Statement of Faith – God’s Quest of

Transformation

Jerry Mills

Feb14, 2008
 Integrating Motif – God’s Quest of Transformation

Though I have pondered using words such as liberation,

salvation, restoration, and healing, no word seems to holistically

incorporate all of these themes like the one I have selected to form the

integrating motif for my theology, one that has been front and center

throughout my time at Bethel and Willow Creek because of the

emphasis on it placed by both. Nothing encapsulates God’s desire

toward us and for us like transformation does.

Transformation means there is a process of change. Something

was once one way but its very form has transitioned into something

altogether new and different. We see in nature a great example in the

caterpillar that transforms into a butterfly. Other examples from human

life utilize this word, whether it is the rag-tag, losing football program

that so changes that it becomes synonymous with excellence (Green

Bay Packers of the 60s) to the college dropout whose garage based

startup company blossoms into the epitome of technical savvy and

creativity that is Apple.

All of these examples contain certain elements. There is the

entity being transformed, a process of transformation, a transformer

who plays a role in the process, and a final resulting status of the

transformed thing. These hold true for God and us as well. He is the

ultimate transformer, initiating and acting upon us His creation. His

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 2

desire is to see us transformed from creeping in the dust of a sinful,

broken world to flying through the air in heart and spirit as a beautiful

new creation changed by His love. The art of His transformation is that

we become like His Son, the most beautiful thing ever.

This has been true in my life. God transformed it when I first

turned in repentance to Christ and received Him as a young boy. It was

in moments where he showed his love for me – in prayer, through

Christian friends and the study Experiencing God - that he caused me

to stay on the transformational journey with him during my college and

20something years. In my early years of ministry in New York City I

realized the transformational power of his love. As I remained in

Christ’s love, my love for him and to serve him reciprocated naturally.

During my time at Willow Creek he revealed that transformationally

knowing my self came in knowing him knowing me, and through that

relationship being transformed by his Spirit.

Transformation means encountering the One who transforms. It

is encounters with God’s Spirit that change us into the image of Christ.

In Scripture, prayer, nature, community and our lives the Holy Spirit

meets us and reveals truth about God, ourselves and His ways. This

transformative process begins unnoticed, leads to salvation, continues

is sanctification, and culminates by resurrection in an eternally

complete and perfect state, enabling God’s ultimate desire - union with

Himself.

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 3

 God desires that all would be transformed by accepting and

following Christ. He chooses to work toward these ends through the

Church, enabling us by His Spirit to be coworkers with Him in His

transformation project – as He continually transforms us to become

more like Jesus all the while. It is His Kingdom coming to Earth, ever

growing, and ever transforming the world by His Spirit, bringing liberty

to the captives, sight to the blind, healing to the brokenhearted, and

restoring those who will into His loving arms.

Outline
Motif: God’s Quest of Transformation

I. God - The transformer of the Church and the world………………………………………

………5
A. Ontology of God
B. Works of God
1. Creation, Angels & Demons, Transformation
2. Revelation

II. Humanity – Lovingly invited in Christ to embark on the transformational

journey…………...6
A. The Makeup of Human Nature
B. The Purpose & Destiny of Humanity
1. without transformation
2. by God’s transforming work

III. Sin – The broken state and choices of humanity that can only be transformed
by God……..7
A. The Nature of Sin
B. The Effects of Sin

IV. Jesus Christ - God radically transforms the relationship between humanity
and God……8
A. The Humanity of Jesus Christ
B. The Deity of Jesus Christ
C. The Atonement

V. Holy Spirit - God's transforming presence in His community on earth…………

………..10

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 4

 A. Person
B. Work
C. Gifts

VI. Salvation - God's work of transforming the broken relationship of humanity

and God…...12
A. Justification, Regeneration, & Adoption
B. Sanctification/Transformation
C. Faith/Repentance
D. Glorification & Union with God

