Belief Statement
Our Beliefs
Trinity Christian School is founded in and actively maintains a Christian worldview, based on the Bible, as systematized by the Westminster Standards, an important doctrinal statement by Reformation theologians. The following is a brief summary of highlights of that worldview.
Source of Truth
All science, learning, and cultural activity is established by God having given mankind dominion over the creatures (4:2), responsibility to dress the creation (WLC 20), and reasonable souls (4:2), by which the world and experience can be known, including the goodness, wisdom, and power of God(1:1), even to the extent of making it inexcusable not to acknowledge and worship God (1:1). Yet, it is only by the written word of God in the Bible that we can have true understanding of the world, ourselves, and God sufficient to attain to eternal life (1:1, 10).
God, Man, Sin, Christ, and Salvation
There is only one living and true God (2:1), existing eternally in three persons (2:3). He created all things that exist out of nothing (4:1). He is sovereign over all things, transcendently by his eternal decree (3:1) and immanently by his providence (5:1), but not so as to violate the will of creatures, nor take away second causes, but rather to establish them (3:1).
After God had made all other creatures, he created man, in the two distinct and complementary genders of male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after his own image, having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfill it (4:2). In this state God also ordained marriage, as the one-flesh union of a man and a woman (24:1-3), as the only context in which human sexuality finds proper expression (WLC 137-139).
Our first parents sinned and fell from their original righteousness, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of soul and body (6:2). They being the root of all mankind, we all share in the guilt of sin, and are born with a corrupted nature (6:3), whereby we are disposed against all good and inclined to all evil (6:4). This inclination itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin (6:5).
God condescended to make promises to man by way of covenant (7:1); first, by a Covenant of Works with the first man, Adam, promising eternal life to him and his posterity upon condition of perfect obedience; and secondly, by a Covenant of Grace, wherein he freely offers unto sinners life and salvation by Christ (7:3).
Christ, fully God and fully man, the only Mediator between God and man (8:2), in his life, death, and resurrection (8:4), fulfilled both the curse and the requirements of the law, and purchased and received the inheritance of salvation (8:5). Therefore, in Christ (WLC 66), only by faith in him (14:2), all the life and glory of the promised inheritance are given to the elect (8:8); benefits of which include justification (11:1-6), adoption (12:1), sanctification (13:1-3), resurrection, eternal life, and glorification (32:1-3; WLC 69). Those whom God has predestined he effectually calls (8:8), making them willing and able to repent of their sin and receive and rest upon Christ, which they therefore do most freely (10:1-4). All who are united to Christ by faith (26:1-3) are united in communion (26:1) with his church (25:1-2). All those who truly believe in Christ may be assured of salvation (18:1), and will persevere (17:1) by God’s grace (17:2) until Christ returns to judge the world in righteousness (33:1-3).
Note: references to Westminster Confession of Faith are made by Chapter: Section (e.g. 1:1), references to Larger Catechism by “WLC” followed by question # (e.g. WLC 24).