28 Fundamental Beliefs [Their Origin and Development]—Pastor Ted Wilson
We Seventh-day Adventists establish all our beliefs on the Bible alone. Our church doesn't have a set creed. Instead, we have 28 fundamental beliefs that express what we believe the ...Bible teaches.
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson shares how these beliefs developed.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a movement that began the providential unfolding of the Bible prophecy to prepare people for Christ's second coming. In the mid-19th century, God used a preacher named William Miller to proclaim the first angel's message in Revelation 14.
It states, "Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come" (verse 7). Thousands accepted this message and believed that Christ was indeed coming. However, some professed Christian churches rejected the idea. Hence, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" (verse 8).
When Jesus didn't come as they expected on October 22, 1844, many of them left the Advent movement. Fortunately, a small remnant remained. They determined to diligently study and understand the Scripture better. As a result, they saw that the end of the 2300-day prophecy in Daniel 8:14 didn't culminate in Christ's coming to earth. Instead, it ushered in a new phase of His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
With continued prayer and study with open hearts and minds, these remnant believers uncovered more truths. One of which was the full meaning of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14. Another was the importance of keeping the holy Sabbath day. Others were the non-immortality of the soul, the state of the dead, and the second coming of Christ.
About 10 years after the Great Disappointment, the small remnant had grown into almost 1,000 believers. They didn't have an official name that time yet, but they had an official publication called The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.
On the front page of the August 15, 1854 issue of this publication, these five "Leading Doctrines Taught by the Review" were included:
"The Bible, and the Bible alone, the rule of faith and duty."
"The law of God, as taught in the Old and New Testaments, unchangeable."
"The personal advent of Christ and the resurrection of the just, before the millennium."
"The earth restored to its Eden perfection and glory, the final inheritance of the saints."
"Immortality alone through Christ, to be given to the saints at the resurrection."
In 1863, the group officially named itself the Seventh-day Adventist. It reflects two prominent beliefs—the importance of the seventh-day Sabbath and looking forward to the Second Advent of Christ.
The church's first formal statement of beliefs was published in 1872 entitled "A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles Taught and Practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists." Listed here were 25 points drawn from Bible study, beginning with the statement, saying, "We wish to have it distinctly understood that we have no articles of faith, creed, or discipline aside from the Bible." It explained that it was "a brief statement of what is, and has been, with great unanimity, held by [Seventh-day Adventists]."
On June 4, 1874, the declaration of the Fundamental Principles was published again, this time in the first issue of The Signs of the Times. It was republished in 1875, and again in 1889.
The next statement of our beliefs came 42 years later. Some points were combined, making a total of 22. They were renamed "Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists." These were published in the 1931 Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook and the 1932 Church Manual.
Through the coming years, changes and minor revisions were made. By 1980, the fundamental beliefs included 27 points and were adopted at the 1980 General Conference Session in Dallas, Texas.
In 2005, the delegates to the GC session in St. Louis, Missouri voted to add "Growing in Christ'' to the fundamental beliefs, making a total of 28. These 28 beliefs are what we have now, though the present form was the result of further revisions in 2015.
Indeed, the Lord has led the Advent movement step by step into a more complete understanding of who He is, who we are, and what His wonderful plans for us are, as revealed in the Bible.
In the next episodes, Pastor Ted will discuss the 28 fundamental beliefs one by one. Stay tuned.[+] Show More
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson shares how these beliefs developed.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a movement that began the providential unfolding of the Bible prophecy to prepare people for Christ's second coming. In the mid-19th century, God used a preacher named William Miller to proclaim the first angel's message in Revelation 14.
It states, "Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come" (verse 7). Thousands accepted this message and believed that Christ was indeed coming. However, some professed Christian churches rejected the idea. Hence, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" (verse 8).
When Jesus didn't come as they expected on October 22, 1844, many of them left the Advent movement. Fortunately, a small remnant remained. They determined to diligently study and understand the Scripture better. As a result, they saw that the end of the 2300-day prophecy in Daniel 8:14 didn't culminate in Christ's coming to earth. Instead, it ushered in a new phase of His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
With continued prayer and study with open hearts and minds, these remnant believers uncovered more truths. One of which was the full meaning of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14. Another was the importance of keeping the holy Sabbath day. Others were the non-immortality of the soul, the state of the dead, and the second coming of Christ.
About 10 years after the Great Disappointment, the small remnant had grown into almost 1,000 believers. They didn't have an official name that time yet, but they had an official publication called The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.
On the front page of the August 15, 1854 issue of this publication, these five "Leading Doctrines Taught by the Review" were included:
"The Bible, and the Bible alone, the rule of faith and duty."
"The law of God, as taught in the Old and New Testaments, unchangeable."
"The personal advent of Christ and the resurrection of the just, before the millennium."
"The earth restored to its Eden perfection and glory, the final inheritance of the saints."
"Immortality alone through Christ, to be given to the saints at the resurrection."
In 1863, the group officially named itself the Seventh-day Adventist. It reflects two prominent beliefs—the importance of the seventh-day Sabbath and looking forward to the Second Advent of Christ.
The church's first formal statement of beliefs was published in 1872 entitled "A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles Taught and Practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists." Listed here were 25 points drawn from Bible study, beginning with the statement, saying, "We wish to have it distinctly understood that we have no articles of faith, creed, or discipline aside from the Bible." It explained that it was "a brief statement of what is, and has been, with great unanimity, held by [Seventh-day Adventists]."
On June 4, 1874, the declaration of the Fundamental Principles was published again, this time in the first issue of The Signs of the Times. It was republished in 1875, and again in 1889.
The next statement of our beliefs came 42 years later. Some points were combined, making a total of 22. They were renamed "Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists." These were published in the 1931 Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook and the 1932 Church Manual.
Through the coming years, changes and minor revisions were made. By 1980, the fundamental beliefs included 27 points and were adopted at the 1980 General Conference Session in Dallas, Texas.
In 2005, the delegates to the GC session in St. Louis, Missouri voted to add "Growing in Christ'' to the fundamental beliefs, making a total of 28. These 28 beliefs are what we have now, though the present form was the result of further revisions in 2015.
Indeed, the Lord has led the Advent movement step by step into a more complete understanding of who He is, who we are, and what His wonderful plans for us are, as revealed in the Bible.
In the next episodes, Pastor Ted will discuss the 28 fundamental beliefs one by one. Stay tuned.[+] Show More
![28 Fundamental Beliefs [Their Origin and Development]—Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/g3ZsESZgOSs/mqdefault.jpg)
active
28 Fundamental Beliefs [Their Origin and Development]—Pastor Ted Wilson
We Seventh-day Adventists establish all our beliefs on the Bible [...]
We Seventh-day Adventists establish all our beliefs on the Bible alone. Our church doesn't have a set creed. Instead, we have 28 fundamental beliefs that express what we believe the ...Bible teaches.
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson shares how these beliefs developed.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a movement that began the providential unfolding of the Bible prophecy to prepare people for Christ's second coming. In the mid-19th century, God used a preacher named William Miller to proclaim the first angel's message in Revelation 14.
It states, "Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come" (verse 7). Thousands accepted this message and believed that Christ was indeed coming. However, some professed Christian churches rejected the idea. Hence, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" (verse 8).
When Jesus didn't come as they expected on October 22, 1844, many of them left the Advent movement. Fortunately, a small remnant remained. They determined to diligently study and understand the Scripture better. As a result, they saw that the end of the 2300-day prophecy in Daniel 8:14 didn't culminate in Christ's coming to earth. Instead, it ushered in a new phase of His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
With continued prayer and study with open hearts and minds, these remnant believers uncovered more truths. One of which was the full meaning of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14. Another was the importance of keeping the holy Sabbath day. Others were the non-immortality of the soul, the state of the dead, and the second coming of Christ.
About 10 years after the Great Disappointment, the small remnant had grown into almost 1,000 believers. They didn't have an official name that time yet, but they had an official publication called The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.
On the front page of the August 15, 1854 issue of this publication, these five "Leading Doctrines Taught by the Review" were included:
"The Bible, and the Bible alone, the rule of faith and duty."
"The law of God, as taught in the Old and New Testaments, unchangeable."
"The personal advent of Christ and the resurrection of the just, before the millennium."
"The earth restored to its Eden perfection and glory, the final inheritance of the saints."
"Immortality alone through Christ, to be given to the saints at the resurrection."
In 1863, the group officially named itself the Seventh-day Adventist. It reflects two prominent beliefs—the importance of the seventh-day Sabbath and looking forward to the Second Advent of Christ.
The church's first formal statement of beliefs was published in 1872 entitled "A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles Taught and Practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists." Listed here were 25 points drawn from Bible study, beginning with the statement, saying, "We wish to have it distinctly understood that we have no articles of faith, creed, or discipline aside from the Bible." It explained that it was "a brief statement of what is, and has been, with great unanimity, held by [Seventh-day Adventists]."
On June 4, 1874, the declaration of the Fundamental Principles was published again, this time in the first issue of The Signs of the Times. It was republished in 1875, and again in 1889.
The next statement of our beliefs came 42 years later. Some points were combined, making a total of 22. They were renamed "Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists." These were published in the 1931 Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook and the 1932 Church Manual.
Through the coming years, changes and minor revisions were made. By 1980, the fundamental beliefs included 27 points and were adopted at the 1980 General Conference Session in Dallas, Texas.
In 2005, the delegates to the GC session in St. Louis, Missouri voted to add "Growing in Christ'' to the fundamental beliefs, making a total of 28. These 28 beliefs are what we have now, though the present form was the result of further revisions in 2015.