VII. The Church - The community of God on earth transformed by God and with
Him transforming the world……………………………………………………………………………
………13
A. Nature, Mission and Function of the Church
B. Officers of the Church
C. Ordinances of the Church

IX. The Last Things - The ultimate culmination of God’s transforming action
with His people, the world and His enemies………………………………………………………
……………………….14
A. Second Coming and Resurrection
E. Millennial and Tribulational Views
F. Eternal States
Statement

I. God

A. Ontology of God

The attributes of God derive from the ontology of God: a perfect

(Mt 5:48) eternal (Deut 33:47) sovereign (Jn 10:29) being who is One

(Deut 6:4-5; Jn 17:11; Gen 1:26; 2 Cor 13:14) yet existing in a

community of three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit (the Trinity).

God is loving (1 Jn 4:8) and relational in essence and invites humanity

into transformative fellowship with Him (Jn 17:23). Other prominent

attributes of God revealed in Scripture are that He is: omnipotent (Job

42:2), omnipresent (Ps 139:7-10), omniscient (Col 2:3), spirit (Jn 4:24),

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 5

self-existent (Ex 3:14), immutable (Mal 3:6), dynamic (Jn 5:17),

completely faithful and true (1 Cor 10:13; Jn 14:6), good (Ps 119:68),

holy (Isa 6:3), jealous (Ex 20:5), patient, merciful, and gracious (Ex

34:6; Heb 4:16).

B. Works of God
1. Creation, Angels & Demons, Transformation

God is a creator, bringing this world into existence out of nothing

(ex nihilo) (Gen 1). Created in His image (Gen 1:27), yet corrupted by

sin (Gen 3) we are transformed by Him as we encounter God directly (2

Cor 3:18). We become a new creation capable of communion with God

by His Spirit appropriating the work of Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Angels are

God’s created agents in his transformative plan, proclaiming messages

and ministering to us and serving Christ (Mt 2:13, 20; Ps 68:17; Lk

14:4-7). Satan and demons are fallen angels (Jude 6) bent on thwarting

God’s transformative plan to redeem humanity (Eph 6:12; Lk 4:1-12)

who will be eventually defeated by Christ and His angels (Rev 19:19-

20:10).

2. Revelation

God continues to reveal himself to humanity, an ongoing

progression that is recorded and manifested in Scripture from the

beginning in Genesis to the end in Revelation. I hold to the limited

inerrancy of the Bible, believing it to be totally trustworthy to lead us

into an accurate knowledge of who God is and what he desires for our

lives, recognizing that its intention has been thus, and not to be a

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 6

scientific textbook. His ultimate revelation of himself is in Jesus Christ

(Heb 1:1-3; Lk 24:27). He becomes illuminated to us and we grow

mature in faith as the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible alive to

our spirit (Heb 4:12; 2 Tim 3:16; 1 Thes 2:13).

God continues to reveal himself to Christ-followers through His

Word (Jn 14:26), as well as by encountering him in prayer (Lk 18:1; Jam

5:16), nature (Rom 1:20; Ps 19:1-6), in community with fellow Spirit-

filled believers (Col 3:16; Eph 4:11-16) or any other means God

chooses to reveal himself to us by His Spirit (Jn 16:7-8; Phil 4:8). It is in

encountering God that we continue to be transformed into His likeness,

liberated to become more our true selves with a desire to love and

glorify him (2 Cor 3:18; Phil 3:21).

II. Humanity

A. The Makeup of Human Nature

Created in God’s image humanity reflects their Creator’s

diversity, community and oneness. As God is One existing in three

Persons, human makeup is body, soul and spirit (Heb 4:12; 1 Thes

5:23), male and female (Gen 1:27).

