What We Believe

What We Believe

Here is a list and a short story of our beliefs. Our beliefs can be presented in many ways. Some people like to see our beliefs written as powerful statements. Others like to see our beliefs placed within the great story of Scripture. We would like to offer both.

A. Statements of Beliefs

 1. We believe in God the Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit.

2. We accept the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of men, and believe that through faith in His shed blood men are saved from sin and its penalty.

3. Renouncing the world and its sinful ways, we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, and believe that God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven our sins and given us a new heart.

4: We accept by faith the righteousness of Christ, recognizing Him as our Intercessor in the heavenly sanctuary, and we claim His promise to strengthen us by His indwelling Spirit, so that we may receive power to do His will.

5. We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word, and that it constitutes the only rule of faith and practice for the Christian.

6. We accept the Ten Commandments as still binding upon Christians; and it is our purpose, by the power of the indwelling Christ, to keep this law, including the fourth commandment, which requires the observance of the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath of the Lord.

7. The soon coming of Jesus is the blessed hope in our heart, and we are determined to be personally ready to meet the Lord, and to do all in our power to spend daily, personal time with Christ in order to be ready to witness His long-hoped for, loving salvation, and by life and word to help others to prepare for His glorious appearing.

8. We accept the Biblical teaching of spiritual gifts, and we believe that the gift of prophecy in the remnant church is one of the identifying marks of that church.

9. We believe in God’s Remnant Church, and it is our purpose to support the church by our tithes and offerings, our personal effort, and influence.

10. We believe that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are to honor God by caring for our body, avoiding the use of that which is harmful, abstaining from all unclean foods, from the use, manufacture, or sale of alcoholic beverages, the use, manufacture, or sale of tobacco in any of its forms for human consumption, and from the misuse of, or trafficking in, narcotics or other drugs.

11. Knowing and understanding the fundamental Bible principles as taught by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it is our purpose, by the grace of God, to order our life in harmony with these principles.

12. We accept the New Testament teaching of baptism by immersion, and as a public expression of faith in Christ and in the forgiveness of sins.

13. We believe that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the remnant church of Bible prophecy, Rev. 12:17, and that people of every nation, race, and language are invited and accepted into its fellowship.

B. The Story

God is love, power, and wisdom—truly God is a mystery. Yet, from the beginning of time, God sought to be known in a personal relationship of love with each of His created beings.

Disharmony erupted when Lucifer, the once-perfect guardian angel, abused his God-given freedom by attacking the character of God. Satan “the accuser” chose self-centeredness and slander over truth and love. Satan claimed that God is not fair, that He’s harsh and controlling, depriving others of what they deserve.

Satan’s deception convinced a third of heaven’s angels, whom God expelled from heaven. Satan claimed rulership of our planet when he swindled its first couple, Adam and Eve, making them doubt God’s trustworthiness and love. That first sin distorted God’s image in us, twisting the world in on itself and threatening its self-destruction. The universe watched to see God’s response to Satan’s accusations.

Despite the distance sin created between us and God, He has revealed Himself in countless ways. One key way is the Bible, the story of God striving to reconnect with His children. A mosaic of authors, styles and perspectives, the Bible reveals a God who is ever-creative, ever-patient and ever-seeking to restore our relationship with Him. Though written by ordinary people, through the Spirit it pierces our hearts, opens our eyes and convicts us to live for Him.

God the Father reached out to us most dramatically through His Son Jesus, who chose not just to visit us, but to become one of us. Born human so we can be reborn in the Spirit, Jesus showed us God’s love and character—and how far God was willing to go to save us from self-destruction. What we could not do for ourselves, He did for us, paying the price for our sins, dying in our place so we can live forever. He conquered death through resurrection, and promised to return to take us home.

The same Jesus who subdued demons during His life declared victory over all evil powers at His death. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that death itself will die. Our new life in Jesus frees us from the fear of death and the shame of our past.

The result is that we can live for Him, now and forever. Jesus’ sacrifice reconciles us to a perfect God while transforming our hearts. The Holy Spirit shows us our need for God and assures us that we are saved and forgiven. The Spirit writes a new script in our hearts, empowering us to live in freedom, service and joy. God treats us as if we had never sinned, never doubted, never gone our own way.

As we connect with Jesus, the Holy Spirit calms our hearts and transforms our outlook. Our spiritual life grows as we talk with God, ponder His Word, share our faith and worship through music and fellowship.

Together, we the church body, seek to reach the lost, and to look forward to Jesus’ Second Coming, when Jesus will resurrect His saved from the dead so they can live forever. The righteous Saints will journey with Him to Heaven.

The first thousand years after Jesus’ return will be a time of reconciliation and renewal in heaven. We will be able to investigate the lives of the lost, exploring how their choices led to salvation or destruction. The Earth will be empty of people, home only to Satan and his angels, exiled with no one to mislead or destroy.

After a thousand years, God and the saved will return from heaven to Earth with the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem. God will resurrect the unrighteous dead so they can witness the final phase of God’s judgment. Each person will face the record of his or her life, and all will see the true justice and fairness of God. Then God will destroy sin and sinners forever.

As God recreates the Earth, love, joy and harmony will at last be restored to the universe. Fear, suffering and death will only be a memory. We will know God face to face, and be free to create and explore without end.

C. For More Study

To get a full list of our 28 Fundamental Beliefs with the Biblical texts, see www.adventist.org/en/beliefs/.