Sola Scriptura Preparatory Academy

"... contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3

A Fundamental Doctrine is one of the minimum essential elements that defines Historic Christianity. These are the foundational doctrines and the irreducible minimums, since they do not depend on any other doctrines. These are the things for which we must contend earnestly according to Jude 3 ("contend earnestly" is the Greek "epagonisomai", to strive or fight for something; “faith” is the Greek pistis, a firm persuasion or conviction, that which is believed, a doctrine).

The Non-Fundamental Beliefs can lead to “wrangling about words” (see 2Tim 2:14-15) - they are not essential to the core beliefs that define Historic Christianity, and “earnestly contending” over non-fundamental beliefs can lead to the “ruin of the hearers”. This is not to say that we shouldn’t discuss our non-fundamental beliefs with others; only that they are not worth breaking fellowship over. Our most earnest contentions - and accordingly what we would break fellowship over - must be reserved for the Fundamental Doctrines.

Fundamental Doctrines of Historic Christianity	Non-Fundamental Beliefs
Verbal Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures	Torah
Triune God and Deity of Messiah Yeshua	Spiritual Gifts
Literal Creation	Election and Free Will
Literal Heaven and Lake of Fire	Eternal Security of the Believer
The Virgin Birth of Messiah Yeshua	End Times
Substitutionary Atonement	Six Days of Creation
Bodily Resurrection	Sanctity of Life
Ascension and Enthronement	The Family
Second Parousia of Messiah Yeshua	Education
Salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone

Fundamental Doctrines of Historic Christianity

Verbal Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures [Back to top]
We believe that the 66 books of the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly called the "Old Testament") and the Apostolic Scriptures (commonly called the "New Testament") constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God, and represent God's complete written revelation to man concerning Himself, His being, nature, character, will, and purposes; and concerning man, his nature, need, duty, and destiny. We believe that the Scriptures are verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit in every word, absolutely inerrant in the original documents; and constitute the only infallible source of truth. We believe that whereas there may be several applications of any given passage of Scripture, there is but one true interpretation; which can only be derived from coming to an understanding of the author's original intent, through the use of a face value (normal, natural, customary sense) method of interpretation.

Triune God and Deity of Messiah Yeshua [Back to top]
We believe that there is but one living and true God, an infinite, all-knowing Spirit, perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing and manifesting Himself to us in three Persons - God the Father, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit, each having the same nature, attributes, and perfection; co-existent, co-equal, and co-eternal; and equally deserving worship and obedience.
God the Father. We believe that God the Father is the Creator of all things. He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass, and He reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He created man in His own image and desires to be in covenant relationship with him.
Messiah Yeshua. We believe that Messiah Yeshua, before His incarnation, existed in the exact form of God, and of His own choice, laid aside His divine glory and His right to the full prerogatives of coexistence with God and took on the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men; while never divesting Himself of His divine attributes. He became fully man without giving up His Deity. He accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became the God-Man. Messiah Yeshua lived a sinless, Torah submissive life and His claims to be God were confirmed by the miracles He performed. We believe that as the one and only Mediator between God and man, only He can bring about reconciliation between sinful man and a holy God. By His obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection He fulfilled the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures which spoke of the Messiah to come. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
God the Holy Spirit. We believe that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to all mankind. The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; glorifying Messiah Yeshua and transforming Believers into His image; encouraging and enabling them to bring forth the fruit of righteousness; and distributing gifts that lead to the building up and unity of the Body of Believers. The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, comforts, teaches, and empowers Believers for service, and seals them unto the day of redemption. Every Believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation.

Literal Creation [Back to top]
We believe that God spoke all things - both living and non-living - into existence from nothing, just as described in Genesis 1 and 2. We believe that man did not evolve from lower life forms, but rather was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness, with a mind, will, and emotion (natural likeness); and with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and originally without sin (moral likeness). As such mankind is morally responsible to their Creator. Man's moral likeness to God, and consequently his ability to fellowship with God, ended with the first sin, and now each person has a sin nature from birth. It is because of this sin nature that mankind is in need of a Redeemer, Messiah Yeshua.