Indeed, the Lord has led the Advent movement step by step into a more complete understanding of who He is, who we are, and what His wonderful plans for us are, as revealed in the Bible.
In the next episodes, Pastor Ted will discuss the 28 fundamental beliefs one by one. Stay tuned.[+] Show More
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson shares how these beliefs developed.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a movement that began the providential unfolding of the Bible prophecy to prepare people for Christ's second coming. In the mid-19th century, God used a preacher named William Miller to proclaim the first angel's message in Revelation 14.
It states, "Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come" (verse 7). Thousands accepted this message and believed that Christ was indeed coming. However, some professed Christian churches rejected the idea. Hence, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" (verse 8).
When Jesus didn't come as they expected on October 22, 1844, many of them left the Advent movement. Fortunately, a small remnant remained. They determined to diligently study and understand the Scripture better. As a result, they saw that the end of the 2300-day prophecy in Daniel 8:14 didn't culminate in Christ's coming to earth. Instead, it ushered in a new phase of His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.
With continued prayer and study with open hearts and minds, these remnant believers uncovered more truths. One of which was the full meaning of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14. Another was the importance of keeping the holy Sabbath day. Others were the non-immortality of the soul, the state of the dead, and the second coming of Christ.
About 10 years after the Great Disappointment, the small remnant had grown into almost 1,000 believers. They didn't have an official name that time yet, but they had an official publication called The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.
On the front page of the August 15, 1854 issue of this publication, these five "Leading Doctrines Taught by the Review" were included:
"The Bible, and the Bible alone, the rule of faith and duty."
"The law of God, as taught in the Old and New Testaments, unchangeable."
"The personal advent of Christ and the resurrection of the just, before the millennium."
"The earth restored to its Eden perfection and glory, the final inheritance of the saints."
"Immortality alone through Christ, to be given to the saints at the resurrection."
In 1863, the group officially named itself the Seventh-day Adventist. It reflects two prominent beliefs—the importance of the seventh-day Sabbath and looking forward to the Second Advent of Christ.
The church's first formal statement of beliefs was published in 1872 entitled "A Declaration of the Fundamental Principles Taught and Practiced by the Seventh-day Adventists." Listed here were 25 points drawn from Bible study, beginning with the statement, saying, "We wish to have it distinctly understood that we have no articles of faith, creed, or discipline aside from the Bible." It explained that it was "a brief statement of what is, and has been, with great unanimity, held by [Seventh-day Adventists]."
On June 4, 1874, the declaration of the Fundamental Principles was published again, this time in the first issue of The Signs of the Times. It was republished in 1875, and again in 1889.
The next statement of our beliefs came 42 years later. Some points were combined, making a total of 22. They were renamed "Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists." These were published in the 1931 Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook and the 1932 Church Manual.
Through the coming years, changes and minor revisions were made. By 1980, the fundamental beliefs included 27 points and were adopted at the 1980 General Conference Session in Dallas, Texas.
In 2005, the delegates to the GC session in St. Louis, Missouri voted to add "Growing in Christ'' to the fundamental beliefs, making a total of 28. These 28 beliefs are what we have now, though the present form was the result of further revisions in 2015.
Indeed, the Lord has led the Advent movement step by step into a more complete understanding of who He is, who we are, and what His wonderful plans for us are, as revealed in the Bible.
In the next episodes, Pastor Ted will discuss the 28 fundamental beliefs one by one. Stay tuned.[+] Show More
![Holy Scriptures [Diving Deep Into the First Fundamental Belief] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xJeAv9lKHNc/mqdefault.jpg)
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Holy Scriptures [Diving Deep Into the First Fundamental Belief] – Pastor Ted Wilson
John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [...]
John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
It’s a beautiful description of Jesus, the Son of God and ...the Son of man—a perfect blending of the human and divine.
Jesus has given us His words of life through the Holy Scriptures, the "living, powerful Word of God," as Hebrews 4:12 says. He also affirmed that "these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).
We find Jesus’ footprints throughout the Bible. We see him through the Old Testament history, law, wisdom, poetry, and prophecy. He is also present in the New Testament Gospels, early church history, letters by Paul, and prophecy through the "revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place" (Revelation 1:1).
The Bible is God’s message given to humanity in their language through men inspired and "moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21). So, the Scriptures are like Christ in that they are a combination of the human and divine.
The Scriptures are the foundation upon which we base all our beliefs as Seventh-day Adventists. This is why our first fundamental belief pertains to the Holy Scriptures.
It reads, "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 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" (Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief 1, "The Holy Scriptures," adventist.org/beliefs).
Many texts affirm the beauty and power of the Scriptures.
For instance, verses 5 and 6 of Proverbs 30 say, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."
Also, Isaiah 8:20 testifies, "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
Still, in John 17:17, Jesus affirmed the importance of the Scriptures when He prayed for His disciples, asking the Father to "sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth."
In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he said, "For this reason, we also thank God without ceasing because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
Indeed, the Bible is truly God’s Word to us, revealing His truth and drawing us closer to Him as we follow His divine counsel. But to hear Him speaking, we must approach the book by believing that they are the supreme, authoritative, and infallible revelation of His will.
The Great Controversy, page 598, warns us: "The truths most plainly revealed in the Bible have been involved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who, with a pretense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have a mystical, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the language employed. These men are false teachers. It was to such a class that Jesus declared: "Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God." (Mark 12:24). The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise: 'If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.' John 7:17. If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be accomplished that would make angels glad, and that would bring into the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error."
The Bible is indeed "a lamp to our feet and a light to our path" (Psalm 119:105), but we must first take off the blinds of our own presuppositions to see the light clearly.
To learn more about what we, Seventh-day Adventists, believe about the Holy Scriptures, Pastor Ted Wilson invites you to visit the following:
http://www.adventist.org/beliefs
"Methods of Bible Study" at http://www.adventist.org/documents/methods-of-bible-study
Finally, Pastor Wilson encourages you to open the Holy Scriptures and find out what God would like to say to you now.[+] Show More
It’s a beautiful description of Jesus, the Son of God and ...the Son of man—a perfect blending of the human and divine.
Jesus has given us His words of life through the Holy Scriptures, the "living, powerful Word of God," as Hebrews 4:12 says. He also affirmed that "these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).
We find Jesus’ footprints throughout the Bible. We see him through the Old Testament history, law, wisdom, poetry, and prophecy. He is also present in the New Testament Gospels, early church history, letters by Paul, and prophecy through the "revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place" (Revelation 1:1).
The Bible is God’s message given to humanity in their language through men inspired and "moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21). So, the Scriptures are like Christ in that they are a combination of the human and divine.
The Scriptures are the foundation upon which we base all our beliefs as Seventh-day Adventists. This is why our first fundamental belief pertains to the Holy Scriptures.
It reads, "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 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" (Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief 1, "The Holy Scriptures," adventist.org/beliefs).
Many texts affirm the beauty and power of the Scriptures.
For instance, verses 5 and 6 of Proverbs 30 say, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."
Also, Isaiah 8:20 testifies, "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
Still, in John 17:17, Jesus affirmed the importance of the Scriptures when He prayed for His disciples, asking the Father to "sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth."
In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he said, "For this reason, we also thank God without ceasing because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
Indeed, the Bible is truly God’s Word to us, revealing His truth and drawing us closer to Him as we follow His divine counsel. But to hear Him speaking, we must approach the book by believing that they are the supreme, authoritative, and infallible revelation of His will.
The Great Controversy, page 598, warns us: "The truths most plainly revealed in the Bible have been involved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who, with a pretense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have a mystical, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the language employed. These men are false teachers. It was to such a class that Jesus declared: "Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God." (Mark 12:24). The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise: 'If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.' John 7:17. If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be accomplished that would make angels glad, and that would bring into the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error."
The Bible is indeed "a lamp to our feet and a light to our path" (Psalm 119:105), but we must first take off the blinds of our own presuppositions to see the light clearly.
To learn more about what we, Seventh-day Adventists, believe about the Holy Scriptures, Pastor Ted Wilson invites you to visit the following:
http://www.adventist.org/beliefs
"Methods of Bible Study" at http://www.adventist.org/documents/methods-of-bible-study
Finally, Pastor Wilson encourages you to open the Holy Scriptures and find out what God would like to say to you now.[+] Show More
![The Godhead [Who is God?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e3wQKwOGFlo/mqdefault.jpg)
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The Godhead [Who is God?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson answers the question, "Who is God?" [...]
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson answers the question, "Who is God?"
God is a mystery, but He reveals Himself to those who are willing to see through the eyes of ...faith. He reveals Himself in two ways.
One is through Creation. In Psalm 19:1-3, David says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."
The Creator's hand is visible throughout nature. From the stars in the heavens to the creatures of the deepest sea, His amazing design can be seen.
Now, the second way is through the Scriptures. Through the Word, God's supreme revelation is seen through the life and death of Jesus Christ. Through Him, we can know the Father. 1 John 5:20 says, "The Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him Who is true." Also, "This is eternal life that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
When we seek to know God from the Bible, we can't place ourselves above Him and treat Him as an object to study, analyze, and quantify. We must submit to the authority of His self-revelation.
One way the Bible reveals God is through His recorded names. For instance, the Old Testament names Him El Elohim, which means "God." It also identifies Him as El Elyon, meaning "God Most High," and Adonai, signifying "Lord" or "Master." He also has the name El Shaddai, translating to "God Almighty," and Yahweh, emphasizing His self-existent nature and faithfulness. Meanwhile, in the New Testament, Jesus uses the name Father to bring us into a closer, personal relationship with God.
