Link - Official SDA Beliefs
Seventh-day Adventists base their faith on Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the world, and upon His Word - the Bible which provides the fundamentals of faith and practice.
The Bible is God's revelation of the origin, history, character, and behavior of mankind - especially of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Although it was written by God's penmen rather than His pen, its authority and essential truths have been preserved.
Adventists believe that the whole Bible- Old and New Testaments- is the written Word of God, the infallible revelation of His will. We believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the minds of the Bible writers with His thoughts and messages, which they then wrote out in their own words. The Bible alone is our authority and standard for what to believe and how to live. Adventists seek daily to get better acquainted with God through personal study of the priceless Book He has written for the human race.
Creation's story is first told in the chronology of the first seven literal days of this planet, but this act of Jesus is reported also in other passages.
Sabbath Rest was introduced on the seventh day of creation, the day God stopped to celebrate the joy and goodness of His completed work. Adventists believe that the Bible record of creation is true- that God made the world in six literal days and rested on the seventh. This day was endorsed as a day of worship by Jesus Himself about 2,000 years ago.
Because of this heritage and because the fourth is the only commandment to begin with "remember," the Sabbath is seen as an acknowledgement of God's Creatorship and sovereignty over life. The Sabbath is a constant invitation to rest from our works as Jesus did from His. Resting in Christ's finished work for us, we are delivered from trying to earn salvation by our own works- by being good. Each week the Sabbath points us away from human works to rest in God's creative, saving work for us.
Baptism is a public expression of commitment to God, the acknowledgement of His supremacy over one's life, and the recognition of His forgiving and saving power. Baptism is reserved for those who can understand its meaning and symbolism. It symbolizes the death and burial of our old life of sin and selfishness and our resurrection to a whole new life of dependence of Christ. According to the Bible, we become a part of the body of Christ (His church) by baptism.
The form of baptism is seen in the example of Jesus Who was immersed, for the word baptize means, "to dip in or under."
The Church, in Earth's earliest history was composed of the families of faithful patriarchs. Later, God chose the nation of Israel to be His "church"- to represent Him to the world. And before He left earth to return to heaven, Christ launched the New Testament church, which He described as His body. Christ's church today is a spiritual body made up of all who accept Him as their Saviour and Lord. Though many denominations exist, Adventists believe that Christ's true followers - His body - may be found scattered among all these organizations.
Further, salvation does not come through joining any church organization. Salvation comes through trusting in the Head of the church - Jesus Christ. But those who truly trust in Christ will quite naturally want to become a part of His church - the body of Christ on Earth.
The Sanctuary, in both the Old and New Testaments, is the name given to the place where God lives. God asked His Old Testament church in the wilderness- the people of Israel- to actually build a literal sanctuary. He gave them the plans for it patterned after the sanctuary in Heaven where His throne is. This Old Testament sanctuary and the temple that later succeeded it- illustrated how God saves us and deals with the problem of sin. In its architecture, sacrifices, and services, it pointed to Christ's work as our Saviour.
The Lord's Supper stems from the upper room institution of a special memorial of Jesus' death for us all. Jesus shared with his disciples unleavened bread as a symbol of His body, soon to be sacrificed on the cross, and grape juice as a symbol of the blood He would soon shed. He then asked them to observe this special memorial in the future, until His second coming.
Just prior to the Lord's Supper Christ instituted another spiritual ceremony. As an example of humility, service, and spiritual cleansing, Christ washed the feet of His disciples and asked His followers to do as He had done.
Jesus did not say how often the Lord's Supper or the foot washing service should be observed. Adventists usually celebrate them quarterly- every three months. Adventists practice what is called an "open communion," meaning that Christians of any faith are invited to join them in the observance of these special memorials Jesus gave.
Three distinct persons make up the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although the word Trinity, which Christians use to describe this three-person God, is not in the Bible, the fact that God indeed consists of three persons is clearly taught there.
God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, unchangeable, and able to be everywhere at once. He is the source of all love, lift and power. And though He constantly supervises His entire vast creation, He is a personal God who wants to be the close Friend of each person on earth.
The Second Advent of Jesus Christ is possible only because of Jesus' sinless life, His supreme sacrifice on the Cross for all sinful mankind, and His unmatched resurrection. Prophetic signs in the natural world, distress among the nations, and mankind's inhumanity to others point to the time - though the hour is known only to God.
The Bible says that Jesus will not return secretly, but that everyone on Earth will see and hear His coming. As the Adventist half of our denominational name indicates, we eagerly look forward to the return of our Saviour, King, and best Friend. We do not believe that only Seventh-day Adventists will be saved- or that we are the only church around that teaches Bible truth.
Life After Death begins with a coming resurrection, just as it commenced at creation when God gave breath to the two beings created in His likeness. The grave is a place of unconsciousness, a condition in which the Bible describes people as being asleep. Though the body returns to dust, the spirit returns to God - to be reunited at the resurrection which occurs at the second coming of Jesus. According to God's Word, we human beings do not have souls- we are souls. At creation, God breathed the gift of life into the body He had formed for Adam, and Adam became a living soul, or person. At death, the gift of life returns to God who gave it, and our bodies return to the dust from which God first made them.
Biblical Prophecies reveal God's plans for the future, provide meaning for the present, and set a framework for hope in a coming kingdom of righteousness for all who serve Him.
Marriage is another of God's original gifts to the human family, intended to provide the joys of belonging regardless of time, place, and culture. By creating them both in the image of Himself, God showed that men and women are complete persons, equal in being and worth without compromising their differences.
Relationships are all-important - with God, in the family, throughout the neighborhood, around the world, and across the environment.
The Holy Spirit is the person through which God gives special spiritual gifts to each true Christian. God intends that just as each part of a human body fulfills a specific function, each member of His spiritual body will also fulfill a specific function through exercising the spiritual gifts He has given. If each member fully exercises his or her gifts, the church will be growing and vigorous. Some spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible include wisdom, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, evangelism, teaching, and pastoring.
Salvation is free, a gift from God. We do not believe in salvation by works (being good). We do not believe that we are saved by Sabbath keeping, clean living, or keeping the Ten Commandments - but by trusting entirely in Jesus Christ.
Much of this information is from the book "Let's Get Acquainted!",
Pacific Press Publishing Association ©1987
Link - Official SDA Beliefs |
