Who are Adventists?

We believe in one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a unity of three coeternal Persons. Jesus Christ is not merely a great moral teacher. He is the eternal Son of God, the Creator, Lord, and Savior. He is fully divine and fully human. He lived a sinless life and perfectly revealed the character, truth, righteousness, and love of God. He showed compassion to the suffering, welcomed those rejected by society, healed the sick, and served others with humility. He washed His disciples’ feet to teach that true greatness is found in loving service. Adventists continue this practice in connection with the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus voluntarily died on the cross for our sins and in our place. His death was the once-for-all sacrifice through which forgiveness and reconciliation with God are made possible. He bodily rose from the dead, defeating the powers of sin and death, and ascended to heaven.

We recognize that some religious traditions explain suffering through ideas such as karma and rebirth. We respect the people who hold these beliefs, but our own understanding is different. The Bible teaches that suffering and death entered the world through sin. Human beings live one earthly life, followed by death, resurrection, and judgment. We cannot save ourselves by accumulating merit, performing religious rituals, or doing enough good deeds.

Salvation is God’s free gift of grace. It is received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Through the Holy Spirit, believers are forgiven, justified, adopted as God’s children, given a new spiritual birth, and transformed into the likeness of Christ. Good deeds do not purchase salvation. They are the natural and joyful fruit of a heart that has been changed by God’s grace.

Jesus now ministers for us in the heavenly sanctuary as our great High Priest and Mediator. He applies to believers the benefits of His completed sacrifice on the cross. We believe in a real judgment before His return. In this judgment, Jesus is both the appointed Judge and the One who represents those who trust in Him. The judgment reveals God’s justice and mercy and confirms that salvation belongs to those who remain in Christ.

Jesus promised that He would return. His second coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, those who died trusting in Him will be raised from the dead, and the faithful who are living will be transformed. Until the resurrection, death is an unconscious sleep. We therefore do not believe that human beings possess a naturally immortal soul that continues in conscious existence apart from the body.

After God’s final work of judgment, sin, Satan, suffering, and death will be completely removed. God will create a new earth where righteousness, peace, love, joy, and justice will remain forever. Our final hope is not merely an escape from the earth into a disembodied spiritual existence. It is resurrection and everlasting life with God in His restored creation.

We believe that God created human beings in His image as an indivisible unity of body, mind, and spirit. Nature and the human body display the wisdom of the Creator, but creation itself is not divine. We respect and care for creation, while worshiping the Creator alone. Because our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we seek to care for them intelligently.

We choose the most healthful diet available and avoid foods identified as unclean in the Bible. Many Adventists choose a vegetarian or largely plant-based diet, but vegetarianism is not the basis of salvation. We completely abstain from alcohol, tobacco, narcotic drugs, and the irresponsible use of medication because they damage the body and impair clear thinking. We also seek to protect our minds from violence, sexual impurity, destructive entertainment, and other harmful influences. Instead, we choose what is true, honorable, pure, compassionate, and loving.

We believe that God established important principles for humanity at Creation. He created marriage as a lifelong, loving union between a man and a woman, and He gave the seventh-day Sabbath as a blessing for all humanity. After creating the world in six days, God rested on the seventh day. This same principle was later included in the Ten Commandments and affirmed by the teaching and practice of Jesus.

Therefore, we observe the Sabbath from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. It is holy time for resting from ordinary work, worshiping God, studying the Bible, enjoying fellowship, strengthening families, serving people in need, and celebrating God’s works of creation and redemption. The Sabbath is not simply a religious obligation. It is a joyful sign of our relationship with God and a foretaste of the eternal rest and fellowship that will be experienced in His kingdom.

Adventists value loving families and a caring church community. We honor both married and single members as important parts of God’s family. We pray regularly, meditate on God’s Word in the Bible, worship together, and fast when it is spiritually appropriate. We practice faithful stewardship by returning tithe and giving offerings to support God’s mission and to serve those in need.

We believe that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to God’s people, including the gift of prophecy. We believe this gift was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. Her writings provide guidance, encouragement, correction, and spiritual counsel, but they do not replace the Bible. The Bible remains the final standard by which every teaching and spiritual experience must be tested.

Those who repent and accept Jesus Christ are invited to confess their faith through baptism by immersion. Baptism represents our union with Christ, forgiveness of sin, reception of the Holy Spirit, and the beginning of a new life. The church is the body of Christ and a spiritual family that welcomes people from every race, language, culture, and social background.

We do not believe that everyone will automatically be saved regardless of personal response. We believe that God loves every person and sincerely desires all people to be saved. No one is beyond His love, mercy, or invitation. Yet God does not force anyone. He invites every person to repent, trust in Jesus Christ, receive His grace, and follow Him freely.