What Do Seventh-day Adventists Believe?

Seventh-day Adventists are a Protestant Christian denomination who hold the Bible as their only creed, meaning that all their teachings and beliefs come straight from Scripture. They share many of their beliefs with other Christian denominations and look to Jesus Christ as humanity’s only hope.

Though the Church organized as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 1863, the members didn’t publish an official list of their beliefs because they wanted to remain open to whatever the Bible taught rather than being locked into human methods of expressing those doctrines. They never wanted to grow stagnant or risk closing their minds to further truth.

But in 1872, they decided to publish a collection of statements to explain how they interpret and apply Scripture to their lives—collectively and individually.1

They called these the “Fundamental Beliefs” of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

These published statements are not a checklist of requirements to become an Adventist but rather an informational document that helps understand what it means to be an Adventist.¹ This is helpful because any person wanting to join a church would need to understand the beliefs of that denomination and be able to say that they resonate with the description of that community of believers.

Throughout the Adventist Church’s history and growth, the church kept digging into Scripture in order to learn more. Periodically, it would review and sometimes modify these Fundamental Beliefs to better reflect the church’s most up-to-date understanding of God’s Word.²

Since 2005, the Church holds 28 Fundamental Beliefs. We’ll look at each of them briefly to give you a general idea of what Adventists believe.

1. The Holy Scriptures
2. The Trinity
3. God the Father
4. God the Son
5. God the Holy Spirit
6. Creation
7. The Nature of Humanity
8. The Great Controversy
9. The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ
10. The Experience of Salvation
11. Growing in Christ
12. The Church
13. The Remnant and its Mission
14. Unity in the Body of Christ
15. Baptism
16. The Lord’s Supper
17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries
18. The Gift of Prophecy
19. The Law of God
20. The Sabbath
21. Stewardship
22. Christian Behavior
23. Marriage and the Family
24. Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary
25. The Second Coming of Christ
26. Death and Resurrection
27. The Millennium and the End of Sin
28. The New Earth

Let’s take a brief look at each of them.

The Holy Scriptures

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Seventh-day Adventists are Bible-believing Christians. We accept both the Old Testament and the New Testament as the Word of God—the final authority on belief, doctrine, morals, and lifestyle (2 Timothy 3:16).

A commonly used Latin phrase for this belief is sola scriptura, which means “the Bible only” or “Scripture alone.”

The Bible provides the framework for the Adventist view of the world and our place in it as humans. It also introduces us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to this world to show us the loving character of God.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the Bible.

The Trinity

Seventh-day Adventists believe in one God consisting of three coeternal persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, NKJV).

The word coeternal means that all three have always existed together as one.

It can be a tricky concept to wrap our minds around. But in our finite efforts to understand an infinite God, we use the Bible as our guide to build a description of what our three-in-one God is like.

This eternal unity is often described as the “Godhead.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in harmony for the salvation of all who want to be saved from sin and its consequences.

Adventists believe that this triune God is a personal God. A God who loves every single individual, as if each one of us was the only person alive (1 John 4:8).

Learn more about Adventist beliefs on the Trinity.

God the Father

God is the eternal Father, the King of the universe. Everything that exists comes through Him (Romans 11:36). But more than just creating the universe, He also upholds and sustains it (Genesis 1:1), taking a personal interest in every aspect of it.

The Father is love (1 John 4:8) and every other trait of His—His justice, holiness, mercy, and more—fit into this ultimate quality (Exodus 34:6). He loves us more than we could ever fathom.

His character—what He is really like—was most fully revealed through the life and death of His Son, Jesus (Hebrews 1:3).

Read the full Adventist belief statement and description of God the Father.

God the Son

Photo by Rodolfo Clix on Pexels

The eternal God became a human being, just like us, to connect with us and show us who God really is (John 1:14; 3:16).

That is, He took upon Himself human flesh and lived with the same constraints we do. He lived a life just like ours, dealing with the same day-to-day struggles and decisions. And He is known to the world as Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5).

