Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only authoritative Word of God and its
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.

The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine
inspiration. The inspired authors spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In
this Word, God has committed to humanity the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy
Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation of His will. They are
the standard of character, the test of experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and the
trustworthy record of God’s acts in history. (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 30:5, 6; Isaiah 8:20;
John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20, 21.).

There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal 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. God, who is love, is forever
worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy
4:35; Psalm 110:1, 4; John 3:16; 14:9; 1 Corinthains 15:28; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John 4:8;
Revelation 4:11.)

God has revealed in Scripture the authentic and historical account of His creative activity. He
created the universe, and in six days the Lord made “the heavens and the earth, the sea, and
all that is in them” and rested on the seventh day. Thus, He established the Sabbath as a
perpetual memorial of the work He performed and completed during six literal days that
together with the Sabbath constituted the same unit of time that we call a week today. 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. (Genesis 1-2; 5; 11; Exodus
20:8-11; Psalm. 19:1-6; 33:6, 9; 104; Isaiah 45:12, 18; Acts 17:24; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews
1:2; 11:3; Revelation 10:6; 14:7.)

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 trans- gressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as
Saviour and Lord, Substitute and Example. This saving faith 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. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah

45:22; 53; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 33:11; 36:25-27; Hebrews 2:4; Mark 9:23, 24; John
3:3-8, 16; 16:8; Romans 3:21-26; 8:1-4, 14-17; 5:6-10; 10:17; 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21;
Galatians 1:4; 3:13, 14, 26; 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:4-10; Colossians 1:13, 14; Titus 3:3-7;
Hebrews 8:7-12; 1 Peter 1:23; 2:21, 22; 2 Peter 1:3, 4; Revelation 13:8.)

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 humanity, and for the worldwide
proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its authority from Christ, who is the incarnate
Word revealed in the Scriptures. 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. (Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:3-7;
Matthew 16:13-20; 18:18; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38-42; 7:38; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:22,
23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11; 5:23-27; Col. 1:17, 18; 1 Peter 2:9.)

God’s 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
investigative 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 world wide witness. (Daniel 7:9-14;
Isaiah 1:9; 11:11; Jeremiah 23:3; Mic 2:12; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Peter 1:16-19;
4:17; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Jude 3, 14; Rev. 12:17; 14:6-12; 18:1-4.)

God’s church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time 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 the 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. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38; 16:30-33; 22:16; Romans 6:1-
6; Gal. 3:27; Colossians 2:12, 13.)

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.
(Matthew 26:17-30; John 6:48-63; 13:1-17; 1 Corinthains. 10:16, 17; 11:23-30; Revelation.
3:20.)

God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts that each member is
to employ in loving ministry for the 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, 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. (Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:4-8; 1
Corinthians 12:7-11, 27, 28; Ephesians 4:8, 11-16; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10, 11.)

The Scriptures testify that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an
identifying mark of the remnant church and we believe it was manifested in the ministry of
Ellen G. White. Her writings speak with prophetic authority and provide comfort, guidance,
instruction, and correction to the church. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard
by which all teaching and experience must be tested. (Number 12:6; 2 Chronicles 20:20;
Amos 3:7; Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Hebrews. 1:1-3; Revelation. 12:17;
19:10; 22:8, 9.)

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 the Saviour. Salvation is
all of grace and not of works, and its fruit is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and results in a sense of well-being. It is evidence of our love for the Lord and our concern for our fellow human beings. The obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives, and therefore strengthens Christian
witness. (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm. 19:7-14; 40:7, 8; Matthew 5:17-20;
22:36-40; John 14:15; 15:7-10; Romans 8:3, 4; Ephesians. 2:8-10; Hebrews 8:8-10; 1 John
2:3; 5:3; Revelation 12:17; 14:12.)

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
The Gracious 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 seal 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. (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Leviticus 23:32;
Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Isaiah 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Ezekiel 20:12, 20; Matthew 12:1-12; Mark
1:32; Luke 4:16; Hebrews. 4:1-11.)

