Summary of Doctrinal Beliefs - 2005 Church Manual
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17th Edition (2005) of Church Manual |
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Summary of Doctrinal Beliefs
Appendix ( page 219 - 222 )
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This summary of doctrinal beliefs is especially prepared for the instruction of candidates for baptism (see page 31 - 35 ) |
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1. The true and living God, the first person of teh Godhead, is our heavenly Father, and He, by His Son, Christ Jesus, created all things. (Matthew 28: 18,19; I Corinthians 8: 5,6; Ephesians 3:9; Jeremiah 10:10-12; Hebrews 1: 1-3; Acts 17: 22 - 29; Colosians 1: 16-18 ) |
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2. Jesus Christ, the second person of teh Godhead, and the eternal Son of God, is the only Saciour from sin; and man's salvation is by grace through faith in Him. ( Matthew 28: 18, 19; John 3: 16; Micah 5: 2; Matthew 1: 21; 2: 5,6; Acts 4: 12; I John 5: 11,12; Ephesians 1: 9 - 15; Eph. 2: 4-8; Romans 3: 23-26 ) |
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3. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is Christ's representative on earth, and leads sinners to repentance and to obedience of all God's requirements. ( Matt. 28: 18, 19; John 14: 26; John 15: 26; John 16: 7 - 15; Romans 8: 1 - 10; Ephesians 4: 30 ) |
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4. Through Christ, believers receive forgiveness of sins which are forsaken and confessed, and for which, as far as lies in their power, restitution is made. (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14, 15; 1 John 1:7-9; Isa. 55:6, 7; Eze. 33:15; Matt. 5:23, 24; 6:14, 15.)
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5. The Bible is God’s inspired word, and is the full, the sufficient, and the only basic rule of faith and practice. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Ps. 119:9, 11, 105, 130; 1 Thess. 2:13; Isa. 8:20; Jer. 15:16; Heb. 4:12.)
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6. All who enter the kingdom of heaven must have experienced conversion, or the new birth, through which man receives a new heart and becomes a new creature. Thus, regardless of ethnic or social background, he becomes a member of "the whole family in heaven and earth." (Matt. 18:3; John 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eze. 36:26, 27; Heb. 8:10-12; 1 Peter 1:23; 2:2; Acts 17:26; Eph. 3:15.)
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7. Christ dwells in the regenerate heart, writing upon it the principles of God’s law, leading the believer to delight to obey its precepts, and imparting power for such obedience. (2 Cor. 6:16; Ps. 40:8; Heb. 8:10-12; John 14:15; Col. 1:27; 3:16; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:14-21.)
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8. Upon His ascension Christ began His ministry as high priest in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, which sanctuary is the antitype of the earthly tabernacle of the former dispensation. As in the type, a work of investigative judgment began as Christ entered the second phase of His ministry, in the Most Holy Place, foreshadowed in the earthly service by the Day of Atonement. This work of the investigative judgment in the heavenly sanctuary began in 1844, at the close of the 2300 years, and will end with the close of probation. (Heb. 4:14; 8:1, 2; Lev. 16:2, 29; Heb. 9:23, 24; Dan. 8:14; 9:24-27; Rev. 14: 6-7, 22: 11 ) |
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9. The second coming of Christis the hope of the church, the climax of the gospel, and the goal of the plan of redemption, when Jesus will come literally, personally, and visibly, with all His holy angels. Many signs of the times testify that His coming is at hand. And the almost complete fulfillment of all the various lines of prophecy indicates that "he is near, even at the doors." (John 14:1-3; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 9:28; Acts 1:9-11; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 25:31; Luke 9:26; 21:25-33; Matt. 24:14, 36-39, 33, margin. ) |