God's activities give us a glimpse into who He is. Hebrews 1:3 shows Him "upholding all things by the word of His power." Isaiah 46:11 and Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God makes plans. Isaiah 46:10 says He declares "the end from the beginning." Also, He is faithful to forgive our sins if we confess to Him, as promised in Deuteronomy 15:6 and 1 John 1:9.
In addition, we read in Exodus 34:6-7, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sins, by no means clearing the guilty…" Indeed, God is a God of mercy and justice.
God is self-existent, for He has "life in Himself" (John 5:26). He is omniscient, for He knows the end from the beginning being the "Alpha and Omega" (Revelation 1:8). Also, He is omnipresent, for He transcends space and time and is present everywhere all the time (Psalm 139:7 and Hebrews 4:13). Lastly, He is omnipotent, for He is all-powerful. Nothing is impossible with Him. He is unchangeable and perfect (Malachi 3:6).
While there is one God, there is plurality within the Godhead. The second Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief states, "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" (adventist.org/beliefs).
The three Persons of the Godhead were together during the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Here, the Father gave His Son (John 3:16), Christ gave Himself (Galatians 1:4), and the Spirit gave Jesus birth (Matthew 1:18, 20).
Another instance where they were all present was the baptism of Jesus. The Father stated, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). Christ gave Himself to be baptized as our example (Matthew 3:13-15). And the Spirit empowered the Son as He descended upon Him in the form of a dove (Luke 3:21, 22).
Before His death, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as the Helper (John 14:6). Also, He commanded His church to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
Today, the Father and the Son reach out to us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "When the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26). In 2 Corinthians 13:14, we have the beautiful blessing—"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."
Finally, Ellen White tells us, "There are three living Persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ" (Evangelism, p. 615).
To learn more about who God is, find helpful resources at adventist.org/beliefs.[+] Show More
God is a mystery, but He reveals Himself to those who are willing to see through the eyes of ...faith. He reveals Himself in two ways.
One is through Creation. In Psalm 19:1-3, David says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."
The Creator's hand is visible throughout nature. From the stars in the heavens to the creatures of the deepest sea, His amazing design can be seen.
Now, the second way is through the Scriptures. Through the Word, God's supreme revelation is seen through the life and death of Jesus Christ. Through Him, we can know the Father. 1 John 5:20 says, "The Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him Who is true." Also, "This is eternal life that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
When we seek to know God from the Bible, we can't place ourselves above Him and treat Him as an object to study, analyze, and quantify. We must submit to the authority of His self-revelation.
One way the Bible reveals God is through His recorded names. For instance, the Old Testament names Him El Elohim, which means "God." It also identifies Him as El Elyon, meaning "God Most High," and Adonai, signifying "Lord" or "Master." He also has the name El Shaddai, translating to "God Almighty," and Yahweh, emphasizing His self-existent nature and faithfulness. Meanwhile, in the New Testament, Jesus uses the name Father to bring us into a closer, personal relationship with God.
God's activities give us a glimpse into who He is. Hebrews 1:3 shows Him "upholding all things by the word of His power." Isaiah 46:11 and Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God makes plans. Isaiah 46:10 says He declares "the end from the beginning." Also, He is faithful to forgive our sins if we confess to Him, as promised in Deuteronomy 15:6 and 1 John 1:9.
In addition, we read in Exodus 34:6-7, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sins, by no means clearing the guilty…" Indeed, God is a God of mercy and justice.
God is self-existent, for He has "life in Himself" (John 5:26). He is omniscient, for He knows the end from the beginning being the "Alpha and Omega" (Revelation 1:8). Also, He is omnipresent, for He transcends space and time and is present everywhere all the time (Psalm 139:7 and Hebrews 4:13). Lastly, He is omnipotent, for He is all-powerful. Nothing is impossible with Him. He is unchangeable and perfect (Malachi 3:6).
While there is one God, there is plurality within the Godhead. The second Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief states, "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" (adventist.org/beliefs).
The three Persons of the Godhead were together during the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Here, the Father gave His Son (John 3:16), Christ gave Himself (Galatians 1:4), and the Spirit gave Jesus birth (Matthew 1:18, 20).
Another instance where they were all present was the baptism of Jesus. The Father stated, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). Christ gave Himself to be baptized as our example (Matthew 3:13-15). And the Spirit empowered the Son as He descended upon Him in the form of a dove (Luke 3:21, 22).
Before His death, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as the Helper (John 14:6). Also, He commanded His church to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
Today, the Father and the Son reach out to us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "When the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26). In 2 Corinthians 13:14, we have the beautiful blessing—"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."
Finally, Ellen White tells us, "There are three living Persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ" (Evangelism, p. 615).
To learn more about who God is, find helpful resources at adventist.org/beliefs.[+] Show More
![God the Father [Who is He?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/O6f8GIeTpIg/mqdefault.jpg)
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God the Father [Who is He?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
Last week, we learned about the Godhead. In this episode, Pastor Ted [...]
Last week, we learned about the Godhead. In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson focuses on God the Father.
Jesus addresses the Father on several occasions. For instance, He mentions Him in ...His prayer in Matthew 6:9, 10: "Our Father Which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."
With this, the third Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief states, "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 those of the Father" (adventist.org/beliefs).
It is the same God in both the Old and New Testaments Who acts for the salvation of His people. For instance, in Hebrews 1:1, 2, we read, "God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds."
The Old Testament describes the Father in several ways. In Deuteronomy 32:6, Moses referred to Him as their Father, Who redeemed them. Also, God revealed through Jeremiah that He is "a Father to Israel" (Jeremiah 31:9). And in Isaiah 64:8, the prophet cried, "O Lord, You are our Father."
In addition, Psalm 103:13 gives us a compassionate picture of God. The verse goes, "As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him." In Malachi 1:6, God states, "I am the Father." And in chapter 2, verse 10, Malachi asks, "Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?"
Throughout the Old Testament, God is acknowledged as a gracious and merciful God. David sings, "Our God is merciful," and affirms that "His mercy is everlasting" (Psalm 116:5; 100:5). His mercy cannot be earned. It doesn't blindly pardon but executes by the principles of justice and holiness. Those who reject it will reap His punishment.
In addition, we see a God Who longs to be with His people. Exodus 25:8 mentions, "Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." Also, He is a redeeming God Who miraculously led a nation of slaves to freedom.
Psalms 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Chapter 86 verse 15 adds that He is a "God full of compassion," and He is "gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth."
Moreover, He is a God of forgiveness. In Micah 7:18-19, the prophet describes Him as a God Who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage. He "does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities." And He will "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."
He is a God of goodness, faithfulness, salvation, and vengeance. "Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God; He will come and save you'" (Isaiah 35:4).
In the New Testament, Paul distinguishes the Father from the Son. "There is only one God, the Father, of Whom are all things…" He continues, "and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things and through Whom we live" (1 Cor. 8:6).
Also, the apostle worships the Father when he writes, "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" (Ephesians 3:14, 15).
The complete revelation of the Father is given to us through His Son, Who came in flesh. "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son…has declared Him" (John 1:18). Jesus Himself also said, "He Who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
As one of the most well-known verses says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Indeed, God is a God Who gives and loves. He gave us His Son to die so we might reconcile with Him and enjoy eternity. He waits for us to return to Him, longing to place His robe of righteousness around us and welcome us home.[+] Show More
Jesus addresses the Father on several occasions. For instance, He mentions Him in ...His prayer in Matthew 6:9, 10: "Our Father Which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."
With this, the third Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief states, "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 those of the Father" (adventist.org/beliefs).
It is the same God in both the Old and New Testaments Who acts for the salvation of His people. For instance, in Hebrews 1:1, 2, we read, "God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds."
The Old Testament describes the Father in several ways. In Deuteronomy 32:6, Moses referred to Him as their Father, Who redeemed them. Also, God revealed through Jeremiah that He is "a Father to Israel" (Jeremiah 31:9). And in Isaiah 64:8, the prophet cried, "O Lord, You are our Father."
In addition, Psalm 103:13 gives us a compassionate picture of God. The verse goes, "As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him." In Malachi 1:6, God states, "I am the Father." And in chapter 2, verse 10, Malachi asks, "Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?"
Throughout the Old Testament, God is acknowledged as a gracious and merciful God. David sings, "Our God is merciful," and affirms that "His mercy is everlasting" (Psalm 116:5; 100:5). His mercy cannot be earned. It doesn't blindly pardon but executes by the principles of justice and holiness. Those who reject it will reap His punishment.
In addition, we see a God Who longs to be with His people. Exodus 25:8 mentions, "Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." Also, He is a redeeming God Who miraculously led a nation of slaves to freedom.
Psalms 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Chapter 86 verse 15 adds that He is a "God full of compassion," and He is "gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth."
Moreover, He is a God of forgiveness. In Micah 7:18-19, the prophet describes Him as a God Who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage. He "does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities." And He will "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."
He is a God of goodness, faithfulness, salvation, and vengeance. "Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God; He will come and save you'" (Isaiah 35:4).
In the New Testament, Paul distinguishes the Father from the Son. "There is only one God, the Father, of Whom are all things…" He continues, "and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things and through Whom we live" (1 Cor. 8:6).
Also, the apostle worships the Father when he writes, "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" (Ephesians 3:14, 15).
