Responding to allocades: writing this statement is quite easy and is not time consuming.
This below ,from page 7, is the most recent revision.
Please examine it as you have time and precisely state how it might better clearly define our positions for the purpose of this school. We all have more exact positions on some points . Should any of these more exact positions be stated in our SOF? Or, should anything be worded differently?
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Some spelling and grammar fixed , some rewording, and added ideation. Let me know your thoughts:
We believe:
1. The 66 Books of the Bible in their wording in the originals only are inspired and infallible or inerrant. Yet many versions or translations are thought to faithfully reproduce ,in the main, the ideas of the originals. These are quite ample for the knowledge of salvation and for Christian growth. The final authority over belief and practice , however, is not a translation, but is what is best evidenced to be the true text in the Biblical languages when correctly interpreted by a grammatical-historical method.
2. There is only one GOD, who eternally exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These Persons are perfectly equal in nature, attributes, power, and glory. God is creator of man and the universe.
3. The first man, Adam, transgressed, and in Adam's fall all are made sinners. Thus every man and woman is born with a sinful nature and is unable without grace to choose God.
4. God the Father loves man so greatly that He gave His only Son to save man by the Son's vicarious, redeeming, and substitutionary death. The salvific merits of this death are applied to those who have reached an age of accountability when they believe and accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who die before reaching that age of accountability are thought to be among the saved.
5. God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who , by His virginal conception, became true man remains also true God. Christ has both a complete human nature which neither was affected by a sin nature nor committed an actual sin , and also has a complete divine nature which is equal to and one in essence with God the Father and the God Holy Spirit. Christ nevertheless exists as one Person without either a diminution of His deity or of His humanity. Nor is there a sharing or a blending of essence or powers or attributes between these two natures. Christ died a redeeming, substitutionary death for our sin , was bodily resurrected , ascended , now intercedes for us as our High Priest, and will personally and physically return to earth.
6. God the the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and applies to individuals the salvation merited by the redeeming, substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.
7) Salvation is received through faith, not earned by works, by those subjects of God's grace-- which grace leads to repentance . This salvation, freely given in love by God , includes a new birth or a regeneration , a forgiveness of sins, a new nature, and a giftedness for service. These graces are accomplished by the Holy Spirit who indwells all Christians. By these works of the Spirit we are enabled to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God , and we are to be progressively sanctified as we yield to Him. Salvation also includes , at physical death, being in a literal place eternally in the presence of God Himself instead of in a literal place of eternal punishment and separation from God. That place of eternal separation from God is reserved for the devil, his angels, and the lost. Salvation also includes a resurrected and glorified body at the time of Christ's second coming .
8. The Church is the body of Christ and members of local churches should be baptised in water by immersion , not to save, but because this is commanded by Christ and exemplified by the apostolic churches. Christians also should regularly participate in the Lord's Supper as a memory of His death and next coming. The local church has offices as elders (pastors, bishops) and deacons. The church exists to worship and glorify God, edify the saints, and reach the lost.
9. Christians are to consistently grow in grace through prayer, worship, service, witnessing, learning Scripture, fellowship, and an increased surrender to God. We believe the Scriptures require a moral life of Christans. While we do not approve of the legalism of some, we do feel the need to condemn some practices in our society as abortion and marriage between those of the same gender.
10. We recognize that indivuals connected with our Academy may hold beliefs which are more comprehensive and more particularized than are these. [/QB][/QUOTE]
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