B. The Purpose & Destiny of Humanity

1. without transformation

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 7

 God declared the humanity He created to be “very good” (Gen

1:31) and commissioned us to lovingly transform the world by

multiplying and stewarding His creation (Gen 1:28-30). Humanity was

created to enjoy God in a mutual love relationship (Gen 3:8-9) yet

because of the Fall (Gen 3) this is impossible outside of God’s

transformative work. Without appropriating Christ’s work through

receiving the Holy Spirit (John1:12; 1 Jn 4:13-15) people will remain

outside of God’s presence forever (Mt 13:49-50; Rev 14:10-11; Rev

21:8).

2. by God’s transforming work

Recreated by faith in Christ through the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:17)

we are able to fellowship with God (Phil 3:8-10) and His transformed

humanity the Church (1 Jn 1:7) and share His love with those unable to

commune with Him because of sin (Mt 28:19-20; Jn 17:20-23).

III. Sin

A. The Nature of Sin

Sin came into humanity via Adam (Gen 3; Rom 5:12) and

originated from the devil (1 Jn 3:8; Jn 8:34). Sin is described in the

Bible many ways, including: all unrighteousness (1 Jn 5:17), works of

darkness (Eph 5:17), rebellion against God (Deut 9:7), and coming

from the heart (Mt 15:19). Whatever that is not of faith and the willful

omission of doing good are described as sin (Rom 14:23; Jam 4:17).

Sin affects everyone because all are born in sin (Ps 51:5) and none can

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 8

escape its power, strengthened through the Law (Ecc 7:20; Ga 3:22;

Rom 7:5,8,11). Only Jesus Christ lived a sinless life (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Jn

3:5), providing a way for humanity to escape the power and effects of

sin (Heb 4:15; Jn 1:29).

B. The Effects of Sin

God’s transformational quest has been to restore us from the

effects of sin to ultimately realize union with him partially while in this

world and fully in his eschatological Kingdom (1 Cor 13:8-12). It is

impossible for anyone to atone for their sins and be made righteous in

God’s sight by good deeds or faith apart from Christ (Prov 20:9; Jer

2:22; 1 Jn 1:7, 2:1-2). The ultimate effect of sin is physical death (Gen

2:17; Rom 5:12) resulting in eternal separation from God (Mt 7:23; 1

Cor. 6:9,10; Rev. 21:27). There are also significant effects of sin in this

life: namely shame and fear (Gen 3; Prov 14:34), physical illness (Ps

38:3; 1 Cor 11:30) and separation from others (Jam 4; Tit 3:9-11) and,

especially, from God (Isa 59:1-2; Rom 8:7).

IV. Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is both Son of God – the second Person of the Trinity

(Jn 1:14, 6:62; Phil 2:5-7; Heb 2:9) – and son of man – the anointed

messiah and second Adam of the human race (Isa 49:5-6; Jn 5:27; Heb

2:5; Acts 7:56). He is the main actor in the Godhead responsible for

undertaking God’s redemptive quest of transformation for humanity.

While the Son of God’s form changed when as fully God he in addition

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 9

became fully man as Jesus of Nazareth, his attributes are

unchangeable (Heb 13:8, Mal 3:6; Jam 1:17).

A. The Humanity of Jesus Christ

The idea of God coming as a human to bring peace, justice and

salvation was anticipated by the Jews of Jesus’ time because of its

presence in OT passages (Isa 9:2-7; Gen 49:10; Job 19:25). Jesus’ own

appropriation of the title “son of man” was a claim he made for his

humanity and role as the Messiah (Mk 10:45, 14:62; Lk 5:24, 7:34). He

was “born of the virgin Mary” (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14; Mt 1:21-23) and

“tempted in every way” (Heb 4:15) so that because of his sinless life

he can be our sympathetic advocate before the Father (1 Tim 2:5).

B. The Deity of Jesus Christ

The divinity of Jesus is attested throughout the Bible, from OT

passages appropriated in the NT to refer to him (Mt 22:43-45; Heb 1:8-

12), to his own testimony (Mt 16:15-17; Mk 14:62; Jn 10:30) as well as

from OT prophesies (Ps 2:7; Isa 49, 53, 55:3-5; Dan 7:13-14, 9:24-27)

and the witness of NT writers (Jn 20:31; Acts 3:18-20; Phil 3:7-14) . His

deity is further recognized by the millions of people who continue to

experience his transformative power and loving communion through

relationship with him.