The complete revelation of the Father is given to us through His Son, Who came in flesh. "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son…has declared Him" (John 1:18). Jesus Himself also said, "He Who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
As one of the most well-known verses says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Indeed, God is a God Who gives and loves. He gave us His Son to die so we might reconcile with Him and enjoy eternity. He waits for us to return to Him, longing to place His robe of righteousness around us and welcome us home.[+] Show More
![God the Son [Who is He?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/--IbCqUMVpw/mqdefault.jpg)
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God the Son [Who is He?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson shares about the fourth fundamental [...]
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson shares about the fourth fundamental belief—God the Son.
John begins his Gospel with these words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was ...with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:1-5).
With this, we learn that Jesus is eternal. He is God and was with God the Father from the beginning. He is also the Creator, the Light, and God’s Word incarnate. He is Life itself. As the book The Desire of Ages says, "In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived" (p. 530).
Jesus Christ is fully God and man. Although it is a mystery we cannot understand, He is the Son of God and the Son of Man.
The fourth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists explains: "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."
It continues, "Forever truly God, He became also truly human, 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."
It goes on saying, "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 heaven to minister in the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf."
Finally, "He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things."
Now, these are three major points regarding God the Son:
He is from eternity.
Jesus is the One "Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:57). "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (Revelation 22:12, 13).
Jesus’ mission of salvation was established before the world was created.
The Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:19 that we were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." He continues in verse 20, stating that Jesus was indeed "foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." John the Revelator echoes this point in Revelation 13:8, referring to Jesus as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
The birth and mission of Jesus were foretold in prophecy.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God revealed to them the first prophecy of the coming Redeemer, as He told the serpent, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
God promised that the Redeemer would come through the line of Abraham as recorded in Genesis 22:18—"In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Isaiah prophesied that He would come as a child and would be both human and divine, as in Isaiah 9:6—"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
This Child would be born in Bethlehem, as Micah 5:2 prophesied. His birth would be miraculous and of divine origin, as Isaiah 7:14 states—"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." The New Testament confirms this prophecy in Matthew 1:20, 21—"do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
When Jesus was at the synagogue of Nazareth, He read the passage in Isaiah found in chapter 61, verses 1 and 2: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…" As He closed the scroll, He proclaimed, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21).
There is so much to learn about Jesus Christ. We have just scratched the surface. But, next time, we will look more closely at the prophecies surrounding His death and resurrection.
To learn more, Pastor Wilson encourages you to study for yourself by reading resources at adventist.org/beliefs. He also invites you to read The Desire of Ages at egwwritings.org or on the EGW Writings 2 app.
May God bless you as you learn about God the Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.[+] Show More
John begins his Gospel with these words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was ...with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:1-5).
With this, we learn that Jesus is eternal. He is God and was with God the Father from the beginning. He is also the Creator, the Light, and God’s Word incarnate. He is Life itself. As the book The Desire of Ages says, "In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived" (p. 530).
Jesus Christ is fully God and man. Although it is a mystery we cannot understand, He is the Son of God and the Son of Man.
The fourth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists explains: "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."
It continues, "Forever truly God, He became also truly human, 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."
It goes on saying, "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 heaven to minister in the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf."
Finally, "He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things."
Now, these are three major points regarding God the Son:
He is from eternity.
Jesus is the One "Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:57). "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (Revelation 22:12, 13).
Jesus’ mission of salvation was established before the world was created.
The Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:19 that we were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." He continues in verse 20, stating that Jesus was indeed "foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." John the Revelator echoes this point in Revelation 13:8, referring to Jesus as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
The birth and mission of Jesus were foretold in prophecy.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God revealed to them the first prophecy of the coming Redeemer, as He told the serpent, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
God promised that the Redeemer would come through the line of Abraham as recorded in Genesis 22:18—"In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Isaiah prophesied that He would come as a child and would be both human and divine, as in Isaiah 9:6—"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
This Child would be born in Bethlehem, as Micah 5:2 prophesied. His birth would be miraculous and of divine origin, as Isaiah 7:14 states—"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." The New Testament confirms this prophecy in Matthew 1:20, 21—"do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
When Jesus was at the synagogue of Nazareth, He read the passage in Isaiah found in chapter 61, verses 1 and 2: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…" As He closed the scroll, He proclaimed, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21).
There is so much to learn about Jesus Christ. We have just scratched the surface. But, next time, we will look more closely at the prophecies surrounding His death and resurrection.
To learn more, Pastor Wilson encourages you to study for yourself by reading resources at adventist.org/beliefs. He also invites you to read The Desire of Ages at egwwritings.org or on the EGW Writings 2 app.
May God bless you as you learn about God the Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.[+] Show More
![God the Holy Spirit [Who is He and What Does He Do?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TVlaqV45KCQ/mqdefault.jpg)
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God the Holy Spirit [Who is He and What Does He Do?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
We have learned about God the Son and God the Father in the previous [...]
We have learned about God the Son and God the Father in the previous episodes. In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about the third Person of the Trinity. He ...is invisible but existent—God the Holy Spirit.
Our fifth fundamental belief says: "God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He is as much a person as are the Father and the Son. 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."
The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins, leads us to repentance, and transforms our lives to be like Jesus. He also helps us understand the truth God has revealed in the Bible.
“His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood…Through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error and expels it from the soul” (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 13).
Moreover, the Holy Spirit “strives” as Genesis 6:3 says: "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever…" He also “teaches” as in Luke 12:12: "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." He convicts as John 16:8 notes: “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Also, He inspires as 2 Peter 1:21 indicates: "For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Lastly, He sanctifies as 1 Peter 1:2 states: "...the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."
We see the Holy Spirit's activity and involvement in some remarkable events in the Bible.
For instance, He was active at Creation, "hovering over the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:1,2).
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." He was referring to the necessity of baptism by water and the Holy Spirit.
During Jesus' incarnation, an angel told Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
Jesus acknowledged the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He said in Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."
Also, before His crucifixion, Jesus assured His disciples: "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:25, 26).
In Acts 10:38, Peter preached to the household of Cornelius, saying, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power…"
To conclude, we are to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit by surrendering ourselves to Him and allowing Him to transform our lives. He was sent to teach, guide, comfort, encourage, and transform us. However, the choice is ours to accept Him. But Jesus warned us about the consequences of resisting the Holy Spirit.
With this, let us heed the call given in Psalm 95 and repeated in Hebrews 4:7: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."
To know more about the Holy Spirit, Pastor Wilson encourages you to visit adventist.org/holy-spirit.[+] Show More
Our fifth fundamental belief says: "God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He is as much a person as are the Father and the Son. 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."
The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins, leads us to repentance, and transforms our lives to be like Jesus. He also helps us understand the truth God has revealed in the Bible.
“His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood…Through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error and expels it from the soul” (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 13).
Moreover, the Holy Spirit “strives” as Genesis 6:3 says: "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever…" He also “teaches” as in Luke 12:12: "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." He convicts as John 16:8 notes: “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Also, He inspires as 2 Peter 1:21 indicates: "For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Lastly, He sanctifies as 1 Peter 1:2 states: "...the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."
We see the Holy Spirit's activity and involvement in some remarkable events in the Bible.
For instance, He was active at Creation, "hovering over the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:1,2).
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." He was referring to the necessity of baptism by water and the Holy Spirit.
During Jesus' incarnation, an angel told Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
Jesus acknowledged the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He said in Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."
Also, before His crucifixion, Jesus assured His disciples: "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:25, 26).
In Acts 10:38, Peter preached to the household of Cornelius, saying, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power…"
To conclude, we are to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit by surrendering ourselves to Him and allowing Him to transform our lives. He was sent to teach, guide, comfort, encourage, and transform us. However, the choice is ours to accept Him. But Jesus warned us about the consequences of resisting the Holy Spirit.
With this, let us heed the call given in Psalm 95 and repeated in Hebrews 4:7: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."
To know more about the Holy Spirit, Pastor Wilson encourages you to visit adventist.org/holy-spirit.[+] Show More
![Creation [God's Amazing Work Science Can't Explain] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ewT57YBYysA/mqdefault.jpg)
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Creation [God's Amazing Work Science Can't Explain] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson and his wife, Nancy, talk about [...]
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson and his wife, Nancy, talk about Creation as discussed in the sixth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists.
They begin by mentioning the most complicated ...and expensive space observatory in history so far, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched on December 25, 2021.
It was a result of decades of painstaking research, detailed planning, and complex engineering by a multinational team of astrophysicists, astronomers, engineers, and other scientists. It was designed to accomplish what other space telescopes haven't been able to—to peer deep into the cosmos and see light from the earliest galaxies to form the "Big Bang."
Indeed, this is an amazing achievement by man. But it's so ironic that most people do not see that the vast universe is created by an all-powerful God Who spoke worlds into existence.
We read in Psalm 19:1-3: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Also, Hebrews 11:3 says, "By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."
Our existence and the existence of this world and the universe come from the power of the Creator. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).
With this, the fundamental belief of Creation is foundational to who we are and what we believe and practice as Seventh-day Adventists.
This doctrine states: "God has revealed in Scripture the authentic and historical account of His creative activity. He created the universe, and in a recent six-day creation, the Lord made 'the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them' and rested on the seventh day."
It continues, "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."
"The work of creation cannot be explained by science. What science can explain the mystery of life?...In the creation of the earth, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. 'He spake, and it was;...He commanded, and it stood fast' (Psalm 33:9). All things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, came into existence by the breath of His mouth. In the creation of man was manifest the agency of a personal God" (Ministry of Healing, p. 414).
