Standing on what we Believe
Summit Classical Christian School is a Protestant (non-Roman Catholic) school which does not teach a specific denominational set of beliefs. The following is the foundation of beliefs on which Summit Classical Christian School 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 Summit. Secondary or divisive 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.
The Bible
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12,13). We hold that God worked in and with the authors by inspiring their artistry and expression, and by revealing the truth to them. Furthermore, we believe God sovereignly guided the Church as it selected which ancient books would be included in the Christian Bible. Thus, nothing in the Bible should be disregarded, and nothing should be added to it (Revelation 22:18-19). As a result of these beliefs we hold that the Bible never errs in what it aims to teach, and that it is the final authority on all matters to which it speaks. We go to the Bible first and foremost in our quest to seek after Christ as the author and definer of what is true, good, and beautiful.
The Trinity
We believe two foundational characteristics of God’s nature are clearly revealed to us in the Bible. 1) That there is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Ephesians 4:6), and 2) that God is, and always has been, three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 1:1; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). The classic statement of this Christian belief is the Nicene Creed, with which all orthodox Christians in all places and times have agreed.
The Father
We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, is sovereign over the whole world. By this we mean that He rules over all things and nothing happens outside of his permission and decision (Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:35). At the same time the Father is neither the author nor approver of sin (Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13; 1 John 2:16). He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him and therefore becomes, upon adoption, Father to those who trust in Him (John 1:12; Romans 8:14-17; 8:29- 30; Galatians 4:5-7; Hebrews 12:5-9; 1 John 3:1).
The Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, has existed eternally as God’s Son (John 1:1-2). Jesus became a human without ceasing to be God, and is fully God and fully human. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to a virgin woman named Mary just as the prophet Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:31-35). Jesus is the perfect depiction of God’s nature and the only redeemer of sinful humans (John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1:31-35). God the Son is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:15–20). Jesus was crucified by the Roman authorities, but that death was his own choice to lay down his life for humans (Hebrews 12:1-2; John 10:18). Through his death Jesus became a sacrifice for sins, gave a perfect example of true love and humility, fulfilled Hebrew prophecy, and achieved victory over the powers of darkness (1 Peter 2:24; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Heb 1:13; 10:13). We believe that Jesus’s death is for the whole world, in the sense that it is sufficient for, and available to, all people (1 John 2:2; John 3:16). However, we also believe that the atoning effects of the cross are only applied to those who are saved through faith in Jesus (John 1:12; Romans 3:21). Jesus physically rose from the dead, thereby confirming all that he claimed: he is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the Lord of all creation (Romans 1:4; Acts 2:24). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where he continually acts as our High Priest by representing, interceding, and advocating for us (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2). We believe Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1).
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is a person, and not an impersonal force. The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, points them to Jesus, and ushers them into the body of Christ (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14). The Spirit lives inside every believer from the first moment of salvation (Romans 8:9), and the Spirit continually works in the believer by guiding them to the truth, and empowering them with gifts for the service of the church (John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Romans 12).
Humans
We believe that humans are a profound paradox. On the one hand, God created humans to play a special role as His representatives in the world He created (Genesis 1:27-28), thus distinguishing them from all other created things. Human life is, therefore, of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect and value all human life. (Genesis 9:5-6; Psalm 139). On the other hand, through Adam’s sin humanity fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Thus, all humans are sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; 51:5; 1 Kings 8:46; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9- 18, 23; 5:10-12). As a result, humanity is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (John 6:44; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; 8:7-8; Ephesians 2:1-9, 12; Colossians 2:13; 1 John 1:8-10).
Salvation
We believe that salvation from sin comes by grace through faith in Christ and is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:9-10). By this we mean that God is the one who does it, rather than humans accomplishing it for themselves. Also, we mean that the reason God does this is because he is gracious and loving, not because some humans deserve it. Furthermore, this gift entails the giving of God’s own son to die on the cross for the sake of the world (John 3:36; Romans 3:23-25; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 1:7; 2:1-3; 2:8-10; 1 John 1:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Additionally, we believe that the benefits of God’s gift are only enjoyed by those who trust Christ as Savior, submit to him as Lord, and savor him as Treasure (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11; John 3:18-19, 36; 5:40; Romans 9:22-23; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Revelation 22:17). The effect of God’s saving work in the present is to unite us with Christ. In Jesus, believers no longer face condemnation for their sins (Romans 8:1), but instead share in Jesus’ own righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30; Philippians 3:9). In Christ believers are set free from the power of sin (Romans 6:22), and are made into new creatures who embody God’s righteousness on the earth (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Ephesians 2:10). The duration of the Christian life is then given to growing in the grace and knowledge of God, and increasing in the resemblance of Christ (2 Peter 3:18; Romans 6:4, 8:29). At the end of time human salvation will be fully completed when believers are raised to everlasting life and live in perfect relationship with their Maker, and Savior forever (Daniel 12:2; Acts 24:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Romans 6:5).
Assurance of Believers
Since we believe that salvation is God’s doing, we also believe that staying saved is God’s doing. Once people are in Christ absolutely nothing can separate them from God (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5). Believers can also rest assured that God will never change his mind about someone he has saved, or in any way be unfaithful to the promises he made to them (Philippians 1:6). This is not to endorse the false view that a person can live any sort of life they choose and still regard themselves as “Christian”. Nor are we denying the reality that some who once seemed committed to the faith later leave it. Rather, our definition of “Christian” is narrowed to those in whom God has actually done a supernatural work, and anyone who leaves the faith has never actually experienced that supernatural work of God (1 John 2:19).
Marriage, Sexuality, and Gender
We believe that God defined marriage as the life-long covenant between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6), and that all forms of sexual activity outside of marriage are sin (1 Cor. 6:15-7:6; Eph. 5:3-7). We believe that God immutably creates each person to reflect His image as biologically male or female (Gen. 1:26-31; 2:18-25; 5:1-2). In the specific areas of marriage, gender, and sexuality, our goal is to love students by leading them into God’s plan. In carrying out this calling, we believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31).
Additionally we subscribe to:
Nicene Creed (~325 A.D.)
Apostle’s Creed (~390 A.D.)
The Definition of Chalcedon (~451 A.D.)
Chapters I and II of the Westminster Confession of Faith
Chapter I Of the Holy Scripture
Chapter II Of God, and of the Holy Trinity