Beliefs
of the Seventh-day Adventists
27 Fundamental Doctrines
Seventh-day
Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed and hold certain
fundamental beliefs to be the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. These beliefs, as
set forth here, constitute the church's understanding and expression of the
teaching of Scripture. Revision of these statements may be expected at a General
Conference session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller
understanding of Bible truth or finds better language in which to express the
teachings of God's Holy Word.
1. The
Holy Scriptures: The Holy Scriptures, Old and
New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through
holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In
this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary for salvation. The
Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard
of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines,
and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history. (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim.
3:16, 17; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb.
4:12.)
2. The Trinity:
There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three
co-eternal Persons. God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and
ever present. He is infinite and beyond human comprehension, yet known through
His self-revelation. He is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by
the whole creation. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Peter
1:2; 1 Tim. 1:17; Rev. 14:7.)
3.
The Father:
God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all
creation. He is just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities and powers exhibited
in the Son and the Holy Spirit are also revelations of the Father. (Gen. 1:1;
Rev. 4:11; 1 Cor. 15:28; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8; 1 Tim. 1:17; Ex. 34:6, 7; John
14:9.)
4. The Son:
God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things
were created, the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is
accomplished, and the world is judged. Forever truly God, He became also truly
man, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the
virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly
exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By His miracles He manifested
God's power and was attested as God's promised Messiah. He suffered and died
voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in our place, was raised from the
dead, and ascended to minister in the heavenly sanctuary in our behalf. He will
come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration
of all things. (John 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:15-19; John 10:30; 14:9; Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor.
5:17-19; John 5:22; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9-18; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4; Heb.
8:1, 2; John 14:1-3.)
5. The Holy Spirit:
God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation,
incarnation, and redemption. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled
Christ's life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who
respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and
the Son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the
church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the
Scriptures leads it into all truth. (Gen. 1:1, 2; Luke 1:35; 4:18; Acts 10:38; 2
Peter 1:21; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:11, 12; Acts 1:8; John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26, 27;
16:7-13.)
6. Creation:
God is Creator of all things, and has revealed in Scripture the authentic
account of His creative activity. In six days the Lord made "the heaven and
the earth" and all living things upon the earth, and rested on the seventh
day of that first week. Thus He established the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial
of His completed creative work. The first man and woman were made in the image
of God as the crowning work of Creation, given dominion over the world, and
charged with responsibility to care for it. When the world was finished it was
``very good,'' declaring the glory of God. (Gen.
1; 2; Ex. 20:8-11; Ps. 19:1-6; 33:6, 9; 104; Heb. 11:3.)
7. The Nature of Man:
Man and woman were made in the image of God with individuality, the power and
freedom to think and to do. Though created free beings, each is an indivisible
unity of body, mind, and spirit, dependent upon God for life and breath and all
else. When our first parents disobeyed God, they denied their dependence upon
Him and fell from their high position under God. The image of God in them was
marred and they became subject to death. Their descendants share this fallen
nature and its consequences. They are born with weaknesses and tendencies to
evil. But God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself and by His Spirit
restores in penitent mortals the image of their Maker. Created for the glory of
God, they are called to love Him and one another, and to care for their
environment. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7; Ps. 8:4-8; Acts 17:24-28; Gen. 3:1-24; Ps.
51:5; Rom. 5:12-17; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20; Ps. 51:10; 1 John 4:7, 8, 11, 20; Gen.
2:15.)
8. The Great Controversy:
All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan
regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe.
This conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of
choice, in self-exaltation became Satan, God's adversary, and led into rebellion
a portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world
when he led Adam and Eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of
the image of God in humanity, the disordering of the created world, and its
eventual devastation at the time of the worldwide flood. Observed by the whole
creation, this world became the arena of the universal conflict, out of which
the God of love will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His people in this
controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit and the loyal angels to guide,
protect, and sustain them in the way of salvation. (Rev. 12:4-9; Isa. 14:12-14;
Eze. 28:12-18; Gen. 3; Rom. 1:19-32; 5:12-21; 8:19-22; Gen. 6-8; 2 Peter 3:6; 1
Cor. 4:9; Heb. 1:14.)