And He revealed His love for humanity by dying on the Cross, taking on our deserved fate, so that each and every one of us can have the promise of eternal life despite our unworthiness (Romans 3:23-24). Though sin and evil separated humans from God (Isaiah 59:1), Christ made it possible to reconnect us.

He did this for each person, no matter who they are or what they’ve done.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about Jesus.

God the Holy Spirit

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

God the Holy Spirit exists within the Godhead along with the Father and the Son. And they are all equally God, even though they perform different functions (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

After Jesus’ resurrection, He returned to heaven—but as He promised, He left us the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Among other roles, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to show us the difference between right and wrong, to guide us in our prayer lives, and to help us grow to become more like Jesus.

Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit is referred to by many different names that help describe His character and purpose, such as the “Comforter” or “Helper” (John 14:16), or even the “breath of the Almighty” (Job 33:4).

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the Spirit.

Creation

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

Seventh-day Adventists believe the Genesis account that God is the Creator of everything that exists (John 1:1-4).

Though He created the universe long ago, Genesis 1 and 2 teach that in six literal days, He created our earth and all life on it, including Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity.

Learn more about how Adventists believe the world was created.

The nature of humanity

We believe that God created humans “in His image” (Genesis 1:27).

This image includes the gifts of consciousness and freedom of choice. Humans were also originally created sinless—perfect. However, using the gift of free will, humanity made choices that were short-sighted and self-serving, rather than being in harmony with God’s will and His perfect love.

As a result, all people have been corrupted by sin, meaning our very nature tends toward selfishness. We are unable to save ourselves from this tendency (Romans 3:10-19). And because of this corruption of sin, we are no longer perfect.

For this reason, Jesus came to earth to save us, live as our example, and finally restore us into the image of God. Though this process of restoration is already taking place now, it will be completed when Christ returns to earth at the Second Coming.

Learn more what Adventists believe about human nature and free will.

The “Great Controversy”

Seventh-day Adventists believe that our world is involved in a conflict between good and evil, God and Satan, over the character of God, His law, and His government (Ephesians 6:12). We call this conflict “the Great Controversy.”

It was brought to earth when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3). As a result, the situation became exactly that: humanity then began to live among both good and evil, having to choose between them every day.

The Great Controversy is the ultimate battle between perfect love and primitive selfishness. And this earth is the battleground (Revelation 12:12).

But all is not lost! There is still hope for humanity. Thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus (which you’ll read about in the next section), God’s victory is certain, and all who choose to follow Him can claim this victory. One day soon, this controversy will be over forever.

Learn the details of how Adventists see this cosmic conflict.

The life, death, and resurrection of Christ

Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash

Just as the Bible tells us in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus, the Son of God, became human and came to earth as a baby. This was also prophesied in several places in the Old Testament.

Jesus lived on this earth to show us what the love of God is truly like, and to give us an example of how to live a life completely dependent on God’s power.

Then, He died as a sacrifice for our selfish choices (known as sin), which ultimately lead to evil, destruction, and complete separation from God. Through His death on the Cross, He paid the penalty for every sinful thing anyone has ever done.

After His death, He was resurrected, showing that by His power, death doesn’t have to be our final fate. All who accept by faith what Jesus has done can have the promise that death won’t hold us in the grave forever—God can restore us, just as Jesus was restored to life.

Thus, through Jesus’ perfect life, all human beings can have the promise of salvation and eternal life in Jesus through faith in Him (John 3:16; Luke 19:10; Hebrews 9:28).

The fact that Jesus did these things is central to the entire plan and experience of salvation, which is what the next section discusses.

Learn more on what Adventists believe about Jesus’ time on earth.

The experience of salvation

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

Like most Protestants, Seventh-day Adventists believe we can claim God’s promise of eternal life. And this eternal life is not something we can earn with our own abilities or by doing enough good deeds. The only way to be saved is by sincere faith in Jesus Christ, whose perfect life is given to us when we accept Him as our Savior.

Some refer to this concept by the Latin phrase sola fide, which means “by faith alone” (Romans 3:20).

At the moment we accept Him into our lives, we immediately have salvation in Jesus, who then sends us the Holy Spirit to work within us, refining our characters (Galatians 4:19).

