What Do Adventists Believe About Faith and Works?

Adventists believe we are saved by faith, which is the belief and trust we have in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. Jesus, then, enables us to live in harmony with God’s commandments and serve others with love—sometimes referred to as “works.”

How does this understanding match up with what the Bible has to say about the relationship between faith and works?

Join us as we investigate:

• What the Bible says about faith and works
• How Adventists interpret and live out these teachings
• How understanding this subject has shaped Adventist history

We’ve covered faith and works in depth in another article, so let’s take just a moment to review that.

What does the Bible say about faith and works?

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The Bible tells us that we are saved by faith, not by works:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8 –9, NKJV).

Because eternal life is a gift, it can’t be earned by any effort of ours (Romans 11:6; Titus 3:5). According to Isaiah 64:6, even our best efforts to do good are like filthy rags—they lead us to become focused on ourselves and what we can do rather than the greater things God wants to do for us.

As Ephesians 2 mentions above, if we could be saved by our own works, we might become proud of our efforts; and some would have an advantage over others when it comes to salvation.

So, do our works matter then?

Well, good works—rather than earning our salvation—are a product of our salvation. When we choose to follow Jesus, He places His Spirit in us, helping us become more like Him in the way we act. We receive His goodness and love and reveal those qualities to others.

Thus, all the goodness in our lives is simply a result of Jesus shining out through us.

The teachings of Jesus and the early church leaders make this clear—both faith and works are an integral part of the Christian journey:

Jesus taught that true faith will produce good works (John 15:1–8)

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Jesus compared Himself to a vine and His followers to branches on the vine. Only branches that are connected to the vine can produce fruit.

Think of it like a lamp plugged into the wall. Without being plugged in—connected to the source of power—it won’t produce any light.

Similarly, only by being connected to Jesus—our power source—will we be able to live out the good works He created us for (Ephesians 2:10).

Paul taught that faith is all you need to be saved (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The writings of the apostle Paul emphasize the importance of faith as the only means of salvation.

Many of his readers were Jewish converts to Christianity who felt themselves superior to others because they followed all the rules and regulations (Romans 3:9–20). He cautioned them against falling back into that legalistic thinking—that their works could make them holy in God’s sight.

James taught that faith is revealed through good works (James 2:17–18)

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The book of James in the Bible focuses on what it means to have genuine faith. He shows that true, living faith is revealed through actions (works).

This idea doesn’t contradict Paul’s teaching about being saved by faith alone, though. James simply contrasts dead faith, that is not followed by works, with living faith, which is followed by works (James 2:14–17).

And the point he’s making isn’t all that different from an important concept in human psychology: We tend to live out our deepest beliefs. Think, for example, of a child who has repeatedly heard the sad words that she isn’t capable or good enough. Chances are, that child will take those words in, carrying them into adulthood and allowing them to influence the decisions she makes. She may struggle with believing she’s worth a healthy relationship or a high position at work.

The outside is simply evidence of what’s already on the inside. And the same goes for the Christian life.

Ultimately, Jesus, Paul, and James had the same message about the relationship between faith and works—faith saves us and changes us from the inside out to be like Christ.

Now that we’ve seen what Scripture has to say, let’s look at how Adventists interpret this crucial subject.

How do Adventists interpret and live out the Bible’s teachings about faith and works?

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Adventists believe we are saved only by our faith in Jesus—not by anything we do of our own ability. At the same time, we recognize that Christian growth will result in good works in our lives. They flow naturally from our faith in Jesus and the change that takes place in our lives when we choose to follow Him (1 John 2:5).
This understanding is so central to who we are as Adventists that it’s one of our 28 Fundamental Beliefs. Here’s a snippet from that belief statement:

“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.”¹

So, how does this play out practically in the life of a Seventh-day Adventist?

We believe faith will influence every aspect of our lives, leading us to:

• Honor God: When someone accepts Jesus, the Holy Spirit places in them a desire to honor God in every area of life (1 Corinthians 10:31). They will have the attitude of a learner, seeking to follow God’s will and learning more and more each day what it means to make decisions that honor Him.
• Keep God’s commandments: Seventh-day Adventists recognize the Ten Commandments as a law of love, giving us simple principles for loving God and loving one another (Matthew 22:37–40). With God’s help, we choose to keep His commandments out of love for Him rather than as a way to earn salvation (John 14:15).
• Reveal the fruit of the Spirit: When Christians receive the Holy Spirit in their lives, they will begin growing the fruit of that Spirit, which are various aspects of a Christ-like character, such as love, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).
• Serve others: Jesus’ followers serve and uplift the people around them because of the love God has given them (Galatians 5:13–14; 1 John 4:19). One example of this is the humanitarian aid and outreach of Adventist ministries to people in need throughout the world.
• Tell others about Jesus: Those who have received Jesus’ gift of salvation can’t help but tell others about it (Matthew 28:19–20). Adventists share this burden of spreading the gospel so more people can come to know Christ as their personal Savior.

This understanding of faith and works—and how to live it out—has been integral to Adventists from the beginning of our denomination. Let’s look at how it shaped our history.

How the understanding of faith and works has shaped Adventist history

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Since its very beginning, the Adventist Church has been dedicated to following Jesus by upholding Bible truth. In fact, our doctrines were the result of earnest prayer and intensive Bible study. The early Adventist leaders came from other Christian denominations, so they held to the foundational belief of salvation by faith through Jesus.
However, with discoveries of other doctrines that weren’t as well known, it was easy to lose sight of this important truth.

This became a major point of emphasis during the church’s General Conference session of 1888.

At this conference session, Adventist leaders A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner preached about the centrality of Jesus to Adventism and attempted to revive the truth about faith and works, which they referred to as “righteousness by faith.”²

Some other Adventist leaders were concerned they were trying to de-emphasize the value of God’s law, but many Adventists understood the message Jones and Waggoner gave. In the end, this refreshing message brought life and revival into the Adventist Church and highlighted the importance of faith in and a relationship with Christ.³

One of righteousness by faith’s biggest supporters was the Adventist pioneer Ellen White, who re-affirmed that only faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ can save us.⁴ In her well-known book Steps to Christ, she wrote:

“In like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,—God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.”⁵

She believed that this kind of faith in Jesus would naturally lead to a Christian character that produces good works:

“We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith…. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law.”⁶

The efforts of Ellen White and other early Adventist leaders reignited the truth of faith and works in the Christian journey—a truth that Adventists still embrace today.

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Faith and works are both part of the Christian journey

Faith in Jesus is the first step in an incredible journey with Him. Jesus comes into our lives, forgiving us and redeeming us. But He doesn’t stop there!

He wants to completely transform our lives, breaking us free from sin and selfishness and setting us on a new path with Him. All we have to do is receive the gift, trusting Him and faithfully following where He leads us. As we do, we’ll grow into the people He made us to be.

That’s what being a Christian is all about.

We’re not just believers in Christ, but followers—those who respond to the call of our Savior.

Looking to learn more about what it means to grow in Jesus Christ?

1.  “What Adventists Believe About the Experience of Salvation,” Seventh-day Adventist Church. [↵]
2.  “The 1888 General Conference Session,” Lineage. [↵]
3. Ibid. [↵]
4. Douglass, Herbert, Messenger of the Lord, pp. 195–197. [↵]
5. White, Ellen, Steps to Christ, p. 51. [↵]
6. Ibid, p. 61. [↵]

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