Statement of Faith
Statement of faith
The following is the foundation of beliefs on which Augustine Classical School is based. These key elements of Reformed Christianity will be unapologetically taught throughout all grade levels.
The Authority of Scripture
We believe the Bible alone to be the Word of God, the ultimate and infallible authority for faith and practice. It is divinely inspired, inerrant, and carries the full weight of God's authority.
The Nature of God
We believe in one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—eternally existing in three persons. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, sovereign over all things in heaven and earth.
The Deity and Work of Christ
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory.
The Sinfulness of Man
We believe that all humanity, through the fall of Adam and Eve, has inherited a totally depraved nature. Mankind is not merely weakened by sin but is spiritually dead, enslaved to sin, and utterly incapable of turning to God apart from His sovereign grace. We are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners by nature. Because of this corruption, we are wholly dependent on God's grace for salvation.
Salvation by Grace
Because of His profound love for His creation, God initiated and executed His eternal plan of redemption, accomplished in history by His Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation is by grace through faith alone, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary. The merit of Christ’s righteousness is imputed to believers by faith alone.
The Role of Faith and Works
We believe that while salvation is by grace alone, faith without works is dead. True faith produces a transformed life, and believers are called to live in obedience to God’s commandments.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers and enables them to live godly lives, convicting them of sin, guiding them into truth, and sanctifying them for God’s glory.
The Resurrection and Final Judgment
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost—those who are saved to the resurrection of life and those who are lost to the resurrection of eternal judgment.
The Unity of Believers
We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, forming His visible Church, which is called to live in the power of the Spirit, under the authority of Scripture, administering the sacraments, and proclaiming the gospel.
The Sanctity of Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created in God's image. This includes pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every stage of life from conception to natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
Biblical Manhood, Womanhood, and Marriage
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably created each person as distinctly male or female. These two complementary genders reflect the image and nature of God. To reject one's biological gender is to reject God's design.
We believe that marriage is created and sanctioned by God, defined as the union of one man and one woman in an exclusive, lifelong covenant. Sexual intimacy is a gift from God, intended only for marriage. Any form of sexual activity outside of biblical marriage—including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and pornography—is sinful.
God’s Sovereignty in Salvation
Before the foundation of the world, God, according to His sovereign will, elected some to salvation while leaving others to just condemnation for their sin. This election is based solely on His grace and not on any foreseen merit in man. Those whom God has chosen are redeemed by Christ and effectually called to salvation through the work of the Holy Spirit. Others are left in their sin, justly receiving the due penalty for their rebellion against God. This doctrine of election magnifies God's mercy and justice, showing that salvation is entirely of grace while condemnation is the result of man's own sin.
Christian Responsibility
We believe that our faith must be evident in our lives as we seek to be faithful disciples of Christ. We are called to implement the social and cultural implications of God's law for the well-being of humanity and the created order, enduring in love and obedience until Christ returns to consummate His kingdom.
Confessional Heritage
We embrace and adopt the essential truths of orthodox Christianity as articulated in the Apostle’s Creed.
Final Authority
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority on all matters of truth, morality, and human conduct.
