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| THE
TEACHINGS OF JESUS |
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* Just
hover your mouse over
a Bible reference to have the actual Bible
text appear (in the New King James
Version). You
shouldn't click
the Bible reference.
The following are
teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Holy
Scriptures. Jesus Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14) and
therefore all the teachings of the Bible are the teachings of Jesus for
our instruction, our salvation. The list of these
teachings can be modified when the church of God is led
by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds
better language in which to express the teachings of God's Holy Word.
1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 1:1-31; 2:1-25; Ex.
20:8-11; Ps.
19:1-6; 33:6, 9; Ps 104:1-35; Heb. 11:3.)
7. 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. 3:1-24; 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. 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. 3:1-24; Rom. 1:19-32;
5:12-21; 8:19-22; Gen. 6:1-22; Gen. 7:1-24; Gen. 8:1-22; 2 Peter 3:6; 1
Cor. 4:9; Heb. 1:14.)
9. 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. 53:1-12; 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. 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. Growing in Christ:
By His death on the
cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He
who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has
broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus' victory
gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as
we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy
Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus
as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past
deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers,
ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new
freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His
character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word,
meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering
together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church.
As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in
witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the
Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual
experience. (Ps 1:1-2; 23:4; 77:11-12; Col 1:13-14; 2:6, 14-15;
Luke 10:17-20; Eph 5:19-20; 6:12-18; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:18;
2 Cor. 3:17-18; Phil 3:7-14; 1 Thess 5:16-18; Matt 20:25-28; John
20:21; Gal 5:22-25; Rom 8:38-39; 1 John 4:4; Heb 10:25.)
12. 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.)
13. 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 1:3, 14; 1 Peter 1:16-19; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Rev.
21:1-14.)
14. 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.)
15. 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.)
16. 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.)
17. 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.)
18. 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.)
19. 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.)
20. 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.)
21. 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.)
22. 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 1:2.)
23. 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.)
24. 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. 16:1-34;
Rev.
14:6, 7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:12.)
25. 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. 24:1-51; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:1-38; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1
Thess. 5:1-6.)
26. 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.)
27. 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. 20:1-15; 1 Cor. 6:2-3; Jer. 4:23-26; Rev.
21:1-5;
Mal. 4:1; Eze. 28:18-19.)
28. 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. 35:1-10; 65:17-25; Matt.
5:5;
Rev. 21:1-7; 22:1-5; 11:15.) Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as
their only creed and hold certain 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. Revision of these statements may be expected at a General
Conference session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a
fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language in which
to express the teachings of God's Holy Word.
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