What We Believe

The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God. The Bible is the only rule of faith and practice, sufficient for all doctrine and instruction.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 595.1; 598.1–599.3 · Steps to Christ, 89–91

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.

God gave His Son to save us from sin. Christ draws us to repentance, offers forgiveness, and renews the heart. When we surrender to Him and receive Him by faith, His righteousness is our acceptance before God. We cannot earn salvation by our works; living faith bears fruit in loving obedience. We grow by daily dependence on Christ and the power of His Spirit.

Study the context: Steps to Christ, 23–26 · Steps to Christ, 49–55 · Steps to Christ, 59–63 · Steps to Christ, 68–72

The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, a memorial of Creation and a sign of His sanctifying power. We observe it from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, laying aside secular work for rest, worship, and fellowship with God. We honor the Sabbath as an expression of love and obedience to our Creator.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 433.2–437.2 · The Great Controversy, 451.1–453.3

Jesus Christ will return personally, visibly, and in glory. The righteous dead will be raised, and the living righteous will be changed and gathered with them to meet the Lord. We look for His coming with hope, watchfulness, and faithful service, without setting a date for His return.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 456.1–457.1 · The Great Controversy, 640.3–645.1

Jesus ministers for us in the heavenly sanctuary on the merits of His sacrifice. His priestly ministry began after His ascension. In 1844 He entered the most holy place to begin the closing work of atonement, including the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins. He is the Advocate of those who come to God through Him in repentance and faith.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 420.2–422.1 · The Great Controversy, 482.4–485.2

Revelation 14:6–12 presents the everlasting gospel, announces that the hour of God’s judgment has come, calls us to worship the Creator, declares Babylon’s fall, and warns against worshiping the beast and his image or receiving his mark. These messages call for the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 18 adds the call for God’s people to come out of Babylon. In the final test, the issue is an informed choice between God’s commandment and enforced false worship.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 355.1–355.3 · The Great Controversy, 435.2–450.1 · The Great Controversy, 603.1–605.2

Death is an unconscious sleep until the resurrection. At Christ’s return, the righteous dead will be raised to immortality. The general resurrection of the wicked takes place after the thousand years. Our hope rests in Jesus, who has conquered death.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 545.2–550 · The Great Controversy, 660.4–661.2

Our bodies belong to God. We seek to preserve our physical and mental powers through healthful habits and temperance, avoiding practices that harm them. Caring for health is part of our service to God and others; it does not earn salvation. We depend on Christ’s grace for a renewed heart and a life of obedience.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 473.2–475.1 · Steps to Christ, 59–63

We receive the writings of Ellen G. White as prophetic counsel that directs us to Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. The Bible remains the standard by which every teaching and religious experience must be tested. We encourage readers to examine each quotation in its original context.

Study the context: The Great Controversy, 593.1; 595.1