9. The Life, Death, and Resurrection
of Christ: In Christ's life of perfect
obedience to God's will, His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided
the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept
this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole creation may better
understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. This perfect atonement
vindicates the righteousness of God's law and the graciousness of His character;
for it both condemns our sin and provides for our forgiveness. The death of
Christ is substitutionary and expiatory, reconciling and transforming. The
resurrection of Christ proclaims God's triumph over the forces of evil, and for
those who accept the atonement assures their final victory over sin and death.
It declares the Lordship of Jesus Christ, before whom every knee in heaven and
on earth will bow. (John 3:16; Isa. 53; 1 Peter 2:21, 22; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4, 20-22;
2 Cor. 5:14, 15, 19-21; Rom. 1:4; 3:25; 4:25; 8:3, 4; 1 John 2:2; 4:10; Col.
2:15; Phil. 2:6-11.)
10. The Experience of Salvation:
In infinite love and mercy God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us,
so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit
we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and
exercise faith in Jesus as Lord and Christ, as Substitute and Example. This
faith which receives salvation comes through the divine power of the Word and is
the gift of God's grace. Through Christ we are justified, adopted as God's sons
and daughters, and delivered from the lordship of sin. Through the Spirit we are
born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God's law of love
in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him we
become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now
and in the judgment. (2 Cor. 5:17-21; John 3:16; Gal. 1:4; 4:4-7; Titus 3:3-7;
John 16:8; Gal. 3:13, 14; 1 Peter 2:21, 22; Rom. 10:17; Luke 17:5; Mark 9:23,
24; Eph. 2:5-10; Rom. 3:21-26; Col. 1:13, 14; Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 3:26; John
3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:23; Rom. 12:2; Heb. 8:7-12; Eze. 36:25-27; 2 Peter 1:3, 4; Rom.
8:1-4; 5:6-10.)
11. The Church:
The church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and
Saviour. In continuity with the people of God in Old Testament times, we are
called out from the world; and we join together for worship, for fellowship, for
instruction in the Word, for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, for service
to all mankind, and for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The church
derives its authority from Christ, who is the incarnate Word, and from the
Scriptures, which are the written Word. The church is God's family; adopted by
Him as children, its members live on the basis of the new covenant. The church
is the body of Christ, a community of faith of which Christ Himself is the Head.
The church is the bride for whom Christ died that He might sanctify and cleanse
her. At His return in triumph, He will present her to Himself a glorious church,
the faithful of all the ages, the purchase of His blood, not having spot or
wrinkle, but holy and without blemish. (Gen. 12:3; Acts 7:38; Eph. 4:11-15;
3:8-11; Matt. 28:19, 20; 16:13-20; 18:18; Eph. 2:19-22; 1:22, 23; 5:23-27; Col.
1:17, 18.)
12. The
Remnant and Its Mission:
The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the
last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep
the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the
arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds
the approach of His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three
angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and
results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to
have a personal part in this worldwide witness. (Rev. 12:17; 14:6-12; 18:1-4; 2
Cor. 5:10; Jude 3, 14; 1 Peter 1:16-19; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Rev. 21:1-14.)
13. Unity in the Body of Christ:
The church is one body with many members, called from every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people. In Christ we are a new creation; distinctions of race,
culture, learning, and nationality, and differences between high and low, rich
and poor, male and female, must not be divisive among us. We are all equal in
Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with
one another; we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation.
Through the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures we share the same faith
and hope, and reach out in one witness to all. This unity has its source in the
oneness of the triune God, who has adopted us as His children. (Rom. 12:4, 5; 1
Cor. 12:12-14; Matt. 28:19, 20; Ps. 133:1; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17; Acts 17:26, 27; Gal.
