The message and materials produced by and associated with To Live is Christ Ministries reflect and advocate the following beliefs:
a correspondence model of absolute truth anchored in the existence of a Creator God, Author of all things, who has communicated (revealed Himself and His plan) to mankind in a sufficient and understandable manner. This notion of divine absolute truth further assumes that the biblical record of divine reality and intervention is historically accurate and must be incorporated into any proper worldview (Jn 17:17).
the communication by the Creator God about Himself and His purposes through creation (Ps 19:1-2), human history (Ps 104), special written revelation, the Bible (2 Tim 3:16) , the incarnation of the eternal Word, in the Person of Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-2), and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in God’s people, Acts; Ephesians 4:1—6:18; Colossians 3:1—4:1.
the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the God-breathed special revelation (2 Tim 3:16). The Scriptures have come to us by the superintending ministries of the Holy Spirit who guided human authors to record in their own words, God’s word. As such the biblical text is considered as inerrant and infallible in all that it asserts. The Bible is profitable for doctrine and spiritual transformation when interpreted and applied from a historical and grammatical manner (2 Tim 3:17; 2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is the written word of the Spirit revealing the mind of Christ (Jn 14:26; 1 Cor 2:12-16) so that, as far as necessary, God’s intentions and history with mankind might be known. Finally, as God’s special revelation, the biblical record serves as the primary source for knowing and understanding God and His will.
presented in the Bible as the only self-existent, immortal, incomprehensible, true and living God (1 Tim 1:17, John 17:3), yet adequately revealed and known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:10, 26), three co-equal and co-eternal persons who are the same in substance yet distinct in subsistence, who, through the Son and by the Spirit, can be known and experienced in relationship/fellowship based upon the provisions of God’s own graciousness and according to the details outlined in Scripture.
The True God (the Eternal Word) (Jn 1:1; Titus 2:13) and truly man (1 Tim 2:5) inseparably united without mixture of natures in one Person, who, as man, without sin, lived a sinless life (Heb 4:15), died a substitutionary death on behalf of the human race (1 Pet 3:18), rose from the dead (1 Cor 15), ascended to the Father’s right hand (Acts 2:33), mediates the New Covenant as our great high priest (Heb 9:15), and will return to earth to establish God’s kingdom (Heb 9:28; Rev 19) at which time He will reestablish the house of David (Eze 37:24-26; Luke 1:68-69; Rev 19—20) and rule over the new earth through the Church, His Body (Matt 19:28; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 20:6) forever.
The third distinct Person of the Godhead who administrates God’s will on earth by convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn 16:7-11), as well as indwelling (Rom 8:9), uniting (1 Cor 12:13), sealing (Eph 1:13), equipping (1 Cor 12—14), leading (Rom 8:14), enlivening (Gal 5:16), and transforming (Gal 5:22-23) the redeemed.
Specially created spirit-beings of great power who were created to carry out God’s plan and function as servants at God’s behest, for those who would inherit salvation, Hebrews 1:14. Many these beings (perhaps ⅓) rejected their divine place of service and glory by rebelling against God. These fallen angels, led by the Satan, the highest rank among these angels, now oppose God and attempt to destroy God’s creative and redemptive purposes by influencing mankind to reject God and oppose God’s ways. Finally, because the fallen angels have no source for redemption (no substitute who died for their sins, Heb 2:16), God has created and reserves a lake of fire as the just method of eternal punishment for their deadly and destructive rebellion (Rev 20).
Created in God’s image (representation) and likeness (similarity), mankind, was commissioned by the God to govern the earth. However, in disobeying God’s singular command, mankind brought sin and death into the world. Now each natural born human being suffers the consequence of this “fall” being born with original sin and having to operate daily through the pervasive influences of sin which has radically affected man’s heart, mind, conscience, body, and will, Ephesians 2:1-3. As a result, only God’s overcoming grace can reverse the curse and power of sin in a person’s life. This “reversal” is offered to all humanity in the Person of Christ and can only be received by faith in Christ apart from works.
God’s gracious provision for the redemption and restoration of mankind and creation from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. The forgiveness of sins, the justification of life, and the promise of eternal life are offered as a free gift to anyone who will believe/trust as true God’s promises about salvation. The promises about the gift of eternal life are by God’s grace alone and are solely based upon the sufficiency of Christ’s life (righteousness), death (atonement), and resurrection (eternal life). As God’s grace through Christ is the only sufficient source and means for salvation, man’s eternal life does not depend upon and does not require any past, present, or future good works/performance by the recipient. The redeemed are God’s workmanship created in Christ based on good works which God has done beforehand (Eph 2:10).
While every true believer enjoys positional and permanent holiness (sanctified) because of their union in Christ, the Christian is expected to pursue both internal and external righteousness. Internal and external righteousness refers to both the character qualities and deeds that emulate the new commandment, Law of Christ (Jn 13:34-35). This pursuit of internal and external righteousness can only be achieved through divine power available in the resurrected Christ experienced by means of the leading and enabling presence of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:2-4; Gal 5:16). This divine enablement is available to the Christian who exercises an active, moment-to-moment trust in the sufficiency of Christ’s life (Gal 2:20b) through the Spirit.
The Church is the visible body of persons from all nations who have believed/trusted God for the gift of salvation in Christ. This body of believers is united organically to themselves and to the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ, by the indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13; Col 1:24) who was given to the household of faith at Pentecost (Acts 2). Because of this union and indwelling, the Church functions as the living temple of God’s presence on earth throughout this age and the locus of God’s spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph 2:22). The Church will continue as God’s presence and direct source of blessing to the world until the rapture/resurrection at the appearing of Christ (1 Cor 15:53; 1 Thes 4:13-18). In addition to the transgenerational, transcultural, organic Body of Christ (often referred to as the universal church), the Church is represented in local assemblies in each generation and in every culture/nation.
While the Church is the immediate expression of God’s presence and blessing, the world, alienated from God and subject to God’s wrath because of Adam’s sin (James 4:4; 1 Jn 2:15-17 Eph 2:2-3), remains the special object of God’s redemptive affection/love (Jn 3:16). It is because of God’s love demonstrated in Christ’s incarnation, life, death, and resurrection/ascension (Rom 5:8) that the redeemed of the nations, Church, the earthly presence of the true and living God, engages the world as both salt and light, Matthew 5:13-16; John 16:8-11, proclaiming the message of hope, the gospel, and presenting the living alternative to death and eternal judgment in the lake of fire, namely, the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
According to the grant covenants made to Abraham (Gen 12;15;17;22), David (2 Sam 7), and to the nation of Israel (Jer 31), God offers, through Christ, not only forgiveness, righteousness/justification, union with Christ, and new life through the regenerating and indwelling presence of God’s Spirit, but the guaranteed hope of an eternal inheritance that includes personal bodily resurrection and glorification (Phil 3:21), a place of glory and inheritance in Jesus’ coming earthly kingdom (Rom 8:17-18; Rev 20:6), and a permanent share in the divine nature, 2 Peter 1:4, and fellowship after this earthly kingdom upon a new earth (Rev 21).