The Crusader Union is interdenominational in character and what we believe is as follows:
1. The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scriptures as originally given and its supreme authority in all matter of faith and conduct.
In practice, this will mean:
- That the words of the Bible will always override the teachings of men or the traditions of the church, including the statements of the Pope, “tradition” or popular culture.
- That you cannot add to or alter the Bible, for example, speaking ex cathedra or proclaiming another book as Scripture.
- That the teachings of the Bible should be the first point of reference for matters of faith and conduct so that conduct which is described as sinful in the Bible should not be advocated and the Christian will seek to turn away from such behaviour. This includes things like sexual relationships outside marriage, homosexual relationships, drunkenness and foul language.
- That the truth of the Bible should be assumed rather than tested, especially when discussing miraculous signs or supernatural events.
Bible references: II Timothy 3:14-17; Matthew 5:17-19; II Timothy 2:15
2. The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the God-Head.
In practice, this will mean:
- That Jesus is unique, being both fully God and fully man.
- There is no need for any other to intercede on our behalf to God, as both Jesus and the Holy Spirit continue to intercede for us.
Bible references: Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; I John 4:2-3; John 20:28-31; Romans 8:25-27;Hebrews 7: 24-26
3. The sinfulness and condemnation of all mankind consequent upon the fall of Adam as the representative of the human race.
In practice, this will mean:
- Humans are always to be seen as sinful – not to be seen as perfect on this earth.
- Sinfulness cannot be downplayed or excused as the reason for ungodly behaviour.
- The condemnation and judgement of God cannot be divorced from his love and forgiveness.
Bible references: Psalm 51:5; Romans 3: 9-23
4. The conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit and his birth of the Virgin Mary.
In practice, this will mean:
- That Jesus’ birth came about by divine means – it is not an allegory or a myth.
- That Jesus existed before his birth as a baby, so that he is truly God.
- That Mary too needed God to be her Saviour.
Bible references: Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 1:47
5. Redemption from the guilt, penalty and power of sin, only through the sacrificial death, as our representative and substitute, of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
In practice, this will mean:
- That Jesus’ death on the cross was the only sufficient sacrifice for sin, once for all. Therefore Jesus cannot be re-sacrificed through ritual or Mass and no other sacrifice is necessary or effective.
- That Jesus died as a substitute for sinful people, not just as an example of self-sacrificing love.
6. Justification by faith only, on the ground of the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In practice, this will mean:
- Assurance of salvation is based on the believer’s trust in Jesus’ death on their behalf alone and not based upon participation in ritual, experience of the divine presence, or in the promises of another form of justification (i.e. membership of a particular church, baptism, absolution or the acceptance of promises from another religion).
- That righteousness from God is imputed – that is, there is nothing intrinsic to a human which makes them right before God.
Bible references: Romans 1:17; 3:21-5:21; Galatians 2:15-5:1; Ephesians 2:1-9
7. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
In practice, this will mean:
- That Jesus was physically raised from the dead in accordance with the accounts of the Bible. This means the resurrection is not myth, exaggeration, fiction or blasphemy.
- That the believer can know of their forgiveness and the hope of their resurrection from the dead also.
Bible references: Luke 24:1-3; John 20; I Corinthians 15; Ephesians 1:18-2:10
8. The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective in the individual sinner, granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
In practice, this will mean:
- That repentance and faith are the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer, and not the initial works by which the Holy Spirit enters the believer.
- That the individual’s repentance and faith are gracious gifts from God to the individual and not attributable to the influence of man or to the workings of a particular church.
Bible references: Ephesians 1:17-18; 3:18-19;John 3:13-15; Acts 26:20
9. The indwelling and the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
In practice, this will mean:
- Every believer is privileged to have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – not just those who show manifestations of the Spirit (i.e. speaking in other tongues, ecstatic behaviour, exercise of spiritual gifts, etc.)
- That the Holy Spirit’s work is to convict the sinner of the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection, as revealed in Scripture, and not to point only to himself. The knowledge of the Holy Spirit cannot be divorced from an understanding of Scripture.
10. The expectation of the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In practice, this will mean:
- That Jesus has not yet returned to the earth, as is the claim of the Latter-Day Saint movement.
- You will hold to the Bible’s teaching that the day and hour of Jesus’ return are unknown, and not seek to put forward a specific date and time.
- That there will be a time of God’s just judgement of the entire population of the world, living and dead.
Bible references: Matthew 24:44; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16-5:11; II Thessalonians 1:9-10; John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:1-13
If you would like more information on any of the above, a helpful resource is J. I. Packer’s book, Concise Theology: A Guide To Historic Christian Beliefs, Tyndale House Publishers, 1993.
For more information on what Crusaders believes, please email admin@crusaders.edu.au or phone (02) 9874 8933.