Literal Heaven and Lake of Fire [Back to top]
We believe that Heaven is the dwelling place of God and of the dead who have placed their faith in Messiah Yeshua for salvation, until He comes to dwell with His people in the New Jerusalem. The Lake of Fire is a place of eternal, conscious punishment for Satan and his demons, and for those of mankind who have chosen to suppress the truth and thereby have refused to place their faith in Messiah Yeshua for salvation.

The Virgin Birth of Messiah Yeshua [Back to top]
We believe that Messiah Yeshua was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of a woman who had not had sexual relations with any man and who was chosen by God to bear the Messiah, whose name was Miryam (Mary), a lineal descendant of David. Since He was not the product of a human union, Messiah Yeshua did not have a sin nature and was uniquely qualified to die to pay the penalty for mankind's sin and redeem mankind from the consequence of sin.

Substitutionary Atonement [Back to top]
We believe that mankind's disobedience (sin) to God's revealed will causes a separation between God and mankind that leads to spiritual death. Sinful man cannot redeem himself by good works. Only the death of a sinless man could pay the penalty for man's sin, restore man's relationship with God that had been broken by sin, and reconcile man to a holy God. By bearing the righteous judgments of God against mankind by voluntarily sacrificing His life on behalf of mankind, He paid the penalty for mankind's sin, which fully satisfied God's requirement of judgment of man's sins and provided for the reconciliation of God and man. God attributes the righteousness of Messiah Yeshua to those who by faith trust in Him for salvation, and sets them apart as members of His family to spend eternity with Him in the New Jerusalem.

Bodily Resurrection [Back to top]
We believe that our justification is made sure by the literal, physical resurrection from the dead by Messiah Yeshua. The power of God raised Messiah Yeshua from the dead to life in the same body in which He died, although glorified, three days after He died by crucifixion; demonstrating His victory over death, confirming God's acceptance of His substitutionary atonement; and proving His Deity in the most definitive way. Messiah Yeshua's resurrection also provides assurance of the future resurrection of Believers who have died.

Ascension and Enthronement [Back to top]
We believe that Messiah Yeshua ascended into Heaven after His resurrection and is today seated at the right hand of God the Father. His return to God the Father marked the return of His manifested glory, and signified the completion of His work on Earth in providing for mankind's redemption and the beginning of His new ministry on behalf of Believers; and is evidence of God the Father's acceptance of His earthly ministry. He now mediates as our Advocate and High Priest.

Second Parousia of Messiah Yeshua [Back to top]
We believe that Messiah Yeshua will return personally, bodily, and visibly to Earth to receive Believers; judge evil; and establish His kingdom. Thereafter, those who placed their faith in Messiah Yeshua for salvation will abide with Him forever in the glory of God's presence in the New Jerusalem; and those who refused to place their faith in Messiah Yeshua for salvation will be condemned to everlasting conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire.

Salvation by Grace Alone (Sola Gratia) through Faith Alone (Sola Fide) [Back to top]
We believe that the only provision God made for reconciling man to Himself is through repentance (turning from sin and to God's instructions) and blood atonement. In salvation a person is rescued from God's wrath wholly by God's grace alone, through faith alone in Messiah Yeshua and on the basis of His Substitutionary Atonement. No human efforts or works, merit, goodness, or religious ceremony is needed to, or could ever, justify sinful man in whole or in part before a righteous God. One may not earn, merit, or keep this eternal salvation by his own efforts. Redemption is obtained only by the free grace of God by trusting in Messiah Yeshua's Substitutionary Atonement as a free gift from God through His grace, by faith. Faith is trusting in God's promise that what He did in Messiah Yeshua on the cross is wholly sufficient for our redemption. True faith is always accompanied by repentance and a determination to follow Messiah Yeshua in a life of obedience, which will be evidenced by good works.