3:27, 29; Col. 3:10-15; Eph. 4:14-16; 4:1-6; John 17:20-23.)
14. Baptism:
By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life.
Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, become His people, and are
received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ,
the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by
immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and
evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and
acceptance of their teachings. (Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts 16:30-33; 22:16;
2:38; Matt. 28:19, 20.)
15. The
Lord's Supper:
The Lord's Supper is a participation in the emblems of the body and blood of
Jesus as an expression of faith in Him, our Lord and Saviour. In this experience
of communion Christ is present to meet and strengthen His people. As we partake,
we joyfully proclaim the Lord's death until He comes again. Preparation for the
Supper includes self-examination, repentance, and confession. The Master
ordained the service of foot washing to signify renewed cleansing
of baptism,
to express a willingness to serve one another in Christlike humility, and to
unite our hearts in love. The communion service is open to all believing
Christians. (1 Cor. 10:16, 17; 11:23-30; Matt. 26:17-30; Rev. 3:20; John
6:48-63; 13:1-17.)
16. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries:
God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts which
each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church
and of humanity. Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who apportions to each
member as He wills, the gifts provide all abilities and ministries needed by the
church to fulfill its divinely ordained functions. According to the Scriptures,
these gifts include such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation,
teaching, administration, reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing
service and charity for the help and encouragement of people. Some members are
called of God and endowed by the Spirit for functions recognized by the church
in pastoral, evangelistic, apostolic, and teaching ministries particularly
needed to equip the members for service, to build up the church to spiritual
maturity, and to foster unity of the faith and knowledge of God. When members
employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God's varied grace, the
church is protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine, grows with
a growth that is from God, and is built up in faith and love. (Rom. 12:4-8; 1
Cor. 12:9-11, 27, 28; Eph. 4:8, 11-16; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10,
11.)
17. The Gift of Prophecy:
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying
mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen. G. White
. As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative
source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and
correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all
teaching and experience must be tested. (Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; Heb.
1:1-3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10.)
18. The Law of God:
The great principles of God's law are embodied in the Ten Commandments and
exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God's love, will, and purposes
concerning human conduct and relationships and are binding upon all people in
every age. These precepts are the basis of God's covenant with His people and
the standard in God's judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit they point
out sin and awaken a sense of need for a Saviour. Salvation is all of grace and
not of works, but its fruitage is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience
develops Christian character and results in a sense of well-being. It is an
evidence of our love for the Lord and our concern for our fellow men. The
obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives, and
therefore strengthens Christian witness. (Ex. 20:1-17; Ps. 40:7, 8; Matt.
22:36-40; Deut. 28:1-14; Matt. 5:17-20; Heb. 8:8-10; John 15:7-10; Eph. 2:8-10;
1 John 5:3; Rom. 8:3, 4; Ps. 19:7-14.)
19.
The Sabbath:
The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh
day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The
fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law requires the observance of this
seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with
the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a
day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our
redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance,
and a foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom. The Sabbath is God's
perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful
observance
of
this holy time from Friday
sunset to
Saturday
sunset,
is a celebration of God's creative and redemptive acts. (Gen.
2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Luke 4:16; Isa. 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Matt. 12:1-12; Ex.
31:13-17; Eze. 20:12, 20; Deut. 5:12-15; Heb. 4:1-11; Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:32.)
20. Stewardship:
We are God's stewards, entrusted by Him with time and opportunities, abilities
and possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources. We are
responsible to Him for their proper use. We acknowledge God's ownership by
faithful service to Him and our fellow men, and by returning tithes and giving
offerings for the proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His
church. Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and
the victory over selfishness and covetousness. The steward rejoices in the
blessings that come to others as a result of his faithfulness. (Gen. 1:26-28;
2:15; 1 Chron. 29:14; Haggai 1:3-11; Mal. 3:8-12; 1 Cor. 9:9-14; Matt. 23:23; 2
Cor. 8:1-15; Rom. 15:26, 27.)