In continuation, "when God had made man in His image, the human form was perfect in all its arrangements, but it was without life. Then a personal, self-existing God breathed into that form the breath of life, and man became a living, intelligent being. All parts of the human organism were set in action. The heart, the arteries, the veins, the tongue, the hands, the feet, the senses, the faculties of the mind, all began their work, and all were placed under law. Man became a living soul. Through Christ the Word, a personal God created man and endowed him with intelligence and power" (Ministry of Healing, p. 415).
How comforting it is to know that we were created by a personal, self-existing God Who loves us and has endowed us with intelligence and power!
Above all this, love motivates what God has done for He is love. He created us not only for us to love Him but also so that He could love us.
In the next episode, we will look more closely at why understanding Creation is important and how foundational it is to our lives today.
In the meantime, Pastor Wilson invites you to visit adventist.org/creation to read more. Also, you can find videos, presentations, articles, photo galleries, and more at grisda.org.[+] Show More
They begin by mentioning the most complicated ...and expensive space observatory in history so far, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched on December 25, 2021.
It was a result of decades of painstaking research, detailed planning, and complex engineering by a multinational team of astrophysicists, astronomers, engineers, and other scientists. It was designed to accomplish what other space telescopes haven't been able to—to peer deep into the cosmos and see light from the earliest galaxies to form the "Big Bang."
Indeed, this is an amazing achievement by man. But it's so ironic that most people do not see that the vast universe is created by an all-powerful God Who spoke worlds into existence.
We read in Psalm 19:1-3: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Also, Hebrews 11:3 says, "By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."
Our existence and the existence of this world and the universe come from the power of the Creator. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).
With this, the fundamental belief of Creation is foundational to who we are and what we believe and practice as Seventh-day Adventists.
This doctrine states: "God has revealed in Scripture the authentic and historical account of His creative activity. He created the universe, and in a recent six-day creation, the Lord made 'the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them' and rested on the seventh day."
It continues, "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."
"The work of creation cannot be explained by science. What science can explain the mystery of life?...In the creation of the earth, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. 'He spake, and it was;...He commanded, and it stood fast' (Psalm 33:9). All things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, came into existence by the breath of His mouth. In the creation of man was manifest the agency of a personal God" (Ministry of Healing, p. 414).
In continuation, "when God had made man in His image, the human form was perfect in all its arrangements, but it was without life. Then a personal, self-existing God breathed into that form the breath of life, and man became a living, intelligent being. All parts of the human organism were set in action. The heart, the arteries, the veins, the tongue, the hands, the feet, the senses, the faculties of the mind, all began their work, and all were placed under law. Man became a living soul. Through Christ the Word, a personal God created man and endowed him with intelligence and power" (Ministry of Healing, p. 415).
How comforting it is to know that we were created by a personal, self-existing God Who loves us and has endowed us with intelligence and power!
Above all this, love motivates what God has done for He is love. He created us not only for us to love Him but also so that He could love us.
In the next episode, we will look more closely at why understanding Creation is important and how foundational it is to our lives today.
In the meantime, Pastor Wilson invites you to visit adventist.org/creation to read more. Also, you can find videos, presentations, articles, photo galleries, and more at grisda.org.[+] Show More
![Human Beings [How Did God Create Them?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JT4pEPMBG3M/mqdefault.jpg)
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Human Beings [How Did God Create Them?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses the seventh fundamental [...]
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses the seventh fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists—the nature of humanity.
In Psalm 8:3-5, we see a beautiful song glorifying God the Creator: "When ...I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor."
This passage shows the value God has placed on human beings. He has made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor. Indeed, we belong to Him.
Also, God created us perfect. "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26-27).
God formed man with His own hands from the dust of the earth. Then, He "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7). Out of this, Adam was created. He was made of a body and the breath of life.
But God realized Adam needed a companion. "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him" (Genesis 2:18). When Adam slept, God extracted one of his ribs and made it into a woman. As he woke up, he met Eve.
God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Gen. 1:28).
God placed Adam and Eve in the beautiful Garden of Eden to live there forever in happiness. Unfortunately, they fell into sin after eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. This transgression caused them and the entire humanity pain, misery, and death.
But God told them He would provide a plan of salvation for humanity, saving them from eternal ruin. To Satan, He said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Gen. 3:15).
Although Satan had brought sin into humanity, he would be defeated. A way of escape would be made for all people who would choose Jesus as their personal Savior.
This covenant of grace was made even before the fall. The members of the Godhead planned among Themselves to save the human race should it fall into sin. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Indeed, we are precious in God's sight. We are the work of His creation and recreation through His salvation.
Our seventh fundamental belief states: "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. 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."
In connection to this, Steps to Christ, page 15, reminds us that "through transgression, the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name 'sons of God.'"
What a wonderful Creator, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend we have in Jesus!
Read more about this fundamental belief at https://www.adventist.org/nature-of-humanity.[+] Show More
In Psalm 8:3-5, we see a beautiful song glorifying God the Creator: "When ...I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor."
This passage shows the value God has placed on human beings. He has made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor. Indeed, we belong to Him.
Also, God created us perfect. "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26-27).
God formed man with His own hands from the dust of the earth. Then, He "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7). Out of this, Adam was created. He was made of a body and the breath of life.
But God realized Adam needed a companion. "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him" (Genesis 2:18). When Adam slept, God extracted one of his ribs and made it into a woman. As he woke up, he met Eve.
God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth" (Gen. 1:28).
God placed Adam and Eve in the beautiful Garden of Eden to live there forever in happiness. Unfortunately, they fell into sin after eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. This transgression caused them and the entire humanity pain, misery, and death.
But God told them He would provide a plan of salvation for humanity, saving them from eternal ruin. To Satan, He said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Gen. 3:15).
Although Satan had brought sin into humanity, he would be defeated. A way of escape would be made for all people who would choose Jesus as their personal Savior.
This covenant of grace was made even before the fall. The members of the Godhead planned among Themselves to save the human race should it fall into sin. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Indeed, we are precious in God's sight. We are the work of His creation and recreation through His salvation.
Our seventh fundamental belief states: "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. 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."
In connection to this, Steps to Christ, page 15, reminds us that "through transgression, the sons of man become subjects of Satan. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name 'sons of God.'"
What a wonderful Creator, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend we have in Jesus!
Read more about this fundamental belief at https://www.adventist.org/nature-of-humanity.[+] Show More
![Great Controversy [What is It and What Should We Do About It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zmVpchDRi7Y/mqdefault.jpg)
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Great Controversy [What is It and What Should We Do About It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses the eighth fundamental [...]
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses the eighth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists—the great controversy.
Wars and devastation. Sickness, disease, and death. Disasters of various kinds. Where is God ...in all these? If He is kind, loving, and good, why does He let these happen?
To answer this, let's go back to the beginning of time.
Following the creation of the world, "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31). Everything was perfect but what happened?
Let's go back further—back into heaven where the trouble began.
There were angels in heaven. "Bless the Lord, you, His angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word" (Psalm 103:20). Hebrews 1:14 adds, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"
Unfortunately, there was one angel named Lucifer who thought he knew better than God and determined to no longer follow His Word. He wanted to rise above Him and be his own god.
Lucifer is described in Ezekiel 28:12-15 as follows: "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you."
Isaiah 14 adds, "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High'" (verses 12-14).
Therefore, sin was brought about by Lucifer's pride. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor" (Ezekiel 28:17).
With this, Lucifer, then Satan, deceived one-third of the angels, who joined him in rebellion. "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:7-9).
Satan brought his deception to earth, particularly in the Garden of Eden. He won by convincing Adam and Eve to take the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, resulting in their disobedience to God, expulsion from the garden, and miserable life.
Since then, the entire humanity has been in a cosmic battle between good and evil. As our eighth fundamental belief states, "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."
It continues, "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 global flood, as presented in the historical account of Genesis 1-11. 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."
Indeed, the great controversy is real. This world and our hearts are the battlefield. Which side are you on? Pastor Wilson would like to invite you to surrender your heart and recommit it to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Learn more about this fundamental belief at http://www.adventist.org/the-great-controversy/.[+] Show More
Wars and devastation. Sickness, disease, and death. Disasters of various kinds. Where is God ...in all these? If He is kind, loving, and good, why does He let these happen?
To answer this, let's go back to the beginning of time.
Following the creation of the world, "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31). Everything was perfect but what happened?
Let's go back further—back into heaven where the trouble began.
There were angels in heaven. "Bless the Lord, you, His angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word" (Psalm 103:20). Hebrews 1:14 adds, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"
Unfortunately, there was one angel named Lucifer who thought he knew better than God and determined to no longer follow His Word. He wanted to rise above Him and be his own god.
Lucifer is described in Ezekiel 28:12-15 as follows: "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you."
Isaiah 14 adds, "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High'" (verses 12-14).
Therefore, sin was brought about by Lucifer's pride. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor" (Ezekiel 28:17).
With this, Lucifer, then Satan, deceived one-third of the angels, who joined him in rebellion. "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:7-9).
Satan brought his deception to earth, particularly in the Garden of Eden. He won by convincing Adam and Eve to take the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, resulting in their disobedience to God, expulsion from the garden, and miserable life.
Since then, the entire humanity has been in a cosmic battle between good and evil. As our eighth fundamental belief states, "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."
It continues, "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 global flood, as presented in the historical account of Genesis 1-11. 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."
Indeed, the great controversy is real. This world and our hearts are the battlefield. Which side are you on? Pastor Wilson would like to invite you to surrender your heart and recommit it to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Learn more about this fundamental belief at http://www.adventist.org/the-great-controversy/.[+] Show More
![Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ [What Hope Do They Bring?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CSxmbdTQu-o/mqdefault.jpg)
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Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ [What Hope Do They Bring?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about Jesus Christ. He [...]