Non-Fundamental Beliefs

Torah Submissiveness [Back to top]
We believe that God gave the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, recorded by Moshe (Moses)) for all generations, for moral instruction, for righteous living, to teach His people to trust in Him in all ways, and to demonstrate to His people their need for a Redeemer. It reveals His plan of redemption and salvation which He has made available to all mankind. Just as He is, God's Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and accordingly, all of God's commandments, including those contained in the Torah are to be kept by modern day Believers in Messiah Yeshua, just as Messiah Yeshua himself followed the commands of Torah during His life as described in the Apostolic Scriptures. Messiah Yeshua did not come to abolish the Torah; He came to fulfill it. Inasmuch as we are called to imitate Messiah Yeshua in all things, we observe the biblical Sabbath, application of God's dietary instruction, and the celebration of God's appointed times (the seven spring and fall "feasts"). We do not submit to man-made traditions; however, we may participate in certain traditions where they do not conflict with the Scriptures and where they serve to enhance our understanding of God's ways or teach our children about Him. There are certain parts of the Torah for which our obedience cannot be attained due to factors beyond our control (such as those aspects which require presence in Israel, a theocratic civil government, or a consecrated Temple in Jerusalem). Keeping Torah is not in any way necessary to obtain salvation nor for retaining one's salvation; rather, it is a simple matter of whether we will choose to obey all of God's commands after we accept God's gift of salvation (i.e., how we will walk).

Spiritual Gifts [Back to top]
We believe that the Holy Spirit gives to each Believer a single spiritual gift (a unique and special spiritual ability). We believe that the Scriptures describe three classifications of spiritual gifts: Motivational gifts ( 1Cor 12:4, Rom 12:6-8); Ministry gifts ( 1Cor 12:5; 1Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11-12); and Manifestation gifts ( 1Cor 12:6; 1Cor 12:7-10). A believer's Motivational gift motivates the Believer to minister to other Believers; we derive joy and fulfillment when we serve by exercising our Motivational gift. Ministry gifts take place in and through the local church. They are the activities in which we engage or the actions that we take as we exercise our Motivational gift in service. Manifestation gifts are the result of ministry as the Holy Spirit works through a Believer who is serving in obedience. We believe that the gifts of tongues and healing were given temporarily in the apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the apostles’ message. With the Apostolic Scripture (New Testament) revelation complete, Scripture has become the sole test of the authenticity of a man’s message, and these gifts are no longer necessary to validate a man or his message and accordingly have ceased. While we believe that no one possesses the gift of tongues or healing today, we also believe that God may provide healing in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted.

Election and Free Will [Back to top]
We believe that election is the act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He knowingly determined and determinately knew those who would exercise the free will given to them by their Creator to choose to rely on His grace for salvation. God's election is neither based on His foreknowledge of man's free choices, nor exercised independent of it. Man has complete free will to make choices, and is responsible for what he chooses. At the same time God is totally sovereign over all things, including human events and free choices. Election and free will are not contradictory; rather, they are complimentary as administered by the omnipotent God.

Eternal Security of the Believer [Back to top]
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in their salvation. We believe that it is the privilege of Believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality.

The 70th Week of Daniel, the Rapture of the Church, and the Day of the Lord [Back to top]
We believe that the final (70th) week of Daniel's prophecy will begin with the signing of a covenant between Israel and the man of lawlessness (the "Antichrist"), which will become for Israel a covenant with death. While this seven-year period is commonly referred to as the "tribulation", the Scriptures never refer to this seven year period using that term. The Great Tribulation as described by Messiah Yeshua will begin at the midpoint of that seven year period when Antichrist takes his seat in the temple of God and demands the worship of the world. We believe that the Scriptures teach that the Great Tribulation represents the wrath of Satan against those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Messiah Yeshua, and is not the wrath of God. We believe that the Scriptures teach that the unparalleled persecution of God's elect during the Great Tribulation will be cut short during this Great Tribulation by the removal of God's elect who are alive and have survived, and the resurrection of God's elect who have died (the "rapture"), at the "Parousia" (Greek noun for "coming") of Messiah Yeshua, which will initiate the Day of the Lord judgment (the wrath of God poured out against the wicked through the trumpet and bowl judgments in Rev 8-11 and 16). As the Scriptures clearly teach that there are several specific, unfulfilled prophetic events and signs that must come to pass before the Parousia of Messiah Yeshua and His rapture of Believers, we do not believe that the rapture or the Parousia of Messiah Yeshua are "imminent" events. Following His victory at the Battle of Armageddon 75 days after the end of the 70th Week of Daniel, Messiah Yeshua will reign in His Millennial Kingdom. While the Parousia of Messiah Yeshua is not imminent, the Scriptures teach that we, as Believers, are to live with an excited expectancy of His soon coming.