21. Christian Behavior:
We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the
principles of heaven. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord
we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity,
health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment
should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While
recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat,
befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in
the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit. It also means that
because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them
intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most
healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the
Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of
drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as
well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into
the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness.
(Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 John 2:6; Eph. 5:1-21; Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:5; 6:14-7:1; 1
Peter 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 10:31; Lev. 11:1-47; 3 John 2.)
22. Marriage and the Family: Marriage was
divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union
between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the Christian a marriage
commitment is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only
between partners who share a common faith. Mutual love, honor, respect, and
responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the
love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and
His church. Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a
spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. Although
some family relationships may fall short of the ideal, marriage partners who
fully commit themselves to each other in Christ may achieve loving unity through
the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture of the church. God blesses the family
and intends that its members shall assist each other toward complete maturity.
Parents are to bring up their children to love and obey the Lord. By their
example and their words they are to teach them that Christ is a loving
disciplinarian, ever tender and caring, who wants them to become members of His
body, the family of God. Increasing family closeness is one of the earmarks of
the final gospel message. (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:3-9; John 2:1-11; 2 Cor. 6:14;
Eph. 5:21-33; Matt. 5:31, 32; Mark 10:11, 12; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11; Ex.
20:12; Eph. 6:1-4; Deut. 6:5-9; Prov. 22:6; Mal. 4:5, 6.)
23. Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly
Sanctuary: There is a sanctuary in heaven,
the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers on
our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice
offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our great High Priest
and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at
the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last
phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is
part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the
ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the
sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly
things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The
investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are
asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the
first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in
Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him,
therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment
vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares
that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The
completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation
before the Second Advent. (Heb. 8:1-5; 4:14-16; 9:11-28; 10:19-22; 1:3; 2:16,
17; Dan. 7:9-27; 8:13, 14; 9:24-27; Num. 14:34; Eze. 4:6; Lev. 16; Rev. 14:6, 7;
20:12; 14:12; 22:12.)
24. The Second Coming of Christ:
The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax
of the gospel. The Saviour's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and
worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together
with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the
unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy,
together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ's coming
is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore
exhorted to be ready at all times. (Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; John 14:1-3; Acts
1:9-11; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:43, 44; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor.
15:51-54; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8; Rev. 14:14-20; 19:11-21; Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke
21; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 Thess. 5:1-6.)
25. Death and Resurrection:
The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal
life to His redeemed. Until that day death is an unconscious state for all
people. When Christ, who is our life, appears, the resurrected righteous and the
living righteous will be glorified and caught up to meet their Lord. The second
resurrection, the resurrection of the unrighteous, will take place a thousand
years later. (Rom. 6:23; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16; Eccl. 9:5, 6; Ps. 146:3, 4; John
11:11-14; Col. 3:4; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; John 5:28, 29; Rev.
20:1-10.)
26. The Millennium and the End of Sin:
The millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven
between the first and second resurrections. During this time the wicked dead
will be judged; the earth will be utterly desolate, without living human
inhabitants, but occupied by Satan and his angels. At its close Christ with His
saints and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The unrighteous dead
will then be resurrected, and with Satan and his angels will surround the city;
but fire from God will consume them and cleanse the earth. The universe will
thus be freed of sin and sinners forever. (Rev. 20; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Jer. 4:23-26;
Rev. 21:1-5; Mal. 4:1; Eze. 28:18, 19.)
27.
The New Earth:
On the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide an eternal
home for the redeemed and a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy,
and learning in His presence. For
here God Himself will dwell with His people, and suffering and death will have
passed away. The great controversy will be ended, and sin will be no more. All
things, animate and inanimate, will declare that God is love; and He shall reign
forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:13; Isa. 35; 65:17-25; Matt. 5:5; Rev. 21:1-7; 22:1-5;
11:15.)
(The
End)