We are God’s stewards, entrusted by Him with time and opportunities, abilities, our body
temples 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 human beings, and by returning tithe 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. Stewards rejoice in the blessings that come to others as a result of their
faithfulness. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15; 1 Chronicles 29:14; Haggai 1:3-11; Malachi 3:8-12;
Matthew 23:23; Romans 15:26, 27; 1 Corinthains. 9:9-14; 2 Corinthians. 8:1-15; 9:7.)

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 a
man and a woman 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. God blesses the family and intends that its members
shall assist each other toward complete maturity. Increasing family closeness is one of the
earmarks of the final gospel message. 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,

tender, and caring guide who wants them to become members of His body, the family of
God which embraces both single and married persons. (Genesis 2:18-25; Exodus 20:12;
Deuteronomy 6:5-9; Proverbs 22:6; Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 5:31, 32; 19:3-9, 12; Mark
10:11, 12; John 2:1-11;1 Corinthains 7:7, 10, 11; 2 Corinthains 6:14; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-
4.)

Ellen White wrote on these landmarks or pillars, "Let the truths that are the foundation of
our faith be kept before the people. Some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits and doctrines of devils. They talk science, and the enemy comes in and gives them an
abundance of science; but it is not the science of salvation. It is not the science of humility,
of consecration, or of the sanctification of the spirit. We are now to understand what the
pillars of our faith are,– the truths that have made us as a people what we are, leading us on
step by step." (Review and Herald, May 25, 1905)
In her book Counsels to Writers and Editors, White was more descriptive. "The passing of
the time in 1844 was a period of great events, opening to our astonished eyes the cleansing
of the sanctuary transpiring in heaven, and having decided relation to God’s people
upon the earth, [also] the first and second angels’ messages and the third, unfurling the
banner on which was inscribed, “The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus
[including Righteousness by Faith].†One of the landmarks under this message was the
temple of God, seen by His truth-loving people in heaven, and the ark containing the law of
God. The light of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment flashed its strong rays in the
pathway of the transgressors of God’s law. The nonimmortality of the wicked is an old
landmark".[8]
These foundations, pillars, and landmarks are:
 the Second Advent
 the sanctuary,
 the investigative judgment,
 the Sabbath,
 the law of God,
 the state of the dead,
 the three angels' messages of Revelation,
 the faith of Jesus, and
 the special gift of prophecy. [9]
The foundation of Seventh-Day Adventism was being set between 1840 and 1844 and led to
many of these landmarks being spread among the early believers. Seventh-Day Adventists
believe they are repeating the history of the Jewish nation at Christ's first Advent. The Jews
strayed so far from true doctrine that they did not recognize Him who was the very
foundation of their system of worship. Their error and tradition led them to reject Christ and
close their probation on the wrong side of the Great Controversy. Spiritual Israel is in a
similar position now at the end of the world with many Protestant denominations drifting
and forgetting the truths which they were built on. These early Adventists came to
understand present truth and the Pillars prepare the church to stand through the coming
end times and perform the work of restoring the true foundation given from
scripture.[citation

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has traditionally believed that it is the remnant church of Bible prophecy, and that its mission is to proclaim the three angels’ messages.

“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  ofjudgment 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.”

Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church  [12]
“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.”

Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual [13]
In Fundamental Belief #13:

“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:
“1. the arrival of the judgment hour, “2. proclaims salvation through Christ, and “3. 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.[14]

Fundamental Belief #18:
“In the last days, as in biblical times, the Holy Spirit has blessed God’s people with the gift of prophecy. One who demonstrated this gift was Ellen G. White, a founder of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

“The Scriptures testify that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and we believe it was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. Her writings speak with prophetic authority and provide comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction to the church. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard
by which all teaching and experience must be tested.[15]

The church believes the spiritual gift of prophecy was manifested in the ministry of Ellen White, whose writings are sometimes referred to as the “Spirit of Prophecy”. Two other official statements regarding the prophetic ministry of Ellen White have recently been voted at General Conference Sessions. The June 1995 document A Statement of Confidence in the
Spirit of Prophecy states that White “did the work of a prophet, and more”, and that her writings “carry divine authority, both for godly living and for doctrine”; and recommended that “as a church we seek the power of the Holy Spirit to apply to our lives more fully the inspired counsel contained in the writings of Ellen G White.” The 2005 document Resolution
on the Spirit of Prophecy called upon “Seventh-day Adventists throughout the world to prayerfully study her writings, in order to understand more fully God’s purpose for His remnant people”, describing her writings as “theological stimulus”