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10. The righteous dead will be raised to life at Christ’s second advent. Together with the righteous living, they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and will go with Him to heaven, there to spend the one thousand years known as the millennium. (Rev. 1:7; John 5:25, 28, 29; Hosea 13:14; 1 Cor. 15:51-55; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; John 11:24, 25; 14:1-3; Rev. 20:6, 4, 5; Isa. 25:8, 9 ) |
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11. The wicked who are living at the time of Christ’s second advent will be slain by the brightness of His coming. These, with the wicked dead of all ages, will await the second resurrection, at the close of the one thousand years. (2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8; Jude 14, 15; Rev. 20:5, 12, 15; John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Isa. 24:21, 22. ) |
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12. At the end of the one thousand years, the following events will take place: (a) Christ and the righteous will descend from heaven, with the Holy City, the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2, 10); (b) the wicked dead will be resurrected for final judgment (Rev. 20:11, 12); (c) the wicked will receive the final wages of sin when fire comes down from God out of heaven to consume them (Rev. 20:7-10, 14, 15); and (d) this fire, which destroys the works of sin, will purify the earth. (2 Peter 3:10-14; Mal. 4:1, 3; Rev. 20:8, 4 ) |
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13. The earth, cleansed by fire and renewed by the power of God, will become the eternal home of the redeemed. (2 Peter 3:9-13; Isa. 65:17-25; 35:1-10; 45:18; Matt. 5:5; Mal. 4:1-3; Prov. 11:31.)
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14. The seventh day of the week is the eternal sign of Christ’s power as Creator and Redeemer, and is therefore the Lord’s day, or the Christian Sabbath, constituting the seal of the living God. It should be observed from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 16:23-31; 20:8-11; John 1:1-3, 14; Eze. 20:12, 20; Mark 1:21-32; 2:27, 28; Isa. 58:13; Luke 4:16; 23:54-56; 24:1; Acts 17:2; Heb. 4:9-11; Isa. 66:22, 23; Lev. 23: 32) |
15. Marriage is one of the God-given institutions dating from the Garden of Eden, before sin entered the world. Jesus honored the institution of marriage and upheld its sanctity and permanence. The New Testament repeatedly affirms the sacredness of the marriage relationship, and instructs that it is to be entered into with a lifelong commitment to fidelity and moral purity. Sexual intimacies between male and female outside of marriage or between members of the same sex are contrary to the divine plan and are condemned in the Bible as sin. Those who are followers of Jesus will by His grace maintain moral purity within these biblical guidelines concerning sexual relationships. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from immorality" ( 1 Thess. 4.3, RSV )
The Christian husband and wife are to love and respect one another as God loves and respects them. They are commanded to love and respect their children, to treat them gently, and to teach them to love and serve God. To this end they are to utilize family worship, attendance at Sabbath School and the other church services, and as much as possible, the schools operated by the church. Likewise children are to fulfill their responsibilities to respect and obey their parents. (Gen. 2:21-24; Deut. 4:6, 7; Matt. 19:3-9; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 5:24, 25, 28; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Heb. 10:23-35; 13:4; 1 Peter 3:7 ) |
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16. The tithe is holy unto the Lord, and is God’s provision for the support of His ministry. Freewill offerings are also part of God’s plan for the support of His work throughout the world. (Lev. 27:30-32; Mal. 3:8-12; Num. 18:20-28; Matt. 23:23; Prov. 3:9, 10; 1 Cor. 9:13, 14; 2 Cor. 9:6, 7; Ps. 96:8. See pp. 16, 33, 35, 51, 161-166.)
