Wantirna Christian Community Church

Wantirna Christian Community Church is a Christian community and part of the wider family of Christian Reformed churches of Australia and Reformed Churches world wide.

http://www.crca.org.au/

We are a Christian Church

With all other Christian churches we hold in common the summary statements of the Christian faith called the Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed.

We hold to the following universal Christian beliefs:

• The Bible is the inspired Word of God and only rule of life and faith.
• There is only one God, who exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Jesus Christ is the only Son of God who became man 2000 years ago.
• Jesus died for our sin in his sacrificial death on the cross and rose again three days later. We are made right with God only through His finished work on our behalf.
• We receive the gift of salvation and are justified in God’s sight only through faith in Jesus Christ.
• The Holy Spirit dwells in each person who has faith in Jesus Christ.
• God’s people are the church, called to serve Him alone, and demonstrate their faith by loving each other and sharing the good news with people who do not yet know Christ.
• We wait in expectant hope for Jesus to return, judge the living and the dead and establish the kingdom of God on earth.

We are a Reformed church

As Reformed churches we have some particular doctrines which, likewise, are based on the Bible, yet on which we may differ with some other Christian churches.

Statements of the Reformed faith and doctrines are found in the historic documents called the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort. For example, the Canons of Dort stress the grace of God by spelling out five important doctrines.

1. Total depravity. .. By nature man is enslaved to sin and therefore cannot, by his own will, turn to God. If we are to be saved, it will be completely by the grace of God. (Eph.2:1-10 Rom. 2:9-18)
2. Unconditional Election… By pure grace God elects and calls from sinful humanity those whom he would save. (Eph.1:3-14)
3. Limited atonement… Christ died for HIS people and saves them completely by his death and resurrection. (John 10:11-18)
4. Irresistible grace… We are saved because God in his grace, is determined to save us. (1 Tim. 1:13)
5. Perseverance of the Saints… Although Christians often fail and may suffer many trials and temptations, by God’s grace, those for whom Christ died will undoubtedly be brought safely into Christ’s eternal kingdom. (Phil.1:6; Rom. 8:28-37)

We are happy to discuss any of these beliefs, their biblical basis, and how they apply to Christians. A complete copy of these belief statements can be obtained from any elder.

As a Christian Reformed Church we are also part of the wider family of Christian Reformed Churches of Australia with whom we share a common commitment to a document called, “The Church Order of the Christian Reformed Churches”. The Church order governs the running of the church in such things as the tasks and election of ministers, elders and deacons, and the role and tasks of the church courts (Synods, Classes and sessions). A complete copy of The Church Order can be obtained from any elder.It is not really necessary for us to add to any of these documents, as they adequately summarise what we believe.

What We Believe

In a world where so many things are changing we really need to know what the Bible says. At Wantirna Christian Community Church (WCCC) our statements of faith provide detailed explanation of our views (these are available on request). The following is offered as a brief summary of our views in a number of key areas. We hope it’s helpful, and if you want further clarification we’re more than happy to discuss these you.

Father, Son & Holy Spirit

The Bible tells us that God is One God in three persons, or “trinity”; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are co-equal and co-eternal with each other. Each is fully God. They can neither be blended nor divided. As humans, we cannot possibly comprehend the profound mystery of the Trinity, but because that’s what the Bible clearly says, we humbly accept it. All Christian churches accept and uphold this teaching from the Bible.

People

When God created our universe it was “very good”. Man was created in the image of God. Man’s rebellion, however, has brought sin, failing, frustration, pain and despair to our world. The pollution of this sin has penetrated every aspect of humanity and our world. The ugly consequence is that all people now live in rebellion against God – whether they realise it or not (all have sinned). Without God’s intervention, they have neither desire nor ability to worship him or honour him, and are headed for eternal separation from him.

God Initiates Rescue through Jesus

God is a gracious creator. While human sin grieves God greatly, he is not prepared to leave people in their rebellion – lost people matter to Him. The Bible tells us that God has always planned the rescue of human beings and their universe. From the very beginning, the Old Testament reveals God’s promises to send a rescuer, or messiah. The New Testament tells us this rescuer is Jesus Christ.

We believe Jesus is true man and true God. He is the eternal second person of the trinity, without beginning or end. He took on the human nature, and was born in Bethlehem around 5 BC. His mission was to represent his sinful people, and pay sins full penalty. Jesus was crucified around 33 AD as the atoning sacrifice for our sin. He rose again on the third day, and returned to his father forty days later. By his death and resurrection Jesus bring us back into relationship with God. As a result, anyone who trusts in the rescue Jesus has won on the Cross, and who acknowledges Jesus as leader and master of their lives, can be confident that their forgiveness and eternal life is guaranteed. God’s ability to save and rescue people out of their rebellion is complete. Forgiveness and eternal life is God’s gift. We cannot earn it by our attempts to live a good life. It comes by grace through faith. The only way to enter this relationship is by trusting in Jesus’ rescue, and asking him to rule our lives.

