Doctrinal Statement of Chris Miller
Bibliology
I believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Word of God in the original languages. I believe God breathed out the words through holy men (2 Peter 1:20, 21). I believe that each individual word was inspired of God and not just the thoughts or ideas behind the words (Exodus 34:27). I believe that all, not just part, is inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, the Bible does not just contain the Word, but is the Word of God. I believe the Bible is inerrant and infallible (Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; John 17:17). I believe that God has promised to preserve His Word to every generation (Psalm 12:6, 7; Psalm 100:5; Psalm 119:89, 152, 160; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23-25).
I believe the Bible is God’s complete and only revelation of His will to man. The 39 Old Testament books and the 27 New Testament books are the complete cannon of Scripture, and they should not be added to or taken away from (Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18). I believe the Bible is the ultimate authority in the basis of our faith and also the practice of our daily living (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 3:16).
Theology
I believe there is exclusively one true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6). While there is only one God, He exists in three Persons called the Trinity (1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are completely and equally God. I believe God is a Spirit (John 4:24). I believe that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all creation, yet is separate from His creation (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; Romans 1:25).
I believe that God has natural attributes. God is Omniscient (Psalm 139:1-4; Psalm 147:5). God is Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:23; I Kings 8:27). God is Omnipotent (Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26). I believe that God is immutable (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). I believe that God is everlasting and eternal, and therefore was not created (Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2).
I believe that God has moral attributes. God is holy and completely separate from sin (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:15-16). Because of His holiness, He must judge and punish sin (Psalm 96:13; Ecclesiastes 3:17; Hebrews 10:30; Isaiah 13:11; 2 Peter 2:9). I believe God is good (Psalm 34:8; Psalm 145:9; Mark 10:18). Because of His goodness, God is merciful, gracious, and compassionate to sinful mankind (Psalm 103:8; Psalm 86:15). God is love (1 John 4:8; Romans 5:8).
Christology
I believe in the deity of Christ as the second Person in the Trinity (1 John 5:7; John 1:1; John 20:28; Titus 2:13). I believe Christ is the Son of God (Matthew 8:29; Matthew 16:16; Luke 1:35). I believe Christ was, is, and always will be the eternal God, and that He was not created (John 8:58; Hebrews 1:8). I believe Christ took on human form and was born of a virgin (Luke 1:26-33; Luke 2:7). Though He had a human body (John 1:14; Romans 1:3), Christ was without sin (Romans 5:12; I John 3:5) and never ceased being God.
I believe Christ voluntarily died in our place on the cross as a substitute to make atonement for our sins (Isaiah 53:4-5; John 10:18; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24). I believe He physically and literally rose from the dead on the third day after His death (Matthew 28:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:4). I believe Christ ascended up into heaven and is now on the right hand of the throne of God (Acts 1:9; Mark 16:19).
Pneumatology
I believe that the Holy Spirit is God and is the third Person in the Trinity (Acts 5:3, 4; 1 John 5:7). I reject the teaching that the Holy Spirit is simply an impersonal, supernatural force. Moreover, I believe that the Holy Spirit is completely and totally the Person of God, and is therefore equal with God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). The Bible refers to Him as the “eternal Spirit”, therefore claiming He is God (Hebrews 9:14).
I believe the Holy Spirit had an active part in creation (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13, 33:4). I believe the Holy Spirit inspired and authored the Word of God (2 Peter 1:20, 21). Also, I believe it is the Holy Spirit who illumines our understanding of the Word and is our Teacher (1 Corinthians 2:9-14). I believe the Holy Spirit was active during the Old Testament (1 Samuel 16:13-14; Judges 6:34; Isaiah 61:1). I believe that the Holy Spirit had a great part in the life of Christ. He had a part in His birth (Luke 1:35), His baptism (Matthew 3:16), His temptation (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1), His ministry and miracles (Acts 10:38), His death (Hebrews 9:14), and His resurrection (Romans 8:11).
I believe the Holy Spirit has an active ministry in the life of the believer. He regenerates the believer in salvation (Titus 3:5). He indwells the believer at salvation (John 14:17; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16), and seals him unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). I believe the Holy Spirit guides (John 16:13), teaches (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16), and comforts (John 14:16) the believer. I reject the teaching that the believer receives part of the Holy Spirit at salvation, and therefore he must get more of the Holy Spirit as he matures. However, it is the believer who yields to the control and filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). I believe the Holy Spirit empowers the believer for soul winning (Acts 1:8).
Anthropology
I believe man was an immediate creation after God’s image (Genesis 1:26, 27, 31). I believe man is a unique creation of God, distinct from any other creatures (Genesis 2:7). I believe man is a trichotomous being, having a body, soul, and a spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Adam willfully chose to sin by taking of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6). I believe through this fall of man in original sin that sin and its consequences came upon all mankind (Romans 5:12-19). I believe that every person is born with a depraved sinful nature (Psalm 53:1-3; Psalm 58:3). I believe that the punishment of mankind’s sin is physical and spiritual death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14, 15).
Soteriology
I believe there is the need of mankind to be saved because all men are sinners (Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 53:6). Because of God’s holiness He must be separate from and punish sin (Romans 6:23; James 1:15). I believe that in no way man in and of himself can save him from his sin or its punishment. In His love and mercy, God provided a perfect substitute for salvation which is His Son Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). I believe that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the work of salvation was complete and that He provided the propitiation for the judgment of God on man’s sins (Romans 3:25).
