Doctrine
DOCTRINE / TOVIAH COLLECTIVE
Scripture
We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, the only final authority for faith and practice (1 Corinthians 2:7–14; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21).
God spoke through human authors under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit, producing His very Word without error in every part (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35).
Scripture is to be interpreted by a literal, grammatical, historical method, which affirms six 24-hour days of creation (Genesis 1:1–2:3; Exodus 20:11), the special creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26–28; 2:7), and marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6). All sexual activity outside that covenant is sin (Exodus 20:14; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7).
God
We believe in one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5–7), an eternal, infinite, unchanging Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes and existing eternally in three coequal, consubstantial Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)—each fully and truly God and worthy of worship.
The Father
The Father is Creator and sovereign Lord over creation, providence, and redemption (Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 3:9; Psalm 103:19). He continually upholds, directs, and governs all things according to His will (1 Chronicles 29:11; Ephesians 1:11).
From eternity He chose, in grace, those whom He would save in Christ (Ephesians 1:4–6), yet He is neither the author of sin (Habakkuk 1:13) nor does He negate human responsibility (1 Peter 1:17). He adopts as His children all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Romans 8:15).
The Son
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully God and fully man (John 1:1–3; 10:30; 14:9).
Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35; Galatians 4:4–5), He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), died a voluntary, substitutionary, propitiatory death (Isaiah 53:4–6; Romans 3:24–25; 1 Peter 2:24), and rose bodily from the dead (Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23).
By His substitutionary death and shed blood He satisfied God’s justice and wrath and secured the salvation of His people.
He ascended to the Father’s right hand, interceding as our High Priest (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25), and will return to rapture His church (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18), judge all mankind (John 5:22–23), and reign in His millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:1–6).
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is fully God (Acts 5:3–4; 1 Corinthians 12:4–6), eternal (Hebrews 9:14), and personally active in creation (Genesis 1:2), revelation (2 Peter 1:21), and salvation (John 3:5–7).
He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8–11); regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals believers (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13–14); and empowers them for holiness and service (Romans 8:9–14). He distributes spiritual gifts for the church’s edification (1 Corinthians 12:4–11) and glorifies Christ, not Himself (John 16:13–14).
Man
God created mankind directly in His image, male and female, with dignity and purpose to glorify Him (Genesis 1:26–28; Isaiah 43:7). Biological sex is fixed by God at conception (Psalm 139:13–16), and attempts to alter or blur it are sinful (Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:26–27).
Sin
Through Adam’s sin, all humanity fell (Romans 5:12–19), becoming guilty, corrupt, spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1–3), and unable to please God (Romans 8:7–8). All are sinners by nature and choice (Psalm 14:1–3; Romans 3:23); only Christ is sinless (Hebrews 7:26).
Salvation
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5), apart from works.
God sovereignly elects those He will save (Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 1:4–11) and sovereignly and unconditionally elects His people according to His good pleasure.
Christ’s atonement fully satisfies divine justice for His people (Romans 3:25–26), and the Spirit regenerates, enabling and granting salvific repentance and faith (John 3:3–7; 1 Peter 1:23).
In justification, God legally declares believers in Christ righteous, imputing their sin to Christ and Christ’s righteousness to them (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:4–5).
Believers are positionally sanctified at conversion (1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11) and progressively sanctified by the Spirit through obedience to the Word (John 17:17; Romans 6:19, 22). Sin is never eradicated in this life; though sin remains, believers will grow in holiness (Philippians 3:12–14).
All who are truly saved are kept by God’s power (John 10:27–30; 1 Peter 1:5) and will persevere in faith and good works (James 2:17–18).
Believers are called to separation from sin and worldliness and to a life of holiness (Romans 12:1–2; 1 John 2:15–17); they are called to separation from apostasy, and to a life of holiness and devotion to Christ.
The Church
The universal church, begun at Pentecost, is the body and bride of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–13; Ephesians 5:25–27) and distinct from Israel (1 Corinthians 10:32).
Believers are to join local assemblies (Hebrews 10:25), which are autonomous under Christ’s authority, led by qualified elders and served by deacons (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9).
The church exists to glorify God through worship (Ephesians 3:21), teaching (2 Timothy 3:16–17), fellowship (Acts 2:42), prayer, holiness, discipline (Matthew 18:15–17), and gospel proclamation (Matthew 28:18–20).
Christ gives spiritual gifts for ministry (Romans 12:6–8; Ephesians 4:11–12). The ordinances of the church are believer’s baptism by immersion (Acts 8:36–39; Romans 6:4) and the Lord’s Supper, a memorial of His death until He returns (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).
Angels
Holy angels are created beings who worship and serve God (Hebrews 1:6–7, 14; Revelation 5:11–12).
Satan is a fallen angel (Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:15–17), the adversary of God and man (1 Peter 5:8), who leads other fallen angels in opposition to God and His people (Ephesians 6:11–12). Though active in the world, he was defeated at the cross (Colossians 2:15) and will be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).
Last Things
At death, believers enter Christ’s presence in conscious joy (Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8), while unbelievers enter conscious punishment (Luke 16:22–26). At the consummation of history, all will be resurrected—believers to everlasting life and unbelievers to judgment (John 5:28–29; Revelation 20:12–15).
Jesus Christ will return personally, visibly, and bodily in glory to consummate His kingdom, raise the dead, judge the world in righteousness, and fully establish His reign (Acts 1:11; Matthew 25:31–46; 2 Timothy 4:1).
Following the final defeat of Satan and all evil (Revelation 20:7–10), God will create a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21–22). The redeemed will enjoy everlasting fellowship with the triune God, who reigns forever and ever (1 Corinthians 15:24–28).