoning blood and perfect righteousness are the only hope of salvation for a sinner. Nothing can nor may be added to the complete finished work of Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

5. Soli Deo Gloria – Glory to God Alone

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Man cannot add one drop of merit to his salvation. Thus, all glory is to God alone. God’s supreme end in planning, purchasing and applying salvation is His own glory. The chief end of those saved by grace is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: For how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another” (Is. 48:11).

The Word of God provides clear instruction not only for the way of salvation, but also for man’s everyday life in the world. All spheres and domains of life, including that of education, must be subject to the ordinances and glory of God. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Our View of Our Academy

God loans children to parents along with the ultimate responsibility of educating their children to know the “fear and the admonition of the Lord.” This is particularly expressed in the sacrament of baptism in which parents promise “to instruct or help or cause [their children] to be instructed in the aforesaid doctrine to the utmost of your ability” (Baptismal Form, Psalter 1912). While recognizing this role of parents, especially in the home, this clause also alludes to the mutual reinforcement of familial instruction by other means as provided by church and academy.

As a result, we also believe that the members of the local manifestation of the Church have a communal responsibility to assist parents in this instruction. Christians should heed Paul’s words: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). This collective responsibility is expressed and shared within the broader church family and within the Christian academy setting.