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17. Immortality comes only through the gospel, and is bestowed as a gift from God at Christ’s second coming. (1 Cor. 15:21, 22, 51-55; Ps. 146:3, 4; Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16; 2 Tim. 1:10; 1 John 5:11, 12 ) |
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18. The condition of man in death is one of unconsciousness. All men, good and evil alike, remain in the grave from death to the resurrection. (Eccl. 9:5, 6; Ps. 115:17; 146:3, 4; Job 14:10-12, 21, 22; 17:13; John 11:11-14; 1 Thess. 4:13; John 5:28, 29 ) |
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19. The Christian is called unto sanctification, and his life should be characterized by carefulness in deportment and modesty and simplicity in dress. (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:3, 7; 5:23; 1 Peter 2:21; 3:15, 3-5; Isa. 3:16-24; 1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Tim. 2:9, 10. See pp. 16, 176-182 ) |
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20. The Christian should recognize his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. He will therefore honor God by caring for his body intelligently, partaking in moderation of that which is good and avoiding the use of that which is harmful, abstaining from all unclean foods; from the use, manufacture, or sale of alcoholic beverages; from the use, manufacture, or sale of tobacco in any of its forms for human consumption; and from the misuse of, or trafficking in, narcotics or other drugs. (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20; 9:25; 10:31; 2 Cor. 7:1; Gal. 5:17-21; 6:7, 8; 1 Peter 2:9-12; 1 Cor. 10:1-11; Lev. 11:1-8. See pp. 16, 33, 35, 195 ) |
21. The church is to come behind in no gift, and the presence of the gift of prophecy is to be one of the identifying marks of the remnant church. (1 Cor. 1:5-7; 12:1-28; Amos 3:7; Hosea 12:10, 13; Rev. 12:17; 19:10. See pp. 15, 33, 34.)
Seventh-day Adventists recognize that this gift was manifested in the life and ministry of Ellen G. White. |
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22. The Bible teaches a definite church organization. The members of this organization are under sacred obligation to be subject thereunto, loyally to support it, and to share in its maintenance. They are admonished not to forsake the assembling of themselves together. (Matt. 16:16-18; Eph. 1:10-23; 2:19-22; 1 Cor. 14:33, 40; Titus 1:5-9; Matt. 18:15-18; 1 Cor. 12:12-28; 16:1-3; Heb. 10:25; Acts 4:32-35; 6:1-7.) |
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23. Baptism by immersion typifies the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and openly expresses faith in His saving grace and the renunciation of sin and the world, and is recognized as a condition of entrance into church membership. (Matt. 3:13-17; 28:19; Acts 2:38, 41-47; 8:35-39; 16:32, 33; 22:16; Rom. 6:1-11; Gal. 3:27; Col. 3: 1-3. See pages 30, 33, 35. ) |
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24. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper commemorates the Saviour’s death; and participation by members of the body is essential to Christian growth and fellowship. It is to be preceded by the ordinance of foot-washing as a preparation for this solemn service. (Matt. 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; John 6:48-56; 13:1-17; 1 Cor. 11:27-30.)
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25. In the Christian life there is complete separation from worldly practices, such as card playing, theatergoing, dancing, et cetera, which tend to deaden and destroy the spiritual life. (2 Cor. 6:15-18; 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4; 2 Tim. 2:19-22; Eph. 5:8-11; Col. 3:5-10. See pp. 178-180.)
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26. Through the study of the Word God speaks to us, imparting light and strength; and through prayer the soul is united with God. These are Heaven’s ordained means for obtaining victory in the conflict with sin and for the development of Christian character. (Ps. 19:7, 8; 119:130; John 6:63; 17:17; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 18:1; Ps. 55:17; Isa. 50:4.)
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27. Every church member is under sacred command from Jesus to use his talents in personal soul-winning work in helping to give the gospel to all the world. When this work is finished, Jesus will come ( Matthew 25: 14-29; Matt 28: 18-20; Rev. 22:17; Isa. 43:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; Rom. 10:13-15; Matt. 24:14 ) |
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28. In accordance with God’s uniform dealing with mankind, warning them of coming events that will vitally affect their destiny, He has sent forth a proclamation of the approaching return of Christ. This preparatory message is symbolized by the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14, and meets its fulfillment in the great Second Advent Movement today. This has brought forth the remnant, or Seventh-day Adventist Church, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (Amos 3:7; Matt. 24:29-34; Rev. 14:6-10; Zeph. 3:13; Micah 4:7, 8; Rev. 14:12; Isa. 26:2; Rev. 22:14.)
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Confusion between the Godhead and the Trinity |