Statement of Faith
Introduction
St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Kerang is a member-church of the Presbyterian Church of Australia . It resorts under the oversight of the Presbytery of Bendigo, who in turn forms part of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. The latter is part of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
We adhere to the doctrines of the Bible which is our supreme standard. Our understanding of these doctrines is in agreement with the historical expression of the Reformed faith, also called Calvinism (because John Calvin was the most important exponent of it during the Reformation). These doctrines are summarised in what we adhere to as our sub-ordinate standard, the Westminster Confession of Faith (read in the light of the Declaratory Statement in the Articles of Agreement of 1901)
What we believe can be summarised:
The Bible
The Bible, having been inspired by God, is entirely trustworthy (infallible) and without error (inerrant). Therefore, we are to believe and obey its teachings. The Bible is the only source of special revelation for the church today.
God
The one true God is personal, yet beyond our comprehension. He is an invisible spirit, completely self-sufficient and unbounded by space or time, perfectly holy and just, and loving and merciful. In the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God created the heavens and the earth, and all they contain. He upholds and governs them in accordance with his eternal will. God is sovereign (in complete control) yet this does not diminish human responsibility.
Fallen state of man
Because of the sin of the first man, Adam, all mankind is corrupt by nature, dead in sin, and subject to the wrath of God. But God determined, by a Covenant of Grace, that sinners may receive forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ has always been the only way of salvation, in both Old Testament and New Testament times.
Jesus Christ, our Redeemer
The Son of God took upon Himself a human nature in the womb of the virgin Mary, so that in her son Jesus the divine and human natures were united in one Person. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and died on a cross, bearing the sins of, and receiving God's wrath for, all those who trust in Him for salvation (his chosen ones). He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where He sits as Lord and rules over his kingdom (the church). He will return to judge the living and the dead, bringing his people (with glorious, resurrected bodies) into eternal life, and consigning the wicked to eternal punishment.
A new life in Jesus Christ
Those whom God has predestined unto life are effectually drawn to Christ by the inner working of the Spirit as they hear the gospel. When they believe in Christ, God declares them righteous (justifies them), pardoning their sins and accepting them as righteous, not because of any righteousness of their own, but by imputing Christ's merits to them. They are adopted as the children of God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies them, enabling them increasingly to stop sinning and act righteously. They repent of their sins (both at their conversion and thereafter), produce good works as the fruit of their faith, and persevere to the end in communion with Christ, with assurance of their salvation.
Christian living
Believers strive to keep God's Moral Law, (the Ten Commandments), not to earn salvation, but because they love their Saviour and want to obey Him. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the power of the Holy Spirit, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
The Church
Christ has established his church, and particular churches, to gather and perfect his people, by means of the ministry of the Word (the Bible), the sacraments of baptism (which is to be administered to the children of believers, as well as believers) and the Lord's Supper (in which the body and blood of Christ are spiritually present to the faith of believers), and the disciplining of members found delinquent in doctrine or life. Christians assemble on the Lord's Day to worship God by praying, hearing the Word of God read and preached, singing psalms and hymns, and receiving the sacraments.
Christ’s Return
Jesus Christ, now seated at the right hand of the Father, will one day return to judge the living and the dead. This return of Christ will be personal and bodily. The sure promise of the coming of Christ (at a time known only to God) demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
This summary is a specifically simplified statement, and by no means exhaustive of everything we believe. Our only sub-ordinate standard is the Westminster Confession of Faith.
