WHAT WE BELIEVE

ABOUT GOD

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – these three being identical in essence, equal in power and glory and possessing precisely the same attributes and perfection. *1

ABOUT THE BIBLE

We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the verbally inspired Word of God, written by men under God’s control, inerrant and infallible in the original manuscripts, and the final authority in faith and life. *2

ABOUT MANKIND

We believe that man, male and female, was created in the image and likeness of God in innocence and without sin, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became spiritually dead and alienated from God, and now man in and of himself is incapable of remedying his lost and depraved condition. We believe that biblical marriage is limited to a covenant relationship between a man and a woman as a picture of the covenant relationship between Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church. *3

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgments against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. *4

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin, that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead, and that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, the Body of Christ, that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them and fills those who are yielded to Him. *5

ABOUT SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace, freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary, apart from human meritorious work. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. *6

*1 Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
*2 Psalm 19:7-9; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
*3 Genesis 1:26; 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-18; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3
*4 Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1,2,14,18; Romans 3:24-26; 8:34
*5 John 3:5-8; John 14:16-17; 16:7-11; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11,13
*6 John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9

Impact our decisions our evaluation of current and prospective students being admitted into or retained in Decatur Heritage Christian Academy.

Our Faith-based Beliefs Regarding Key Social Issues

As a faith-based ministry we have aligned ourselves with the historical tenets of biblical Christianity. Therefore, we believe every area of life must be evaluated and understood through the lens of Scripture and subject to it because we believe it to be inerrant, infallible and the final authority in matters of life and faith. Therefore, no cultural movement or societal standard can remove God’s authority or Truth. There are key social issues on which Decatur Heritage Christian Academy has taken a definitive faith-based position and are non-negotiable based upon our understanding of what the Bible teaches. These include the following:

Man is made in the image of God; defending and supporting the sanctity of human life, beginning at conception, is imperative. (Psalm 139)
Humans were created as gendered beings. They were expressly blessed by God to be fruitful and multiply and to exercise dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). Heterosexuality was God’s original creative intention for humanity. Therefore, homosexuality goes against God’s express will for all human beings.
Marriage is to be defined as a bond between one man and one woman only. (Gen. 2:18-25)
God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen. 1:26-27) It is not acceptable to reject one’s biological sex, as it is a rejection of the image of God within that person.