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about Jesus Christ. He focuses on His life, death, and resurrection, the central focus of the Scriptures and the ninth fundamental belief of ...the Seventh-day Adventists.
This belief is at the very heart of Christianity because Christ's life on earth, death on the cross, and glorious resurrection give us hope of salvation.
In the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, they were perfect. Unfortunately, when they chose to disobey Him, sin entered the world. Thankfully, God had devised a plan to save them. That is, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15).
This beautiful promise signified that God the Son, Jesus Christ, would come to earth, be born of a virgin, and take on our humanity. He would die in our place, taking the penalty of our sin by dying on the cross that we could be reconciled. He suffered the condemnation that should have been ours to set us free from sin and allow us to live forever with Him.
"The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He Whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He Whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father's face, till the woes of a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary's cross" (The Great Controversy, p. 651).
But Jesus was not alone in this great sacrifice. He was with God the Father. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
God gave the gift of His Son so that we might have eternal life. We must accept this gift and allow Him to change our hearts. Not only did Jesus die for us but He also lived a sinless life that serves as an example for us to live by. His life, death, and resurrection gave us salvation and showed us what love really is.
The Seventh-day Adventist fundamental belief #9 states: "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 bodily 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."
What an amazing, incredible God we serve! He has provided a way for our salvation. As Paul put it, "For since by man came death, by Man (that is, Jesus) also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:21, 22).
There's so much to learn from this fundamental belief by visiting http://www.adventist.org/life-death-and-resurrection-of-christ/ and reading The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White.
As an appeal, Pastor Wilson invites you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Jesus is waiting for you with forgiveness freely available to all who come. Now is the time to come to Him.[+] Show More
This belief is at the very heart of Christianity because Christ's life on earth, death on the cross, and glorious resurrection give us hope of salvation.
In the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, they were perfect. Unfortunately, when they chose to disobey Him, sin entered the world. Thankfully, God had devised a plan to save them. That is, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15).
This beautiful promise signified that God the Son, Jesus Christ, would come to earth, be born of a virgin, and take on our humanity. He would die in our place, taking the penalty of our sin by dying on the cross that we could be reconciled. He suffered the condemnation that should have been ours to set us free from sin and allow us to live forever with Him.
"The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it be forgotten that He Whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He Whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—humbled Himself to uplift fallen man; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father's face, till the woes of a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary's cross" (The Great Controversy, p. 651).
But Jesus was not alone in this great sacrifice. He was with God the Father. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
God gave the gift of His Son so that we might have eternal life. We must accept this gift and allow Him to change our hearts. Not only did Jesus die for us but He also lived a sinless life that serves as an example for us to live by. His life, death, and resurrection gave us salvation and showed us what love really is.
The Seventh-day Adventist fundamental belief #9 states: "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 bodily 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."
What an amazing, incredible God we serve! He has provided a way for our salvation. As Paul put it, "For since by man came death, by Man (that is, Jesus) also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:21, 22).
There's so much to learn from this fundamental belief by visiting http://www.adventist.org/life-death-and-resurrection-of-christ/ and reading The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White.
As an appeal, Pastor Wilson invites you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Jesus is waiting for you with forgiveness freely available to all who come. Now is the time to come to Him.[+] Show More
![Salvation [How Can We Have It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dfNxAPiqtcg/mqdefault.jpg)
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Salvation [How Can We Have It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
Only through Christ can we experience salvation. There is nothing we [...]
Only through Christ can we experience salvation. There is nothing we can do. We have to accept His grace. His love. His salvation. He gives it freely and wants nothing ...more than for us to experience it.
This week, President of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, Ted N.C. Wilson talks about Fundamental Belief number 10: The Experience of Salvation
The experience of salvation that reaches deep into the souls comes from God alone. "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5).
Only through Jesus Christ can we experience salvation. "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Our tenth fundamental belief states: "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 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."
Jesus freely offers us the gift of salvation from sin. All we have to do is accept it. "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation" (Romans 10, 9-10).
Once we accept this gift, He forgives our past sins and looks at us as if we've never sinned. He then helps us overcome sin. As said in Jude 24 and 25, "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
After accepting Jesus, He calls us to "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). He wants us to have a better, happier way to live. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:26).
Jesus meets us where we are and delights in saving us from our lost condition. There is no sinfulness His grace and forgiveness cannot redeem.
In response to His great love, we follow God's law and teachings. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
But if we make mistakes, God is still there to rescue us. Before He was crucified, He warned His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38).
Though we've chosen Jesus, we will still be tempted to sin. But He promises in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Finally, Steps to Christ p. 70 explains what it truly means to experience salvation in Christ: "A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the subject for the soul's contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness."
As an appeal, Pastor Ted invites you to come to God now and experience this gift of salvation today![+] Show More
This week, President of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, Ted N.C. Wilson talks about Fundamental Belief number 10: The Experience of Salvation
The experience of salvation that reaches deep into the souls comes from God alone. "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5).
Only through Jesus Christ can we experience salvation. "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Our tenth fundamental belief states: "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 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."
Jesus freely offers us the gift of salvation from sin. All we have to do is accept it. "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation" (Romans 10, 9-10).
Once we accept this gift, He forgives our past sins and looks at us as if we've never sinned. He then helps us overcome sin. As said in Jude 24 and 25, "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
After accepting Jesus, He calls us to "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). He wants us to have a better, happier way to live. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:26).
Jesus meets us where we are and delights in saving us from our lost condition. There is no sinfulness His grace and forgiveness cannot redeem.
In response to His great love, we follow God's law and teachings. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
But if we make mistakes, God is still there to rescue us. Before He was crucified, He warned His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38).
Though we've chosen Jesus, we will still be tempted to sin. But He promises in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Finally, Steps to Christ p. 70 explains what it truly means to experience salvation in Christ: "A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the subject for the soul's contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness."
As an appeal, Pastor Ted invites you to come to God now and experience this gift of salvation today![+] Show More
![Growing in Christ [What Does It Mean and How Does It Happen?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WJNZ__dWTrY/mqdefault.jpg)
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Growing in Christ [What Does It Mean and How Does It Happen?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson tackles the eleventh fundamental [...]
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson tackles the eleventh fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists—growing in Christ.
Growth takes time.
For instance, planting a garden requires a lot of work and ...care before the plants get mature. Similarly, raising a child takes years of nurturing before he becomes a full-grown adult. Even friendship takes time and commitment for the relationship to grow.
Growing in Christ is a wonderful privilege to have once we accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. It begins with His death on the cross that redeemed us from sin.
In Colossians 1:13 and 14, God "has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
In connection, Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
However, to “walk in the Spirit” requires death to self. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
The closer we get to Christ, the more we love Him, and the more we become like Him.
"When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God" (The Desire of Ages, p. 173).
This concept of growing in Christ is echoed in our eleventh fundamental belief.
It states, "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.”
To read more about this fundamental belief, you may visit http://www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ/.
In closing, Pastor Wilson shares these four essential, practical building blocks for growing in Christ:
Prayer
Through prayer, we connect with God.
Colossians 4:2 reminds us to "continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving."
Reading the Bible
The Bible is our faithful guide.
2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Applying what we’ve learned
We must not only read the Bible but also do what it says.
As stated in James 1:22, "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."
Meeting with other believers
God wants us to encourage and strengthen our fellow believers for we are one family and one body of Christ.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:23-25).
As you grow in Christ, remember that He loves and cares for you. He died to redeem you from sin and give you eternal life. He dwells within you through the Holy Spirit, speaking to you in prayer and guiding you through His Word.[+] Show More
Growth takes time.
For instance, planting a garden requires a lot of work and ...care before the plants get mature. Similarly, raising a child takes years of nurturing before he becomes a full-grown adult. Even friendship takes time and commitment for the relationship to grow.
Growing in Christ is a wonderful privilege to have once we accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. It begins with His death on the cross that redeemed us from sin.
In Colossians 1:13 and 14, God "has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
In connection, Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
However, to “walk in the Spirit” requires death to self. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
The closer we get to Christ, the more we love Him, and the more we become like Him.
"When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God" (The Desire of Ages, p. 173).
This concept of growing in Christ is echoed in our eleventh fundamental belief.
It states, "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.”
To read more about this fundamental belief, you may visit http://www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ/.
In closing, Pastor Wilson shares these four essential, practical building blocks for growing in Christ:
Prayer
Through prayer, we connect with God.
Colossians 4:2 reminds us to "continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving."
Reading the Bible
The Bible is our faithful guide.
2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Applying what we’ve learned
We must not only read the Bible but also do what it says.
As stated in James 1:22, "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."
Meeting with other believers
God wants us to encourage and strengthen our fellow believers for we are one family and one body of Christ.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:23-25).
As you grow in Christ, remember that He loves and cares for you. He died to redeem you from sin and give you eternal life. He dwells within you through the Holy Spirit, speaking to you in prayer and guiding you through His Word.[+] Show More
![Church [What Does the Bible Teach Us About It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7IYnQ8y198s/mqdefault.jpg)
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Church [What Does the Bible Teach Us About It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson and his wife, Nancy, share what the [...]
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson and his wife, Nancy, share what the Bible teaches about the church, specifically what it is, how it began, and what its purpose is ...today.
In Genesis, God created Adam. But "it is not good for man to be alone," so he created Eve to be his companion. And together, they worshipped God as their Creator.
