We believe...
The Bible
We believe that the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments comprise the full, word-for-word, truthful, inerrant Word of God which is the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice. (Isa. 40:8, II Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12; II Pet. 1:20,21)
The Father
We believe that as Eternal Father, He is the Father of all men in the non-salvation, Creator-creature sense, the Father of the nation Israel, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the spiritual Father of all who believe in Christ. He is the author of salvation, the One who sent the Son, and the disciplinarian of His children. (Ex. 4:22; Ps. 2:7-9; John 5:37; Acts 17:29; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 1:3-6; Heb. 12:9; I Pet. 1:3)
The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is God incarnate, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, completely God and completely man. We believe in His pre-existence, His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the grave, His ascension into Heaven, and His bodily return from Heaven. (John 1:1,14,18; Luke 1:35; Rom. 3:24-26, 4:25; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; Eph. 4:11-16; I Thess. 4:13-18; Heb. 1:3; 7:23-25; I John 2:1-2)
The Holy Spirit
At the time of conversion, we believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, baptizes, seals, and bestows spiritual gifts upon all who know Christ as Lord and Savior. He fills, teaches, leads, assures, and prays for believers. (John 14:26, 16:6-15; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 11:1-18; Rom. 8:14-16, 26-27; I Cor. 6:19, 12:7-11,13; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18; II Thess. 2:1-10; Titus 3:5)
The Trinity
In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is neither begotten, nor proceeding: The Son is eternally begotten of the Father: the Holy Spirit eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. (I John 5:7; Matt. 3:16; Matt. 28:19, II Cor.13:14; John 1:14; John 15:26; Gal. 4:6)
Man and Sin
We believe God created man male and female in His own image. God commanded them to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it, and to have dominion over creation. God’s creation and mandate to Adam and Eve, a real man and woman, establish the model for the family, and, therefore, marriage is to be exclusively between one man and one woman. Although God gave man authority over creation, God made man subordinate to Himself. Adam attempted to throw off God’s authority and in his first sin condemned not only himself but all of mankind to an estate of sin. All of mankind in Adam is now separated from God and in need of a redeemer. (Gen. 1:1, 27, 2:17, 3:1-19; Isa. 14:12-14; Luke 20:36; John 1:1-3, 8:44, 12:31; Rom. 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:13-14, 2:5-8, 2:14; I Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 20:10)
Salvation
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:11-14). We affirm that these believers are eternally secure, have everlasting life, will not come into condemnation, and shall never perish. We believe that assurance comes to the believer from three primary means: trusting the Word of God’s promises, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and a persevering walk with the Lord. (John 1:12, 2:3,16; II Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7; Dan. 12:1-2; Matt. 25:31-46; John 3:16,36, 5:24, 10:28-29, 11:25-26; Rom. 8:28-39; I John 4:11-13; Jude 1; Rev. 20:12-15)
The Church
We believe in the Church, both universally and locally, as the spiritual body of which Christ is the Head. The church exercises Christ's authority until His return. We also believe that the church is entrusted with the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. The Church is pictured in the Bible as the bride of Christ. (Matt. 16:18; cf. Acts 1:5, 11:15; I Cor.12:13; Eph.1:22-23, 4:11-16, 5:22-23; Col. 1:18)
The Great Commission
We believe that those whom God has saved are sent into the world by Christ as He was by the Father. Those so sent are ambassadors, commissioned to go make disciples and make Christ known to the whole world. (Matt. 28:18-20; John 15:8, 17:18, 20:21; Acts 1; Rom. 10:14-15; II Cor. 5:18-20; Col. 4:2-6; II Tim. 2:14-26)
Eternity
We believe in the physical resurrection of the human body (at the second coming of Christ); in the eternal conscious existence of all individuals in either Heaven or Hell; and in the rewards of the saved and the punishment of the lost for eternity. (I Cor. 15; Luke 16:19-31; II Cor. 5:8-10; I Cor. 3:11-15)
Essentially, our Statement of Faith is best summarized in the five solas of the Reformation:
Sola Fide - By faith alone
Sola Gratia - By grace alone
Solo Christo - By Christ alone
Sola Scriptura - On the Word of God alone
Soli Deo Gloria - To God alone be the glory
Rockbridge Academy is a Protestant Christian school which does not teach a specific denominational set of beliefs. The statements above are the foundation of beliefs on which Rockbridge Academy is based. They are also the key elements of Christianity that will be unapologetically taught in various ways through all grade levels. The substance of these statements is that which will be considered primary doctrine at Rockbridge Academy. Secondary doctrines and issues will not be presented as primary doctrine. When these types of doctrine or issues arise, they will be referred back to the family and local churches for final authority.