C. The Atonement

The Christ-event – his birth, sinless life, suffering, death on the

cross, resurrection and glorification – is God‘s ultimate action in history

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 10

to accomplish his quest of transformation. God trumped the power of

sin and death enslaving us with his love and righteousness (1 Jn 4:9-

10; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 3:23-24). The only means for human salvation is

through the atoning work of Jesus Christ applied through personal faith

in and continuing allegiance to Him alone (Acts 4:12; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Jn

4:15). The Holy Spirit appropriates the atonement to the hearts of

those who receive Christ, making it personally effective (1 Jn 4:13; Rom

8; Tit 3:5). Though God desires all to receive the gift of his grace and

be saved (2 Pet 3:9; 2 Cor 5:20) he knows that because of free will

many will not (Jn 6:64-66, 17:9, 20), choosing their self-focused sinful

life and reaping the eternal consequences of separation from God (Jude

12-13; Mt 13:38-40).

V. Holy Spirit

A. Person

The Holy Spirit is a person just as the Father and Son both are,

with distinct functionality and personality, yet together with them still

constitute one essence (Isa 6:3, 8-10; Gen 1:26-27; Mt 28:19. The Holy

Spirit not only derives his personhood from his distinct action (1 Pet

3:18; 2 Tim 3:16; Acts 13:2, 4; Heb 10:15; Jn 16:8-11) and affection

(Rom 8:26; Eph 4:30; Acts 5:9), but from his relationality to the Father

and Son. In his humility (Jn 14:26, 15:26; Gal 4:6) he is honored by

them (Isa 63:10; Lk 12:10; Acts 5:3, 9), and he is the bond of love

between the Godhead (Mat 3:13-17) – and between He and us (Rom

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 11

5:3-5; 2 Cor 13:14). It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of

those that make up the church (1 Cor 6:19) that enables us to exercise

our unique gifts from the same Spirit for the betterment of others (1

Cor 12:7) and to maintain unity (2 Cor 13:14; Eph 4:3).

B. Works

The Holy Spirit has been the primary way God has affected His

power on the world and humanity. It is the Spirit that executes God’s

will in creation (Gen 1:2; Job 33:4; Ps 104:30). Jesus likewise attributed

his power on Earth to the Spirit (Mt 12:28; Lk 4:14, 18) and it was by

the power of the Spirit that he was raised from the dead (Rom 1:4; Acts

2:24). The Holy Spirit is also he who imparts new life to those he

convicts to receive it (Jn 16:8-11) because of the work of Christ (1 Cor

6:11; Jn 3:5-6).

It is through this Spirit baptism that believers are transformed,

being regenerated (Eze 11:19) and sealed for ultimate salvation when

God brings all things to completion (Rom 8:9; Eph 4:30). The

transformational work of the Spirit is marked by the growing “fruit of

the Spirit” evident in believers’ lives (Gal 5:22-25). Christians are

empowered for this new life through the unifying love and peace which

the Spirit brings to the Church (1 Cor 12:13; Ph 2:1-2), how the Spirit

glorifies and teaches of Christ (Jn 16:14), and the unique gifts the Holy

Spirit gives to each believer (Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:4-11).

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 12

 C. Gifts

The gifts of the Spirit are given to each to build up the Church so

that all would become progressively transformed into who they were

intended and are destined to one day be – Christ-like (Eph 4:7, 11-13).