"From the earliest times, God-fearing families in the lineage of Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem, and Abraham were the guardians of His truth. These households, in which the father functioned as the priest, could be considered the church in miniature. To Abraham, God gave the rich promises through which this household of God gradually became a nation. Israel's mission was simply an extension of that given to Abraham: To be a blessing to all nations, showing God's love for the world" (Seventh-day Adventists Believe: An Exposition of the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, p. 167).
Through Israel, God desired to create the largest church on earth where representatives of all nations would gather to worship, learn of Him, and preach to their own people the message of salvation. Unfortunately, Israel fell into idolatry, nationalism, and pride, hence, failing in its mission.
Then, Jesus came into the world and died on the cross, signifying the end of Israel's mission but inaugurating the Christian church and its mission to proclaim salvation through His redeeming blood. Everyone was invited to accept this gift of salvation and become a part of His church.
Meanwhile, the Bible uses metaphors to describe the church. In Ephesians 2:16, the cross reconciles all believers "to God in one body." In 1 Corinthians 12:13, believers are "baptized into one body." In Colossians 1:18, Christ is the "head of the body," and in Ephesians 5:23, the "head of the church." These statements emphasize the unity of the church and the relationship among its members.
In addition, 1 Corinthians 3:9 refers to the church as "God's building." Also, Ephesians 2:20, 21 explain that it has been "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone, in Whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
Still, the church is described as a bride with Jesus as the bridegroom. "I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy" (Hosea 2:19). "'Return, O backsliding children,' says the Lord; 'for I am married to you'" (Jeremiah 3:14). Also, Jesus "loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25).
Finally, the church is a family that unites heaven and earth. "For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…" (Ephesians 3:14).
In connection to this, the twelfth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists states: "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."
To learn more about this fundamental belief, visit http://www.adventist.org/the-church/. Also read Ellen G. White's The Acts of the Apostles at http://www.egwwritings.org, particularly the first chapter entitled "God's Purpose for His Church."
In closing, God has given us the wonderful privilege of being part of His church. He invites us to unite with Him in proclaiming the gospel into all the world. Let us also invite others to be part of this church and thank Him for this gift.[+] Show More
In Genesis, God created Adam. But "it is not good for man to be alone," so he created Eve to be his companion. And together, they worshipped God as their Creator.
"From the earliest times, God-fearing families in the lineage of Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem, and Abraham were the guardians of His truth. These households, in which the father functioned as the priest, could be considered the church in miniature. To Abraham, God gave the rich promises through which this household of God gradually became a nation. Israel's mission was simply an extension of that given to Abraham: To be a blessing to all nations, showing God's love for the world" (Seventh-day Adventists Believe: An Exposition of the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, p. 167).
Through Israel, God desired to create the largest church on earth where representatives of all nations would gather to worship, learn of Him, and preach to their own people the message of salvation. Unfortunately, Israel fell into idolatry, nationalism, and pride, hence, failing in its mission.
Then, Jesus came into the world and died on the cross, signifying the end of Israel's mission but inaugurating the Christian church and its mission to proclaim salvation through His redeeming blood. Everyone was invited to accept this gift of salvation and become a part of His church.
Meanwhile, the Bible uses metaphors to describe the church. In Ephesians 2:16, the cross reconciles all believers "to God in one body." In 1 Corinthians 12:13, believers are "baptized into one body." In Colossians 1:18, Christ is the "head of the body," and in Ephesians 5:23, the "head of the church." These statements emphasize the unity of the church and the relationship among its members.
In addition, 1 Corinthians 3:9 refers to the church as "God's building." Also, Ephesians 2:20, 21 explain that it has been "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone, in Whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
Still, the church is described as a bride with Jesus as the bridegroom. "I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy" (Hosea 2:19). "'Return, O backsliding children,' says the Lord; 'for I am married to you'" (Jeremiah 3:14). Also, Jesus "loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25).
Finally, the church is a family that unites heaven and earth. "For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…" (Ephesians 3:14).
In connection to this, the twelfth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists states: "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."
To learn more about this fundamental belief, visit http://www.adventist.org/the-church/. Also read Ellen G. White's The Acts of the Apostles at http://www.egwwritings.org, particularly the first chapter entitled "God's Purpose for His Church."
In closing, God has given us the wonderful privilege of being part of His church. He invites us to unite with Him in proclaiming the gospel into all the world. Let us also invite others to be part of this church and thank Him for this gift.[+] Show More
![The Remnant [What is It and Its Mission?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/56XZ13-pGkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
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The Remnant [What is It and Its Mission?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses God's remnant and its [...]
In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson discusses God's remnant and its mission, constituting the thirteenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists.
A remnant is a group of people who remain loyal ...to God no matter what.
Noah and his family were an example of the remnant people in the beginning.
In Genesis 6:5, 11, we read, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence."
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord," verse 8 says. God told him of His plan to destroy the earth with flood because people were so wicked. Amid the destruction, there would be a way of escape for those who chose to accept God's grace through faith and obedience.
God asked Noah to build an ark, inviting people to come inside so that they would be safe from the flood. Noah preached for 120 years but only his family of eight chose to be saved.
In the last days, before Jesus returns to earth to take His children to heaven, a similar situation will happen. The world will be filled with wickedness but those who trust and believe in God will remain strong in following His ways amid worldly influence.
Our thirteenth fundamental belief states, "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."
Throughout history, God has always had His remnant people. Thousands of martyrs have sealed their faith with blood, especially during the Dark Ages. The same persecuting power of the Dark Ages will rise again as a religious and political power in the last days. It will persecute those who will not submit to its demands.
God's faithful remnants are referred to in Revelation 12:17 as those who "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." However, these people are not an exclusive club. Everyone who loves Him, accepts the truth from the Bible, and willingly follows Him, can be part of them.
These remnant people are commissioned to share the three angels' messages found in Revelation 14:6-12.
"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him Who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water'" (Revelation 14:6,7).
It implies that the first angel proclaims the everlasting good news that God is our Creator, the source of salvation. And we are to worship only Him. It also indicates that the seventh day is the Sabbath. Still, it includes the message that the hour of judgment has come—a call for true repentance and reformation.
Moving on, Revelation 14:8 reads, "And another angel followed, saying, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'"
This second angel warns that Babylon, the biblical symbol of false worship and coercion, will fall. God's judgment is coming. So, people must flee the confusion of Babylon and its false teachings and turn to Christ and His truth.
The third angel's message warns, "saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb" (Revelation 14:9, 10).
This final crisis involves true and false worship. Time will come when everyone on earth will decide whether to worship the beast or be true to God.
The proclamation of these messages is the mission of God's remnant people. Through the remnant church, He proclaims a message to restore true worship by calling His people out of apostasy and preparing them for His return.
The end is near. Jesus is coming soon. Now is the time to give our hearts fully to Him and become part of the remnant, fulfilling His mission.
To know more about the thirteenth fundamental belief, go to https://www.adventist.org/remnant-and-its-mission/.[+] Show More
A remnant is a group of people who remain loyal ...to God no matter what.
Noah and his family were an example of the remnant people in the beginning.
In Genesis 6:5, 11, we read, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence."
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord," verse 8 says. God told him of His plan to destroy the earth with flood because people were so wicked. Amid the destruction, there would be a way of escape for those who chose to accept God's grace through faith and obedience.
God asked Noah to build an ark, inviting people to come inside so that they would be safe from the flood. Noah preached for 120 years but only his family of eight chose to be saved.
In the last days, before Jesus returns to earth to take His children to heaven, a similar situation will happen. The world will be filled with wickedness but those who trust and believe in God will remain strong in following His ways amid worldly influence.
Our thirteenth fundamental belief states, "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."
Throughout history, God has always had His remnant people. Thousands of martyrs have sealed their faith with blood, especially during the Dark Ages. The same persecuting power of the Dark Ages will rise again as a religious and political power in the last days. It will persecute those who will not submit to its demands.
God's faithful remnants are referred to in Revelation 12:17 as those who "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." However, these people are not an exclusive club. Everyone who loves Him, accepts the truth from the Bible, and willingly follows Him, can be part of them.
These remnant people are commissioned to share the three angels' messages found in Revelation 14:6-12.
"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him Who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water'" (Revelation 14:6,7).
It implies that the first angel proclaims the everlasting good news that God is our Creator, the source of salvation. And we are to worship only Him. It also indicates that the seventh day is the Sabbath. Still, it includes the message that the hour of judgment has come—a call for true repentance and reformation.
Moving on, Revelation 14:8 reads, "And another angel followed, saying, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'"
This second angel warns that Babylon, the biblical symbol of false worship and coercion, will fall. God's judgment is coming. So, people must flee the confusion of Babylon and its false teachings and turn to Christ and His truth.
The third angel's message warns, "saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb" (Revelation 14:9, 10).
This final crisis involves true and false worship. Time will come when everyone on earth will decide whether to worship the beast or be true to God.
The proclamation of these messages is the mission of God's remnant people. Through the remnant church, He proclaims a message to restore true worship by calling His people out of apostasy and preparing them for His return.
The end is near. Jesus is coming soon. Now is the time to give our hearts fully to Him and become part of the remnant, fulfilling His mission.
To know more about the thirteenth fundamental belief, go to https://www.adventist.org/remnant-and-its-mission/.[+] Show More
![Unity in Christ [What Does the Bible Teach Us?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ng2-h_0sGZI/mqdefault.jpg)
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Unity in Christ [What Does the Bible Teach Us?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson is with his fellow General [...]