The Holy Spirit

When Jesus returned to his Father he sent His Holy Spirit as comforter and counsellor (John 14). He continues the work Jesus began. The Holy Spirit reveals God’s word. He enables people to speak God’s word and also to write it down. Thus we believe he is the primary author of the Bible, which gives us all we need to understand God and his plan of rescue in Jesus Christ, as well as telling us how to live for God in his world. It is the reliable and authoritative Word of God. The Holy Spirit also works in people to open minds to the truth. He convicts of sin, creates faith and continues to change our life as he indwells all who believe. The best indicator of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is commitment to the Spirit-revealed Gospel and the presence of all the Spirit’s fruit in their lives (Gal 5:22-26). The Holy Spirit gathers believers into a new community of faith, called the church. The church is to be marked by love and God wants our lives to match our words. In the power of the Holy Spirit we are called to add goodness to the world, to work against the spread of evil and unbelief and to make the good news of his rescuing work in Jesus known to all. The Holy Spirit freely distributes gifts to all who belong to the Church, Christ’s body. These gifts differ from person to person, and are to be used to build others up, to spread the Gospel, to address people’s needs, and to develop God’s world in accordance with His design (1 Cor 12). Only when God’s people use their gifts fruitfully will the church increasingly move toward mature expression of what God designed it to be (Eph 4). Accordingly, it is every believer’s responsibility to discover their gifts, develop them, and use them to honour the Lord and build the church. The Holy Spirit continues to enable his church to spread the good news of Jesus, in order that people from every nation will come to know and enjoy the gift of salvation.

Baptism

In Baptism God promises to be the God of his people and the God of their descendants (Acts 2:37-41. The water used in baptism points to the reality of the cleansing work Jesus has done on the Cross. It also assures us that Jesus’ death is effective in bringing full forgiveness for all our sin. Some have referred to Baptism as a ‘sign which points’, and a ‘seal which verifies’. The Bible makes it clear that children are part of God’s covenant community. In baptism they are rightly identified with that community (eg. Acts 16:13-15; 33-34; 1 Cor 1:16). A child’s baptism does not imply a child has faith, or that their parent’s faith is somehow passed to them, nor does it guarantee they will have faith at some later date. Baptism guarantees the promise of God to be their Lord and Saviour. As such, baptism draws children toward a faith response where they accept and own the promises God has made to them.

When adults are baptised, the message is the same. They are assured of God’s promise of love and forgiveness, and drawn toward deeper commitment. There’s hardly a better reason for celebration in the church than to see these promises so clearly displayed, and better still, accepted. Our typical method of baptism is sprinkling and pouring, but the mode is not important. What is important is what baptism signifies: the certainty of God’s promise of forgiveness and cleansing in Jesus Christ.

Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is the church’s meal of unity in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Like baptism, the Supper points us straight to the certainty of the promises of God, and the truth of what he has done for us in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 11:23-26). As truly as we see bread broken and wine poured, so truly did Jesus Christ absorb all the anger and wrath of God for our sin and rebellion. This makes the Supper a celebration of forgiveness, and a means of strength for following Jesus. The Supper is only open to those who have a living relationship with Jesus Christ (1 Cor 11:27-29), and who place their total confidence in him. Jesus always welcomes to the fellowship of his table all those who are sincerely sorry for their sins and who renew their promise to live a godly life.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two sacraments that Jesus has commanded in his Word.

The Future

The same Jesus who returned to the Father almost 2000 years ago will come again. At that time the whole universe will be purged of all fallenness, rebellion, sin and evil. The Triune God will be acknowledged by all creation as True King and Ruler of all. The universe will be restored to perfection, and our Father will wipe every tear from our eyes. Gone will be mourning, crying and pain. God’s justice will ensure that all wrongs will be made right. This wonderfully recreated universe, and every creature in it, will only honour God all the time. This is the life, the relationship, the community, the justice, the peace, the world we all deeply long for. It is already guaranteed because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. Those who honour Jesus today are assured that his grace will make them part of his new universe. Until Jesus returns, our calling as God’s people is to show God’s true design for life, even in our fallen world and as best we know how. Until he returns, and in His grace and power, we are increasingly to come under his Lordship, to seek a strong, healthy and vibrant church, and to work for the overthrow of every work of the evil one.