Though aware of our sinfulness and our need to repent and confess their sins, Adventists live with the hope and assurance of salvation because of what Christ has done for all humanity on the Cross (Romans 8:1).

Read more about Adventist beliefs on salvation.

Growing in Christ

After we receive by faith the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, we begin a journey of growth in Him.

His death allows us to have victory over Satan’s influence and the sinful tendencies that seek to control us in the conflict between good and evil. We have been freed from our past, and now “we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4, NKJV). Our lives can then reveal to others the love and character of God (Mark 5:16).

This growth in our lives happens as we spend time in prayer and in the Bible, coming to God with an attitude of humility and surrender.

Learn what Adventists believe about growing in faith.

The church

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

In the New Testament, there is a lot of talk about “the church.” This refers to those who believe in God and have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Not a specific group of them, but all of them (Matthew 16:18). They are united in worship, ministry, and mission.

And this church has grown and spread. Today, the church covers the entire globe. Not every person in this “church” is a member of a physical congregation, but they are part of God’s body of believers nonetheless.

Believers seek to support each other and together reveal Jesus and His love to the world. Though salvation is not found in church membership, God’s people are called to fellowship with one another for support, encouragement, training, and furthering the mission of the church (1 Corinthians 12:13; Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 28:16-20).

The Seventh-day Adventist denomination, as part of the larger body of God’s people, also stretches across the globe, including local congregations, offices, ministries, schools, hospitals, and more. And we strive to work together with the Christian church to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20.

Read more about what Adventists believe about the church and what it means to be part of it.

The remnant and its mission

The New Testament points to a specific group of Christians near the end of time before Christ’s Second Coming. This group is often referred to as the “remnant” (Revelation 12:17).

This word remnant means something that remains, or that is left over from something larger. The Bible describes the remnant as those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of

Jesus (Revelation 14:12), even while the rest of the world turns away from God. Despite persecution and challenges, these believers remain faithful.

As a church, Adventists collectively aspire to be part of this remnant and remain faithful to God even as the world may crumble around us. We aspire to follow Jesus’ teachings to the letter, all the way through the end of time.

And together, we support one another in our relationships with God so we can be strong and united under Him even in the most difficult circumstances. We encourage all Christian believers to take this goal to heart.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the remnant.

Unity in the body of Christ

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Just as God is one, united in the three persons of the Godhead, His church is one diverse body of believers. It consists of many nationalities, races, cultures, personalities, ages, and talents.

The term “the body of Christ” comes from an analogy used by the apostle Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament.

The idea is that the church has different parts, just like a human body. And each part is essential for the body as a whole, even though it may not do the same thing as another part.

Despite the vast differences found in the body of Christ, all are equal in Him and bonded together by love. They all share a desire to spread the love of Jesus to those who don’t know Him yet, offering them a place among the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23; Galatians 3:28).

Learn more of what Adventists believe about unity in God’s church.

Baptism

Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash

Seventh-day Adventists believe in baptism by immersion as a way for individuals to openly confess their faith in Jesus Christ as their Redeemer.

This means the person is completely submerged under the water as a symbol of their total surrender to God (Mark 1:4-5; Acts 16:31-33).

Baptism is an outward expression of our union with Christ, our acceptance of His forgiveness, and our new life in Him and His church (Romans 6:4).

Like Baptists and several others, we believe that only those old enough to make a conscious decision for Christ should be baptized, and not until then. We value informed freedom of choice, just as God did when He created humanity.

Get a deeper understanding of Adventist beliefs on baptism.

The Lord’s Supper

In obedience to Christ’s direct command, Seventh-day Adventists celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, in which the bread and the wine symbolize Christ’s body broken for us and His blood shed for us (Luke 22:19-20).

Adventists also practice foot washing, following Christ’s example toward His disciples. This is a symbol of our willingness to humble ourselves and serve others (John 13:14-17).

As with all works, these are expressions of faith rather than a means of gaining salvation.

Learn more about Adventist beliefs on the Lord’s Supper.