In Fundamental Belief #19:
“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.[16]

Seventh-day Adventists believe that “the great principles of God’s law are embodied in the Ten Commandments”, and that these are “binding upon all people in every age”
(Fundamental Belief no. 19). While the ceremonial and sacrificial laws of the Old
Testament were fulfilled by the death of Jesus Christ, the 10 commandments are held to remain in force for Christian believers. The words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:17–20 are foundational to this conviction:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means
disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Adventist believe and teach that all humanity is obliged to keep God’s Law, including the Sabbath, and that keeping all the commandments is a moral responsibility that honors, and shows love towards God as creator, sustainer, and redeemer.

The seventh-day Sabbath, is observed from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, and Adventist hold this time as what God blessed and hallowed at Creation. Adventist point to the biblical references such as the ancient Hebrew practice of beginning a day at sundown, and the Genesis creation narrative wherein an “evening and morning” established a day, predating the giving of the Ten Commandments (thus the command to “remember; the
Sabbath). The seventh day of the week is recognized as Sabbath in many languages,
calendars, and doctrines, including those of Catholic [17]  and Orthodox churches. [18]
Adventist point out that the change of the Sabbath was part of a Great Apostasy in the
Christian faith when the Bishop of Rome began to dominate the west and the other centers
of Christianity. The Seventh-day Adventist has traditionally held that the apostate church
formed and brought heathen corruption and allowed pagan idol worship and beliefs to
come in under the Roman Catholic Church, which teaches other traditions over Scripture,
and to rest from their work on Sunday, instead of Sabbath as written in Scripture.

The investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that
the divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately
related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the
church’s prophet and pioneer Ellen G. White as one of the pillars of Adventist belief. [19][20]  It is
a major component of the broader Adventist understanding of the “heavenly sanctuary”,
and the two are sometimes spoken of interchangeably.

Ellen White noted:
The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central
pillar of the advent faith was the declaration: “Unto two thousand and three
hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14. (The Great
Controversy, p. 409)

Adventist believe that scripture reveals that the eternal God is immortal (1 Tim. 1:17). He is
uncreated, self-existent, and has no beginning and no end.[21] In fact, He “alone has
immortality” (1 Tim. 6:16)
“The Scriptures nowhere describe immortality as a quality or state that ‘man’ or his ‘soul’
or ‘spirit’possesses inherently. The terms usually rendered ‘soul’ and ‘spirit’. . . in the
Bible occur more than 1,600 times, but never in association with the words ‘immortal’ or
‘immortality'”.[22] Adventist hold that scripture shows that human beings are mortal.
Scripture compares their lives with “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away” (James 4:14). They are “but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come
again” (Ps. 78-39). Man “‘comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow
and does not continue'” (Job 14:2).[21]
Adventist believe the Bible declares that God is infinite, human beings are finite. God is
immortal, they are mortal. God is eternal, they are transitory.[21]
The doctrine of the immortal soul caused much controversy in the early church and slowly
was brought in from pagan sources. Origen was the first person to attempt to organize
Christian doctrine into a systematic theology. He was an admirer of Plato and believed in the
immortality of the soul and that it would depart to an everlasting reward or everlasting
punishment at death. In Origen De Principiis he wrote: “The soul, having a substance
and life of its own, shall after its departure from the world, be rewarded according to its

deserts, being destined to obtain either an inheritance of eternal life and blessedness, if its
actions shall have procured this for it, or to be delivered up to eternal fire and punishments,
if the guilt of its crimes shall have brought it down to this” ( Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4,
1995, p. 240).

James 2:26. “The spirit of God [“the breath which God gave him,”] is in my nostrils.” Job
27:3. They hold that the spirit that returns to God at death is the breath of life. Nowhere in
all of God’s book does the “spirit” have any life, wisdom, or feeling after a person dies. It is
the “breath of life” and nothing more.[23]
Adventist hold that what happens when a person dies is the body decays and only the
“breath of life”, the spirit goes back to God, who gave it. The breath of life of every person
who dies whether righteous or wicked returns to God at death. Adventist believe they
are restoring the true teachings of scripture when it comes to the state of the dead.[24]