Adventists believe a Trinity of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—make up one God (For more on this check out our "Understanding the Trinity of the Godhead" page). They made salvation possible when Jesus, the Son, came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem and lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father's will. When Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people of the world and arose from the dead on the third day, victory was won for everyone.
When He returned to heaven following the resurrection, Jesus left the Holy Spirit to serve as our Comforter and Counselor. He promised to return to earth a second time to complete His plan of salvation and take His people to heaven. Adventists are among the believers who look forward to that day.
Throughout the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church we have addressed doctrinal and faith issues in a dynamic way. Doctrines have developed and have been modified. New teachings have emerged and majority or minority views have been abandoned, or in some cases, raised to the level of doctrines.
Five levels of belief exist within the Seventh-day Adventist Church as follows: Fundamental Beliefs (Doctrines), Teachings, Majority or Minority Views, Regional Views, and Local or Individual Positions.
This is the highest level of belief in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Commonly referred to as the "Fundamental Beliefs", they are a collection of 28 doctrines and are standards of faith that define a person as being a Seventh-day Adventist. They are based on the Bible and have reached this level of importance through careful study and church-wide consensus through an action of the General Conference in session. This does not mean that the Bible changes or that God changes, but as more is learned or revealed, the beliefs or positions of the church may need to be adapted to accommodate this spiritual growth while still remaining solid on its biblical roots. These doctrines remain subject to modification, but are usually formed and settled often over a long period of time.
These are beliefs or lifestyle positions that the church has adopted that are not a test of faith. They represent what Adventists hold to be true.
These are positions or beliefs held by larger groups of Adventists that are not formally recognized as doctrines or teachings. They often include ideas that are not core faith issues.
Parts of the world more commonly believe some things that are not fundamental beliefs. Many times these are filtered through a cultural lens
These are views held by only a few, perhaps a local church or even a group of churches.
Adventists believe that God is concerned with the quality of human life, and that everything—the way we live, eat, speak, think, treat each other, and care for the world around us—is part of His plan. Our families, our children, our jobs, our talents, our money, and our time are all important to Him.
From time to time, Seventh-day Adventists find it important to articulate their understanding of certain important topics in light of their understanding of biblical values and teachings. These are done through Official Statements, which can be accessed by clicking here.
Leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have also established guidelines for members and church entities as they navigate certain high impact topics and situations. These guidelines cover areas ranging from employer-employee relationships to a Christian philosophy of music and can be accessed by clicking here.
We hold to a belief in sola-tota-prima Scriptura (see chart) which allows us to be led by the Holy Spirit to understand "present truth" (which is Bible truth or better language in which to express the teachings of God’s Holy Word).