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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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; 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. 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.
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. 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. Growing in Christ:
By His death on the
cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He who subjugated the
demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and
made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus' victory gives us victory over
the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in
peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells
within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our
Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No
longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and
meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in
Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character,
communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on
it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for
worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. As we give
ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His
salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms
every moment and every task into a spiritual experience. (Ps 1:1, 2;
23:4; 77:11, 12; Col 1:13, 14; 2:6, 14, 15; Luke 10:17-20; Eph 5:19,
20; 6:12-18; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18; Phil
3:7-14; 1 Thess 5:16-18; Matt 20:25-28; John 20:21; Gal 5:22-25; Rom
8:38, 39; 1 John 4:4; Heb 10:25.)

12. 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.)
13. 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.)
14. 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.)
15. 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.)
16. 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, 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.)
17. 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.)
18. 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.)
19. 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.)
20. 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
evening to evening, sunset to 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.)

21. 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.)
22. 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.)
23. 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.)
24.
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.)
25. 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.)
26. 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.)
27. 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.)
28. 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.)