Spiritual gifts and ministries

Photo by Nina Mercado on Unsplash

God gives spiritual gifts to every member of His church. These gifts include faith, healing, prophecy, teaching, administration, and charity. God intends these gifts to be used in selfless service for others around us (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

Seventh-day Adventists believe that these gifts have continued in the church through the ages and continue to exist today.

We encourage everyone to serve with the gift the Holy Spirit has entrusted them with. No human should try to deny or suppress these gifts, whether in themselves or in someone else.

Learn what Adventists believe about these gifts.

The gift of prophecy

Among the spiritual gifts is the gift of prophecy, which has special regard in the context of the end times. This reference is in the book of Revelation, which talks about “the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 12:17; Revelation 19:10, NKJV). In these verses, this spirit of prophecy is Jesus’ testimony—His gift of salvation and its good news, which will go to the whole world at the end of time.

Though many others can have this gift in many different situations, Seventh-day Adventists believe that this gift has been revealed in the life and ministry of Ellen G. White, who saw herself as a lesser light pointing to the greater light—the Bible.

Through her conscientious use of this gift, she was instrumental in forming the Adventist denomination. And she continues to be a blessing to the church through her writings, which are sometimes referred to as “the Spirit of Prophecy” within the denomination.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the spirit of prophecy.

The law of God

The Bible teaches that “sin is transgression [breaking] of the law” (1 John 3:4). Though Seventh-day Adventists believe in salvation by faith alone, they also believe that God’s law, a reflection of His character of love (Romans 13:10), is still the guideline for living a fulfilling life (James 2:10-11).

Obeying the law doesn’t arise out of an attempt to be saved. Instead, it’s the loving response to having already been saved by Jesus:

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3, NKJV).

The law, known as the Ten Commandments, is educational because it teaches us how to regard God and how to treat others. It shows us the life that we were designed for so that we would thrive.

Jesus summed it up in the following words during His earthly ministry:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV).

Want to know more about Adventist beliefs on the law?

The Sabbath

Because Seventh-day Adventists believe in keeping the commandments of God, they also keep the seventh-day Sabbath described in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11).

The Sabbath, established by God in Eden before sin entered our world (Genesis 2:2-3), serves as a weekly reminder that God is our Creator. And just as He rested from His work on the seventh day, He offers us that same privilege and blessing (Mark 2:27).

As with the other nine commandments, Adventists don’t keep the Sabbath day to be saved but as an expression of that salvation. They see it as a time of joy and freedom in which they can pause and connect more deeply with God and one another.

Learn more of the beliefs Adventists have about the Sabbath.

Stewardship

Photo by Ron Lach

The biblical principle of stewardship is based on the idea of careful management or caretaking. It was introduced at Creation when God gave the first humans the job of caring for the earth.

This kind of Christian responsibility, rooted in love for God, acknowledges that He is the true creator, owner, and sustainer of everything. It encompasses how we care for our bodies, our time, our minds, our relationships, our money, our possessions, and much more.

Learn more about what the Adventist Church believes about stewardship.

Christian behavior

The word “Christian” means “to be like Christ.” For this reason, Seventh-day Adventists seek to reflect His character of kindness, love, faithfulness, and self-sacrifice through the way we live our lives.

The life of a Christian is a journey in that direction, as we give Christ permission to work within us. The Bible gives us many principles to guide our lives, relationships, and decisions (Colossians 3:5-17; Micah 6:8; Galatians 5:13; Galatians 5:16-17; Galatians 5:22-26; Proverbs 3:5-6, etc.).

Reflecting God’s character also involves living in a healthful way. The Bible explains that our bodies are “temples” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), meaning that we must take care of them to the best of our abilities.

Learn more Adventist beliefs about striving to be like Christ.

Marriage and the family

Photo by Luis Tosta on Unsplash

Like most Christians, Seventh-day Adventists believe in the sanctity of marriage and family. Marriage (along with the seventh-day Sabbath) was one of the two institutions created in Eden that still exists today (Genesis 2).

For this reason, marriage and family are sacred gifts from God that need to be carefully nourished and cherished (Hebrews 13:4).