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson is with his fellow General Conference executive officers, Erton Kohler and Paul Douglas, to talk about unity in the body of Christ which constitutes ...our church’s fourteenth fundamental belief.
Unity among believers began with Christ Himself.
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to His Father: "Keep through Your name those whom You have given Me; that they may be one as We are" (John 17:11). However, He did not pray only for the disciples but also for us that we “may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:21).
Through this unity of Christ’s believers, the world will accept the good news we share. But what does this unity look like and how can it be achieved?
Ellen White writes in the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 1148, "What a wonderful statement! The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. In mind, in purpose, in character, they are one, but not in person. By partaking of the Spirit of God, conforming to the law of God, man becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ brings His disciples into a living union with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity with one another. This unity is the most convincing proof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ, and of His power to take away sin."
Jesus’ disciples had different backgrounds, personalities, and ways of doing things. Hence, they sometimes fought over who would be the greatest. Jesus knew all this and He had a mission for them. But He knew they could never accomplish this mission until they were united.
So, He prayed for them. And in Acts 2:1, "when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord…" It doesn’t mean merely being physically together but more importantly, being together in heart, mind, and soul.
In her book The Acts of the Apostles, page 36, Ellen White says, "As the disciples waited for the fulfillment of the promise, they humbled their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief."
On page 37, she continues, "The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to…speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship." Also, "the disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy function that was to fit them for the work of soul saving…They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised."
But how did this transformation take place?
"Under the training of Christ, the disciples had been led to feel their need of the Spirit. Under the Spirit's teaching, they received the final qualification, and went forth to their lifework…No longer were they a collection of independent units or discordant, conflicting elements. No longer were their hopes set on worldly greatness. They were of 'one accord,' 'of one heart and of one soul'...Christ filled their thoughts; the advancement of His kingdom was their aim. In mind and character, they had become like their Master, and men 'took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus'" (Acts of the Apostles, page 45).
This is the kind of unity we need in the church today. Amid our differences in culture, nationality, language, and so on, God calls us to unite in one message and mission to save souls through His power.
Our fourteenth fundamental belief states: "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."
As we follow the steps of the early disciples, let’s set aside our own desires and ambitions, yield to Christ, and pray earnestly for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. By then, He will give us wisdom, strength, and courage to proclaim the gospel to the entire world. And the end will come.
To learn more about the fourteenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists, go to http://www.adventist.org/unity-in-the-body-of-christ/.[+] Show More
Unity among believers began with Christ Himself.
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to His Father: "Keep through Your name those whom You have given Me; that they may be one as We are" (John 17:11). However, He did not pray only for the disciples but also for us that we “may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:21).
Through this unity of Christ’s believers, the world will accept the good news we share. But what does this unity look like and how can it be achieved?
Ellen White writes in the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 1148, "What a wonderful statement! The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. In mind, in purpose, in character, they are one, but not in person. By partaking of the Spirit of God, conforming to the law of God, man becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ brings His disciples into a living union with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spirit upon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christ establishes a bond of unity with one another. This unity is the most convincing proof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ, and of His power to take away sin."
Jesus’ disciples had different backgrounds, personalities, and ways of doing things. Hence, they sometimes fought over who would be the greatest. Jesus knew all this and He had a mission for them. But He knew they could never accomplish this mission until they were united.
So, He prayed for them. And in Acts 2:1, "when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord…" It doesn’t mean merely being physically together but more importantly, being together in heart, mind, and soul.
In her book The Acts of the Apostles, page 36, Ellen White says, "As the disciples waited for the fulfillment of the promise, they humbled their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief."
On page 37, she continues, "The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to…speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship." Also, "the disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy function that was to fit them for the work of soul saving…They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised."
But how did this transformation take place?
"Under the training of Christ, the disciples had been led to feel their need of the Spirit. Under the Spirit's teaching, they received the final qualification, and went forth to their lifework…No longer were they a collection of independent units or discordant, conflicting elements. No longer were their hopes set on worldly greatness. They were of 'one accord,' 'of one heart and of one soul'...Christ filled their thoughts; the advancement of His kingdom was their aim. In mind and character, they had become like their Master, and men 'took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus'" (Acts of the Apostles, page 45).
This is the kind of unity we need in the church today. Amid our differences in culture, nationality, language, and so on, God calls us to unite in one message and mission to save souls through His power.
Our fourteenth fundamental belief states: "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."
As we follow the steps of the early disciples, let’s set aside our own desires and ambitions, yield to Christ, and pray earnestly for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. By then, He will give us wisdom, strength, and courage to proclaim the gospel to the entire world. And the end will come.
To learn more about the fourteenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists, go to http://www.adventist.org/unity-in-the-body-of-christ/.[+] Show More
![Baptism [What Does the Bible Want Us To Know About It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OiABhLetHAU/mqdefault.jpg)
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Baptism [What Does the Bible Want Us To Know About It?] – Pastor Ted Wilson
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about baptism, constituting [...]
In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson talks about baptism, constituting the fifteenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists.
Baptism, a public ceremony proclaiming that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, demonstrates ...your commitment to Him.
Its biblical practice involves immersion in water which can be traced back to Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist before He started His ministry. Similarly, His followers were baptized. And before He ascended back to heaven, He commissioned the disciples to continue baptizing people.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Water immersion, as practiced by Seventh-day Adventists, symbolizes Christ's death and resurrection. It provides forgiveness of our sins. In the process, we proclaim to accept His sacrifice and acknowledge Him as our personal Savior. Coming out of the water symbolizes rising to a new life in Christ.
"Baptism" comes from the Greek word baptizo, which means to "immerse, submerge" and "make fully wet."
In connection, Colossians 2:12 explains baptism as being "buried with Him…in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead."
The physical act of baptism is not what changes you. Instead, it is the Holy Spirit's work that makes the difference. Baptism moves your heart toward a closer relationship with Christ. It marks the beginning of a journey of a changed life.
The Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief #15 puts it this way: "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 Savior, become His people, and are received as members by His church.
It continues, "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."
Reading about baptism in the New Testament, we find three important aspects:
The people believed the good news they heard (Acts 2:41).
Believers confessed their sins (Mark 1:5).
Baptism was the result of their repentance (Matthew 3:11, Acts 2:38).
Since baptism is based upon a conscious decision to confess and repent of your sins and to accept Jesus as your Savior, the Adventist church does not practice infant baptism. Infants are too young to understand the meaning of this important rite.
Now, baptism is an essential step in the life of a believer and is a reason to celebrate as he publicly declares his intent to follow Jesus.
Ellen White writes, "The ceremony of baptism is a most solemn one. Men and women are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This signifies that the three greatest representatives of heavenly authority behold the baptismal service and hear the vows that are made by human agents to walk henceforth in newness of life. In taking the baptismal vows, man unites with the highest powers in the heavenly courts. He covenants to live the life that Christ lived while on this earth. And Christ, on His part, fulfills every promise that He has made in His Word. He molds the character of every one who follows in His footsteps. Wonderful, wonderful is His work in behalf of sinners!" (17 LTMS, MS 57, 1902, par. 26).
To learn more about baptism, visit http://www.adventist.org/baptism. You may also contact your local Adventist pastor about how you can commit your life to God through baptism and become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. If you've already been baptized, you may also renew your commitment today.[+] Show More
Baptism, a public ceremony proclaiming that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, demonstrates ...your commitment to Him.
Its biblical practice involves immersion in water which can be traced back to Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist before He started His ministry. Similarly, His followers were baptized. And before He ascended back to heaven, He commissioned the disciples to continue baptizing people.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus says, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Water immersion, as practiced by Seventh-day Adventists, symbolizes Christ's death and resurrection. It provides forgiveness of our sins. In the process, we proclaim to accept His sacrifice and acknowledge Him as our personal Savior. Coming out of the water symbolizes rising to a new life in Christ.
"Baptism" comes from the Greek word baptizo, which means to "immerse, submerge" and "make fully wet."
In connection, Colossians 2:12 explains baptism as being "buried with Him…in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead."
The physical act of baptism is not what changes you. Instead, it is the Holy Spirit's work that makes the difference. Baptism moves your heart toward a closer relationship with Christ. It marks the beginning of a journey of a changed life.
The Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief #15 puts it this way: "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 Savior, become His people, and are received as members by His church.
It continues, "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."
Reading about baptism in the New Testament, we find three important aspects:
The people believed the good news they heard (Acts 2:41).
Believers confessed their sins (Mark 1:5).
Baptism was the result of their repentance (Matthew 3:11, Acts 2:38).
Since baptism is based upon a conscious decision to confess and repent of your sins and to accept Jesus as your Savior, the Adventist church does not practice infant baptism. Infants are too young to understand the meaning of this important rite.
Now, baptism is an essential step in the life of a believer and is a reason to celebrate as he publicly declares his intent to follow Jesus.
Ellen White writes, "The ceremony of baptism is a most solemn one. Men and women are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This signifies that the three greatest representatives of heavenly authority behold the baptismal service and hear the vows that are made by human agents to walk henceforth in newness of life. In taking the baptismal vows, man unites with the highest powers in the heavenly courts. He covenants to live the life that Christ lived while on this earth. And Christ, on His part, fulfills every promise that He has made in His Word. He molds the character of every one who follows in His footsteps. Wonderful, wonderful is His work in behalf of sinners!" (17 LTMS, MS 57, 1902, par. 26).
To learn more about baptism, visit http://www.adventist.org/baptism. You may also contact your local Adventist pastor about how you can commit your life to God through baptism and become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. If you've already been baptized, you may also renew your commitment today.[+] Show More
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