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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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