These gifts and spiritual power are exercised for the purpose of lovingly

edifying other believers (1 Pet 4:10; 1 Jn 5:1), giving and receiving love

in the Spirit through prayer and worship (1 Cor 14:15; Eph 5:18-21;

Rom 8:26) and to love and declare Christ to those who do not follow

God in hopes that they will join this transformational journey (1 Thes

1:5; 2 Tim 1:7-8; Mt 5:44). In all these ways God’s Spirit enables us to

do these things with the love of God (Jude 1:21; 1 Jn 4:19; Rom 5:5).

VI. Salvation

A. Justification, Regeneration, & Adoption

Through the atoning work of Christ we have been justified in

God’s sight when we trust in Christ alone as our righteousness (Eph

1:13; 2 Tim 1:9; Gal 2:16; 2 Cor 5:21). Christ paves the way for us to

enter into communion with God (Rom 5:9; 1 Cor 15:17) and His people

by sending the Holy Spirit into our lives who regenerates us into new

spiritual life (Jn 3:3; 2 Cor 5:17), adopts us into God’s family (Gal 4:6)

and Kingdom (Rom 14:17).

B. Sanctification/Transformation

Salvation is not merely a choice to receive and follow Christ

once, but instead a journey of trusting Christ and being transformed

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 13

into Christ-likeness by the Holy Spirit until He brings all things to

completion (1 Cor 6:11; 1 Thes 5:23). We are sanctified by

encountering God in truth through His Word (Eph 5:26; Jn 17:17) and

are being sanctified together with all those who constitute his Church

(Eph 5:27, Acts 20:32). The process of sanctification is also intended

to make us more effectual in carrying out God’s transformative mission

of expanding his Kingdom on Earth (2 Tim 2:21; Jn 20: 20-23).

C. Faith/Repentance

Faith and repentance are intertwined. God’s goodness leads us to

repentance (Rom 2:4) – a humble turning from the selfish self towards

the ways of God (Isa 45:22) – and we would not seek repentance if

there were not faith that God’s grace and mercy was available to us

(Heb 4:16; 2 Pet 3:9; Jn 3:16).

D. Glorification & Union with God

Through faith in Christ we are sealed with the Holy Spirit for the

eschatological salvation (Eph 4:30) when together with God’s people

we are glorified to enjoy eternal union with God (Jn 17:21,24; 1 Thes

4:17). This mysterious union with God is anticipated by His Spirit’s

presence in believers’ hearts (2 Cor 1:22) as well as human

representations he has given us such as marriage (Eph 5:25-32).

VII. The Church

A. Nature, Mission and Function of the Church

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 14

 The Church is the extension of God’s Kingdom on Earth (Lk

17:20-21; Acts 8:12; Rom 14:17), the True Israel of faith (Rom 9:6-8;

Gal 4:24-26) instituted by Christ (1 Cor 3:11) and marked by the

charismatic presence of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). The Church is to be

God’s Spirit infused (Mt 18:20) counter-cultural community of love (1

Cor 13, 1 Pet 2:17), inviting those apart from God to be transformed by

joining it (Mt 5:14; 28:18-20; 2 Cor 5:20-21) as it follows Christ (Rom

12:4-5; Col 1:18).

B. Officers of the Church

Like God Himself, the Church is to be unified while maintaining

its diversity (1 Cor 12). It is understood that all believers have a

responsibility to exercise the gifts they have been given in the service

of building up others in the Church (1 Pet 4:10) and to fulfill their role

as the “priesthood of all believers” (1 Pet 2:9). For the equipping of

the Church, Scripture is clear in indicating that leaders were selected

to help shepherd the local churches (Tit 1:5; 1 Pet 5:1-3). Rather than

use an office as a basis for his leadership Paul gave the example of

instead basing his influence on his loving service to the respective

churches he wrote to (1 Cor 3:10-11, 4).

Thus, Scripture gives us an example of establishing leadership

that is both local and plural (Phi 1:1), at times restricted during church

crisis such as those receiving Paul’s stipulations in 1 & 2 Tim and Tit 1.

