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.)
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.
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.)