The Christian Leadership Academy Student Pledge On my Sacred Honor I Pledge: To dutifully serve my God and my neighbor with the love of Christ in my heart, a mind enlightened by the Holy Spirit and with a dedication to excellence. To diligently strive to live my entire life by the principles of the Christian faith. To faithfully pursue the virtues of Righteousness and incorporate them into my personal character. To treat my body as a living temple of God, keeping it clean, pure, chaste, strong and a vessel fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. To humbly give all of the Glory for every personal achievement to God Almighty, the giver of every talent and gifting and the one true source of all providence. To be thankful each moment for my eternal salvation made possible by the Grace and Mercy of God The Father through the atoning sacrifice of His one and only Son, Jesus the Christ. The Honor Code of the Christian Leadership Academy We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me God! Principal – A basic tenant of faith. The most important or considerable element as the principal topics of debate, the principal beams of a building, the principal productions of a country or the principal points of Law. Wisdom is the principal virtue. Virtue: A Moral Goodness: the practice of moral duties and the abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law. In this sense, virtue may be and in many instances must be, distinguished from Religion. The practice of moral duties merely from motives of convenience, or from compulsion, or from regard to reputation, is virtue, as distinct from religion. The practice of moral duties from sincere love to God and his laws, is virtue and religion. In this sense it is true, That virtue only makes our bliss below. Virtue is nothing but voluntary obedience to truth A particular moral excellence: as the virtues of temperance, charity or that which constitutes value and merit. List of Principles of the Christian Faith Truth - The true state of facts or things in exact accordance with that which really is, or has been, or shall be. All that that constitutes reality in the past, present and future. A purity from falsehood devoid of deception. The antithesis of lies and falsehoods. Christ is the embodiment of truth and God Almighty is its’ sole creator. Faith - The assent of the mind to or the understanding of the truth of what God has revealed accompanied with a cordial assent of the will and a sincere commitment of the heart. An entire confidence or trust in God’s character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance and dependence on his merits alone for salvation. Love – An affection of the mind excited by beauty and worthy of the qualities of the object of affection. A strong emotional feeling that leads one to selfless sacrifice and dedication to the object of that affection. An ardent friendship or a strong attachment springing from good will and esteem derived from the company, civilities and kindness of others. The love of God is the first duty of man, and this springs from just views of his attributes or Excellencies of character, which afford the highest delight to the sanctified heard. Esteem and reverence constitute ingredients in this affection and a fear of offending him is its inseparable effect. Hope – To cherish a desire of good, with some expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. To place confidence in: to trust in with confident expectation of good. Hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy: whereas mere wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety. Reverence – Fear mingled with respect and esteem: veneration. To regard with fear mingled with respect and affection. The fear acceptable to God, is a filial fear, an awful reverence of the divine nature, proceeding from a just esteem of His perfections, which produces in us an inclination to His service and an unwillingness to offend Him. Obedience – Compliance with a command, prohibition or known law and rule of duty prescribed; the performance of what is required or enjoined by authority, or the abstaining from what is prohibited, in compliance with the command or prohibition. That which duty requires implies dignity of conduct rather that servility. Obedience may be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary obedience ALONE can be acceptable to God. Duty – That which a person owes to another; That to which a person is bound, by any natural, ethical, or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform. Forbearance of that which is forbid by ethics, law, justice or propriety. It is our duty to refrain from lewdness intemperance, profaneness and injustice. Reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties. Discipline – (Self-control) Subjection to laws, rules, order, precepts or regulations for the greater good and individual good. To be regulated by principles and virtues. That chastisement or external mortification which a religious person inflicts on himself resulting in repentance and reformation of life. Justice – Conformed to truth; exact, proper and accurate. Righteous application of truth in an upright way that conforms to the principles of rectitude. The equitable distribution of reward and punishment founded on truth and fact regardless of social standing of the person who is the object of that justice. Forgiveness –The pardon or remission of an offense or crime; the pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty. The remission of a debt, fine or penalty. Stewardship – The management of another’s property, financial assets or time. God is the owner of all things and life should be lived in stewardship of everything under one’s personal control. The Steward will answer to the owner for the management of that which he oversees and presides. Righteousness – Purity of heart and rectitude of life. Conformity of heart and life to the divine Law, comprehending holy principles and affections of the heart. That which is ethically right or justifiable and virtuous. The near equivalent to holiness. List of Righteous Virtues Wisdom – The exercise of sound judgement either in avoiding evils or attempting good. The right use or exercise of knowledge; the ability to choose laudable ends and the best means to accomplish them. Wisdom is true religion, godliness, piety, the knowledge and fear of God and sincere and uniform obedience to His commands. Honor - Integrity in all things and pursuits. One’s Good reputation: True nobleness of mind: magnanimity and dignified respect springing from virtue and integrity or approved actions, principle or moral rectitude: a distinguished trait in the character of good men. An assumed appearance of nobleness: scorn of meanness, springing from fear of reproach, with great regard to principle: as, shall I violate my trust? Forbid it, honor. Purity – Chastity; freedom from contamination by illicit sexual connection; Cleanliness; freedom from foulness or dirt, freedom from guilt or the defilement of sin; innocence. Freedom from foreign idioms, from barbarous or improper words or phrases. Courage - Strength of mind in regard to danger: that quality which enables a man to encounter danger with firmness, personal bravery, valor, intrepidity, and prowess. Temperance – To show moderation in every area of ones life where excess could prove to be destructive and a poor witness of Christian character to others. Patience – The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper. Endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Constitutional fortitude from a kind of heroic pride, or from Christian submission to the divine will. The act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent. The act of being perseverant and constant in one’s labor and exertion for good. Empathy - truly feeling what another person is suffering by placing oneself in the other person’s circumstances. Mental entering into the feeling or spirit of a person. Appreciative perception and understanding of another’s struggle. Compassion – A suffering with another. Having a temper or disposition to pity. Having a heart that is tender and easily moved by the distresses, sufferings, needs and infirmities of others and then acting upon those feelings to relieve that suffering and pain. Thrift – Stewardship of ones financial blessings by prudently assessing every spending decision knowing that every penny is from God and ultimately belongs to Him. A thrifty man receives a hundred fold return on the Master’s investment. Charity - Courteously, respectfully and generously giving of ones time and money to further a noble cause for which the giver will never receive any earthly compensation. Trustworthiness - When one pledges upon his honor to perform a specific task in a distinct manner, he totally fulfills that pledge even when there is no one present to witness his actions or the task becomes greater than was anticipated at the time the pledge was made. It is when a person demonstrates his ability to perform consistently within the parameters of everything he acknowledges as righteous in God’s eyes. A personal loyalty that can be counted upon in any circumstance. Mercy – When you have been personally sinned against and a just verdict has been rendered and the appropriate and just penalty prescribed, to forgive not only the sinful and unjust deed that was perpetrated upon you but to also relinquish your personal right to compensation and penalty. To give an undeserved pardon when the guilty plead for it. God is pleased and honored with justice but is exalted when we offer the most difficult of gifts, mercy, to one He loves.