TOSI Ministry Statement of Faith
The Bible: The Bible is God’s revelation to humanity in written form, made known to the saints who transmitted it through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21). It is infallible (John 17:17) and inerrant (Psalm 119:160). In it, God tells us His will and purposes for our lives (Psalm 37:23; 119:105). Therefore, the Bible is our only rule of faith, practice, and conduct, and all matters related to faith and conduct must be measured through its lens.
The True God: There is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4), who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Gen. 1; Acts 17:24-25). He is Spirit (John 4:24), Eternal (Psalm 90:2), Immutable (Malachi 3:6), Holy (Isaiah 6:3), Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Revelation 19:6), Omniscient (Psalm 139:1-4; Hebrews 4:13), Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10; Matthew 28:20), and Perfect (Matthew 5:48). He is represented in the person of the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). He has manifested himself to humanity through creation (Romans 1:20), the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and especially through Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus Christ: He is the Second Person of the Trinity (John 1:1-14), coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 10:30, 14:9). He came to earth as a man (John 1:14), and in that capacity was 100% God and 100% man. He died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), rose again on the third day (Acts 10:40), ascended to heaven (Acts 1:11), is at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3), and comes at the end of time to establish His Kingdom and punish sin (Revelation 19:6). He is the central figure of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation (Luke 24:27).
The Holy Spirit: is the Third Person of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son, and is therefore God (Acts 5:3-4). He is the Creator (Genesis 1:2), the One who inspired the Holy Scriptures in the holy prophets (2 Peter 1:21), and who enlightens the believer for understanding (John 16:13-14). He is the One who convinces men of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He lives in the believer from the moment they believe, definitively (Ephesians 1:13-14). He convicts them of sin, regenerates them (Titus 3:5), seals them, ensuring their salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14), guides them (John 16:13), strengthens them, and enables them to bear witness to Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth and until His return (Acts 1:8). In addition, He gives gifts to believers and enables them to build up the church through them (1 Corinthians 12) and fulfill the purpose for which He has called them.
Creation: God, who is eternal and therefore the only uncreated being who also has life within himself, created all things outside of himself with the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3). This creation includes the physical and spiritual universe. God established an order for all his creation to glorify him. God himself is the source and sustenance of what he has created. This creation was marred by the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden. At the end of time, a new creation will be established for the enjoyment of those chosen and redeemed by Christ and for the glory of God.
Man: Man was created by God in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) and was subject to God’s Law. He was created to live for God’s purposes and glory, but he disobeyed God, broke his fellowship with him, and lost his purpose through sin (Genesis 3). For this reason, all human beings are sinners by inheritance, and the penalty for their sin is death. (Romans 3:23; 6:23) However, God changes this terrible condition through Christ. The way of salvation: Man cannot save himself; the only One who can exempt us from the penalty of sin is God Himself.
(Ephesians 2:1-9) This requires man to recognize his sinful condition and repent before God (Mark 1:15), at the same time accepting the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for His life, dying in his place on the cross at Calvary, and recognizing Christ as the only way of salvation that God offers to all human beings (John 14:6).
Redemption: The sin committed by Adam and Eve, which we inherited, resulted in slavery to sin, to the power and dominion of Satan, and ultimately to death. To free us from that condition, it was necessary to pay a ransom that was sufficient and acceptable to God. Jesus Christ is the only holy and spotless Lamb who could pay for our redemption. Therefore, that ransom or redemption was provided by Christ when He died on the cross for our sin (1 Timothy 2:6). All human beings, because of their sinful nature, are condemned to an eternity in hell, separated from God and in perpetual damnation. (Romans 3:23)
Salvation: Since the fall of man, God promised the coming of a Savior, who came in the person of Jesus Christ (Genesis 3:15). This salvation consists of repenting of our sins, believing in the gospel (the truth that Jesus died for our sins and was buried and resurrected on the third day) (Mark 1:15). This salvation is made evident through the transformation in the lives of those who receive it. (John 15)
The Church: We call the congregation of God’s elect, believers in Jesus Christ, the church, understanding that there is a universal church composed of all believers of all time and a local church, which is the physical and visible gathering of saints or believers. The church is defined as the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8), as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22, Revelation 19:7), etc. This church was purchased with the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Peter 1:18-19), so the Lord himself will come for her at the end of time to take her to a new heaven and a new earth where she will live forever in communion with her God and Lord. Its purpose is to live for the glory of God, worshipping Him, fulfilling the Great Commission, being faithful to apostolic doctrine, fellowship, and lovingly supporting the needs of others (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47).
The World to Come: The Lord repeatedly affirmed that He would return again (Matthew 26:63; John 14:2-3). He will establish a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1), and there will be a final judgment for all humanity (Revelation 19-20). Every person will be resurrected (if they have already died) and will be judged. Some will be saved forever (those who believed in Christ as Savior); others will be condemned to hell (those who did not believe in Jesus Christ). For this reason, Christians are always prepared and awaiting this event, since it can happen at any moment. We are committed to the Great Commission, believing that God continues to save His people until His second coming. The resurrection is the promise given by God to His people, according to which all human beings will be resurrected at the end of time (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Those who believed in Christ will be resurrected forever and will be rewarded by the Lord for all their actions while in the body. Unbelievers will be resurrected to condemnation, will be judged, and thrown into the fire where they will suffer the second death (Revelation 21:8).
The return of Christ: is the greatest promise of the Christian faith. All believers believe that Christ will return for His church, just as He Himself promised (John 14:2-3). No one knows the day or hour of this return, only God (Matthew 24:36). There are various opinions regarding the form and order of these final events, but the indisputable truth for all Christians is that Christ will return.
The Devil or Satan: is the greatest enemy of God, His creation, and His Kingdom. He was an angel whose pride led him to rebel against God, leading a rebellion of angels against Him, for which he was expelled from heaven along with them (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:16). He is called the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24), the Adversary (1 Peter 5:8), the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), the father of lies (John 8:44), among other names. He was the one who tempted the first humans to violate God’s plan (Genesis 3:1-6) and has continued to do so ever since. He will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire along with his angels and followers, where they will be tormented for eternity. (Revelation 20).