Because of the sinful nature of humanity, all families fall short of God’s ideal in one way or another. But we seek God’s help to reveal His love, grace, and mercy in our relationships.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about marriage and family.

Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary

The Bible teaches that there is a sanctuary in heaven, where Jesus, our great high priest, ministers on our behalf (Hebrews 8:1-2).

Just as the earthly sanctuary—a model of the heavenly one—had two phases, Christ’s ministry in heaven also has two phases.

His first phase of ministry deals with the forgiveness of sin and is made possible by His death on the Cross. The second phase involves what’s called the Investigative Judgment and the blotting out of the sins of those who have accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and power in their lives.

Christ’s ministry in the sanctuary is an important part of God’s process to eradicate sin once and for all.

Learn more about how Adventists view Christ’s ministry in heaven.

The Second Coming of Christ

By our very name, Seventh-day Adventists show our belief in the Second Advent, or the Second Coming of Jesus, to this earth (Revelation 22:12).

Unlike His first coming, Christ’s second coming will be a worldwide event. At that time, the dead in Christ will rise to eternal life and be taken from this planet to heaven, while those who choose not to accept Christ will die along with Satan and his angels (Revelation 19:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Adventists believe that the Second Coming leads to the fulfillment of everything we hope for as followers of Jesus.

Learn the details of what Adventists believe about the Second Coming.

Death and resurrection

Photo by Waldemar on Unsplash

Seventh-day Adventists understand the painful reality of death. But we also understand that at the resurrection, we will all “wake up” from what will seem similar to an unconscious sleep in the grave (Ecclesiastes 9:5, Psalm 146:4). That is, there is no form of conscious existence after a person dies.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NKJV).

The Bible also talks about the second resurrection, which is the resurrection of the people who decided not to follow Christ. This event will occur at another time, after a thousand years (Revelation 20:7)—a period we’ll cover more thoroughly in the next section.

Want to know more Adventist beliefs about this wonderful hope?

The millennium and the end of sin

The millennium is a thousand-year period after Christ returns to the earth at the Second Coming and takes all His followers to heaven with Him.

During this time in heaven, God’s people will be able to see the justice and fairness of God in the way He judged the world. It will be a time of profound learning as we prepare for the New Earth (Revelation 20:6; 1 Corinthians 6:3).

At the end of the millennium, those who chose sin and self over God will be raised from the dead (the second resurrection) and be forever destroyed along with Satan.

After this sad but necessary act, sin will have been finally eradicated from the world.

Learn more about how Adventists view the final eradication of sin.

The New Earth

Seventh-day Adventists teach that after the millennium, God will re-create the earth and restore it to the Eden-like paradise that it was before the entrance of sin and evil (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22).

There, all God’s people will live forever in a world without any of the things that make life so hard now (Revelation 21).

The Great Controversy will be over, along with the pain and suffering it brought. And it will never arise again.

Learn more of what Adventists believe about this wonderful promise.

Seventh-day Adventist beliefs show how we apply biblical principles.

Photo by Alex Grodkiewicz on Unsplash

Adventist beliefs are all rooted in Scripture. The Bible is our guide for everything we do.

To see more of this Scriptural basis, you can read about each belief in detail by clicking on the linked pages in each section. These beliefs are also published on the official website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

You may have noticed that many of the beliefs are similar to those of other denominations, except a few that are not quite as common in Christian circles. Even so, they are very biblical. They include our beliefs about the Sabbath, death, the heavenly sanctuary, the manner of Jesus’ Second Coming, the spirit of prophecy, and the foot washing aspect of Communion.

The ultimate purpose of these beliefs is to lead us to be Christ-centered, Bible-believing Christians who find their meaning and motivation in Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross.

Seventh-day Adventists desire our beliefs to impact every aspect of our lives. And by God’s grace alone, we seek to experience for ourselves and to share with others this promise from Jesus: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, NKJV).

For a deeper study of all these beliefs, sign up for a free online Bible study.

1. “Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual,” General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, p. 51. [↵]
2. Zinke, Ed. “What Got Changed in Fundamental Beliefs?” Adventist Review, July 8, 2015. [↵]