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.)
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; 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, 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 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.)
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.)