I believe salvation is completely by God’s grace and is received by the sinner at the moment of faith. I believe man has no work but simply decides to trust Christ alone in salvation (Ephesians 2:4- 9). I believe repentance is a change of mind about sin and occurs simultaneously at the time man decides to believe (trust) on Christ.
I believe that the believer is forgiven of his sin and that Christ’s righteousness is imputed on him so that he is now justified (declared righteous) before God (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 4:2-8). I believe that the believer receives eternal life and becomes an heir in the family of God (John 1:12; John 3:16, 18, 36; John 5:24). Because salvation is based on God’s work of grace and not man’s works, it cannot be lost but is eternally secure (John 10:27-29). The believer did not earn his salvation by works, nor does he keep his salvation by works (Galatians 3:1-14). I believe in the assurance of salvation, which is the doctrine that a believer can know for sure he has Christ as his Savior and therefore know for sure he has eternal life (1 John 5:11-13).
I believe that salvation is available to all who will believe and is not limited in any other way (Acts 17:30; 1 Timothy 2:4-6, 4:10; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 2:2). I believe that God is willing that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). I believe election is the past act of God to choose those who will be saved by reason of the foreknowledge that these people would accept Him (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2). I believe that the elect then are predestinated to be conformed to Christ (Romans 8:28, 29). I in no way believe that God chose certain individuals to not be able to trust Christ (even if they wanted to) thereby withholding salvation from them and creating them with the certain doom of everlasting punishment.
I believe that young children are safe from eternal punishment until they have the capability of understanding the elements involved in salvation (Deuteronomy 1:39; 2 Samuel 12:23).
Ecclesiology
I believe that Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18). I believe in the Body of Christ as the Church which is made up of all the saved (Ephesians 1:22, 23; Matthew 16:18). I believe it is at salvation that the Holy Spirit places the believer, Jew or Gentile, into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). I believe in the called out assembly of local churches (Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Hebrews 10:25). I believe the emphasis in the N.T is on local churches. I believe the purposes of the church are to glorify God (Ephesians 3:21), to evangelize the lost world (Matthew 28:18-20), and to edify and exhort the existing believers as well as the new converts (Ephesians 4:12; Hebrews 10:25).
I believe that the ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I believe both are to take place after salvation and not as a means of salvation. I believe that baptism is a profession of faith and identification with Jesus Christ. I believe baptism should be done by immersion and not sprinkling (Matthew 3:6, 16; Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:35-37). I believe the Lord’s Supper should only be taken by believers. I do not believe that the bread or juice actually becomes Christ’s body and blood (1 Corinthians 11:23-34).
I believe there are two offices described in Scripture for the local church. I believe the pastor is the under shepherd of the flock of God. There are qualifications that a man must meet in order to be a pastor (1 Timothy 3:1-7). I believe the deacon is an appointed office in the church as a servant of the Lord to help the pastor (Acts 6:1-7). There are qualifications that a man must meet in order to be a deacon (1 Timothy 3:8-12).
Angelology
I believe that angels are created beings for the purpose of worshipping and serving God (Psalm 148:2-5; Colossians 1:16; Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:6, 7). I believe there are different classifications of angels mentioned in Scripture: cherubim (Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 10:5), seraphim (Isaiah 6:1-3), and archangel (1 Thessalonians 5:16). I believe that angels were created higher than humans (Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 103.20; 2 Peter 2:11). I do not believe that angels marry (Luke 20:34). I believe that angels are invisible to the physical eye but have the ability to take on human flesh (Genesis 19; Luke 1:26-38; Hebrews 1:14).
I believer Lucifer was an angel who rebelled against God, and became known as Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15). I believe when Satan fell there were a third of the angels that followed (Revelation 12:4). I believe there is a very real unseen spiritual battle that Satan and the demons rage against God and mankind (Revelation 12:7). I believe Satan tries to deceive Christians in temptation, and tries to deceive the unsaved so that they will not see the truth of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4, 11:14). I believe Satan and the demons will eventually be sent to eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10)
Eschatology
I believe in the Second Coming of Christ in two distinct stages. I believe at the rapture Christ will come in the air for the church. The dead who have trusted Christ will rise first, and then all living believers will be caught up to meet the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 4:1). I believe that the rapture is imminent and that no man can know when it will take place (Matthew 13:32, 33; Matthew 24:36-42). Moreover, I believe that the entire body of Christ will be raptured before the Tribulation period (1 Thessalonians 2:19; Revelation 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). I believe that the Judgment Seat of Christ is only for believers (1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 22:12). I believe that there will be seven years of tribulation, and then Christ will come with the saints to the earth for the Battle of Armageddon and to set up His Millennial reign (Matthew 24:21-28). I believe at the end of the thousand years that Satan will lead one final revolt against God and then He along with all who have rejected Christ will be sentenced to eternal punishment (Revelation 20:6-10). I believe it is after this revolt that the Great White Throne Judgment takes place for all unbelievers (Revelation 20:11-15). I believe that the eternal place of punishment is a separation from God with a literal fire and torments in the Lake of Fire (Mark 9:44; Revelation 20:10, 15). I believe the eternal place for believers is Heaven absent of sin, grief, and sickness. We then will be forever with our God (Revelation 21:1, 2, 4, 27)!