The NT model shows leadership contextualized to the needs of the

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 15

particular community for establishing order and a safe, sanctifying

community of equality and love (Mk 10:42-45; Gal 3:28) to witness to

the world and for the sake of building the leadership and ministerial

capacity of the local church congregation (Eph 4:11-12).

C. Ordinances of the Church

Jesus establishes two main ordinances for His Church: baptism

(Mt 28:19) and communion (Lk 22:17-19). Both ordinances are to be

done within the Church and for the purpose of identifying with Christ,

its Head (1 Cor 11:26). Both ordinances also allude to the mysterious

transformative work of the Holy Spirit in appropriating the work of

Christ, uniting the Church together with Him and anticipating with hope

when He shall bring all things to completion (Lk 3:16; Acts 1:5, 2:4).

IV. The Last Things

The Christ-event is the decisive eschatologically transformative

action that effects all of life, history and the future (Mt 5:17; Isa 9:6-7;

Lk 4:18-21; Jn 6:39). Despite present suffering and ultimate physical

death because of the effects of sin (Gen 2:17; Rom 6:23), through

Christ we have been assured an eventual union with Him in His eternal

Kingdom (1 Pet 5:10; Acts 14:22) and wait for the time when He brings

everything in creation to completion (Rom 8:18-25). It is the basis for

the hope of a glorious future united together with all believers with

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 16

God (Gal 5:5; Eph 1:14; Rom 8:23; 1 Thes 3:13). This hope and

gratitude will inspire desire to live for God in this world until that time

comes (1 Thes 5:1-11; Mt 25:1-13), loving the brethren in the Church

(1 Pet 1:22; 1 Jn 3:11, 16, 18) and imploring a dying world to be

reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20).

A. Second Coming and Resurrection

When Christ returns bodily and ushers in the new heaven and

new earth the final judgment will come, where all followers of Christ

will join him in his eternal Kingdom (1 Thes 4:16-17; Rev 22:5). When

resurrected with Christ we will be finally and ultimately transformed to

be like him – though how remains a mystery (1 Jn 3:2). Living with this

blessed hope does not breed apathy towards God or this broken world,

but instead inspires us to the Great Commission we have been given to

help him transform this world (Mt 28:18-20), encouraged by the

everlasting presence of Christ with us and the blessing to come in the

next life (1 Jn 4:13-17; 2 Tim 4:8).

E. Millennial and Tribulational Views

I interpret the book of Revelation to be apocalyptic in genre, thus

I understand the numerology and typology contained within to be

metaphorical. Taken together with other biblical passages regarding

the end of the age (2 Pet 3:10-13; 1 Thes 4:16-17, Mt 24:30-31) I hold

an amillenial view – that the return of Christ ushers in the end of this

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 17

age and the final judgment. Due to my millennial views then, I do not

believe the Bible speaks about a rapture and subsequent tribulation on

Earth.

F. Eternal States

The transformed people of God – those adopted into God’s family

through faith in Christ’s salvific work – will enjoy eternal loving

communion together with God (Jn 14:1-3; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 21:3-4). Our

bodies will be transformed as well, not flesh and blood and possibly like

Jesus’ was after his resurrection, with similarities to our previous bodies

yet without the constraints mandated by temporal physics and biology

(1 Cor. 15:35-58; Jn 20:14, 26-27).

After the resurrection of the dead Christ will separate those

whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from those who

have not repented of their sins and accepted the salvation only found

in Jesus Christ (Mt 25:31-46; Rom 14:10-11; 2 Cor 5:6-10). Those who

have rejected Him will be sent away from the presence of God to suffer

eternal torment (2 Thes 1:7-10; 2 Pet 3:7; Rev 20:12-15).

Transformation is God’s quest now, to which he invites us to take

part in. When Christ returns and sets everything right we will be

completely transformed to enjoy God and reign with him forever (2 Tim

2:11-13; Jn 14:2-3; 1 Cor 15:50-57).

Jerry Mills ~ Statement of Faith 18