Six Days of Creation [Back to top]
We believe that God's creation of all things in our space-time universe was completed in six literal 24-hour days, just as described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

Sanctity of Life [Back to top]
God declares children to be a blessing and a source of true happiness regardless of health, physical attributes, or gender. We believe that the Scriptures teach that the unborn baby is an individual person created in the image of God, possessing an eternal soul and bearing a sin nature at the moment of conception; and having biblically established legal rights distinct from that of its mother. As such, we believe that the Scriptures promote the unborn baby's right to live. The notion that a parent, judge, legislator, medical professional, or any other person has a "right" to decide to kill an unborn baby through abortion for any reason cannot be supported Scripturally. We believe that the Scriptures teach that a primary purpose of marriage is the bringing forth of a godly seed. God commands husbands and wives to actively seek to be fruitful, subject to the will and mercy of the Lord. As the exclusive Author of Life, God alone determines when to open and close the womb. Any effort to avoid pregnancy, whether by contraceptive methods or by the avoidance of physical relations, inherently usurps God's authority by placing man in the position of God in an effort to keep the womb closed, and cannot be supported Scripturally. To the extent that God has in His sovereignty chosen to close a couple's womb, Christian couples should prayerfully consider whether God has called them to demonstrate God's love to orphans by building a family through adoption. Christian couples who by God's grace have been blessed with the fruit of the womb should also seek to minister to orphans by supporting adoption. God not only gives life, but He takes it, and man does not have the right to consciously and prematurely terminate the life of another because of age, preference, inconvenience, or health. All quality of life arguments inherently usurp God's authority and are immoral, placing man in the position of God, and, consequently, no parent, child, judge, legislator, medical professional, or any other person has the right to determine which persons should live and which must die based on their perception of the quality of the life of those persons, or any other reason.

The Family [Back to top]
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. A man’s authority in the home should be exercised with gentleness, grace, and love as a servant-leader, following the example of Messiah Yeshua. He has the God-given responsibility, as the head of his household, to lead, provide, and protect his family, with the authority and mandate to direct his household in paths of obedience to God. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Messiah Yeshua. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Since the woman was created as a helper to her husband, the bearer of children, and a “keeper at home,” the God-ordained and proper sphere of dominion for a wife is the household and that which is connected with the home, although her domestic calling, as a representative of and helper to her husband, may well involve activity in the marketplace and larger community. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents. Both sons and daughters are under the command of their fathers as long as they are under his roof or otherwise the recipients of his provision and protection. Fathers release sons from their jurisdiction to undertake a vocation, prepare a home, and take a wife. Until she is given in marriage, a daughter continues under her father’s authority and protection. Even after leaving their father’s house, children should honor their parents by seeking their counsel and blessing throughout their lives.

Education [Back to top]
Christian parents must provide their children with a thoroughly Christian education, one that teaches the Scriptures and a biblical world view. Fathers are directly responsible for the training of their children and, with their wives, are the children’s chief teachers. Christian parents are bound to obey the command personally to walk beside and train their children. Biblical education is discipleship, a process designed to reach the heart. The aim is a transformed person who exhibits godly character and a trained mind, both of which arise from faith. The parents are crucial and ordinarily irreplaceable in this heart-level, relational process. Since the educational mandate belongs to parents and they are commanded personally to walk beside and train their children, they ought not to transfer responsibility for the educational process to others. However, they have the liberty to delegate components of that process. While they should exercise great caution and reserve in doing this, and the more so the less mature the child, it is prudent to take advantage of the diversity of gifts within the body of Messiah Yeshua and enjoy the help and support that comes with being part of a larger community with a common purpose. Christian parents should seriously consider the appropriateness of delegating the primary educational role to public schools since education is not a God-ordained function of civil government, and since public schools are sub-Christian at best and anti-Christian at worst.