1. The following summary of beliefs is for the purpose of confessing Christ and His truth (see Matt 10:32,33; 28:20; Rev 19:10; 22:9); the summary has no authority of its own, and should never be used to settle doctrinal controversy. The Word of God is the authority for resolving any doctrinal differences (see Matt 22:29; 2 Tim 3:16). Since it is "impossible for God to lie", all of His Word is truth (Heb 6: 18; see Titus 1 :2; Psa 119:142; John 17:17); this means that true doctrines will be in harmony with "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" and "all that the prophets have spoken" (Matt 4:4; Luke 24:25). It is dangerous to base any doctrine on only one text (see Isa 28:9-13). Before accepting any doctrine there should be at least "two or three witnesses" from inspiration in support of it (Deut 17:6; 19:15; I John 5:6,8; John 15:26; 14:26; 16:13; 2 Peter 1 :20, 21; 1 Peter 3: 15; Matt 22:12,34; Rom 3:19; Titus 1 :11).

2. The true and living God, the first person of the Godhead, is our heavenly Father. (Gen. 1 :26; Matt 28:18,19; 1 Cor. 8:5,6; Eph3:9; Jer 10:10-12;Heb 1:1-3; Acts 17:22-29; Col 1:16-18; Gen 1:2; Heb 11:3; John 1:1-3)

3. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, Who created all things in cooperation with His Father and the Holy Spirit, is the eternal Son of God, fully divine, who took upon Himself man's fallen nature, therefore fully human, yet never sinned at any time, is the only Saviour from sin; and man's salvation is by grace through faith in Him. (Matt 28:18,19; John 3:16; Micah 5:2; Matt 1:21; 2:5,6; Acts 4:12; 1 John 5:11,12; Eph 1:9-15; 2:4-8; Rom 3:23-26; Heb 1,2; 4:14,15)

4. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is Christ's representative on earth, and leads sinners to repentance and to obedience of all God's requirements. He is the Comforter who guides us into all truth and convicts us of sin. (Matt 28: 18, 19; John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15; Rom 8:1-10; Eph 4:30)

5. Through Christ, believers receive forgiveness of sins which are confessed and forsaken, and for which, as far as lies in their power, restitution is made. (Eph 1 :7; Coll:14,15; 1 John 1:7-9; Isa 55:6,7; Eze 33:15; Matt 5:23,24; 6:14,15)

6. The Bible is God's inspired Word, and though written by man, is the authoritative, infallible revelation of God's will, and is the full, sufficient, and only rule of faith and practice. (2 Tim 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19- 21; Ps 119:9,11,105,130; 1 Thess 2:13; Isa 8:20; Jer 15:16; Heb 4:12)

7. All who enter the kingdom of heaven will be born again, converted individuals. Christ dwells in the converted heart, writing upon it the principles of God's law, leading the believer to delight to obey its precepts, and imparting power for such obedience. (Matt 18:3; John 3:3; 2 Cor 5:17; 6:16; Eze 36:26,27; 1 Peter 1:23; 2:2; Psa 40:8; Heb 8:10-12; John 14:15; Coll:27; 3:16; Gal 2:20; Eph 3:14-21)

8. Upon His ascension, Christ began His ministry as high priest in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, which sanctuary is the antitype of the earthly tabernacle of the former dispensation. As in the type, a work of investigative judgment began as Christ ; entered the second phase of His ministry, in the most holy place, foreshadowed in the earthly service by the Day of Atonement. This work of the investigative judgment in the heavenly sanctuary and the final atonement began on October 22, 1844, closing off the last pre-advent time prophecy of the Bible, the 2300 days. The investigative judgment constitutes the final judgment of our life's record (close of probation) before Jesus returns. (Heb 4:14; 8:1,2; Lev 16:2,29; Heb 9:23,23; Dan 8:14; 9:24-27; Rev 14:6,7; 22:11)

9. The second coming of Christ is the hope of the church, the climax of the gospel, when Jesus will come literally, personally, and visibly, with all of His holy angels. Jesus pointed to signs of the times that would testify that His coming is at hand. And the almost complete fulfillment of all the various lines of prophecy
indicates that "He is near, even at the doors". (John 14:1-3; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 9:28; Acts 1:9-11; Rev 1:7; Matt 25:31; Luke 9:25; 21:25-33; Matt 24:14,36-39,33 margin)

10. Mankind is mortal (subject to death). When people die they are unconscious (asleep). All people, good and evil alike, remain in the grave from death until the resurrections. (Eccl 9:5,6;Psa 115:17; 146:3,4; Job 14:10-12,21,22; 17:13; John 11:11-14; 1 Thess 4:13; John 5:28,29)

11. Immortality comes only through obedience to God's word and is bestowed as a gift from God at Christ's second coming. (1 Cor 15:21,22, 51-55; Ps 146:3,4; Eccl 9:5,6,10; 1 Tim 6:15,16; 2 Tim 1:10; 1 John 5:11,12)

12. The righteous dead will be raised to life at Christ's second coming (advent).Together with the righteous living, they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and will go with Him to heaven, there to spend one thousand years (the millennium). (Rev 1:7; John 5:25,28,29; Hosea 13:14; 1 Cor 15:51-55; 1 Thess 4:13-18; John 11:24,25; 14:1-3; Rev 20:4,5,6; Isa 25:8,9)

13. The wicked that are living at the time of Christ's second advent will be slain by the brightness of His coming. These, with the wicked dead of all ages, will await the second resurrection, at the close of the one thousand years. (2 Thess 1:7-10; 2:8; Jude 14,15; Rev 20:5,12,15; John 5:28,29; Acts 24:15; Isa 24:21,22)

14. At the end of the one thousand years, the following events will take place: (a) Christ and the righteous will descend from heaven, with the Holy City, the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2,10); (b) the wicked dead will be resurrected (Rev 21:11,12); (c) Satan, his angels and the wicked will receive the final wages of sin when fire comes down from God out of heaven to utterly destroy them. This is the second death (Rev 20:7- 10,14,15); and (d) this fire, which destroys the works of sin, will purify the earth (2 Peter 3:10-14; Mal 4:1-3; Rev 20:4,8).

15. The earth, cleansed by fire and re-created by the power of God, will become the eternal home of the redeemed and God Himself will live with them. (2 Peter 3:9-13; Isa 65:17-25; 35:1-10; 45:18; Matt 5:5; Mal 4:1-3; Prov 11:31)

16. The seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the eternal sign of Christ's power as Creator, Sanctifier, and Redeemer and is therefore, the Lord's day, the true Christian Sabbath, constituting the seal of the living God. It is observed from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. (Gen 2:1-3; Ex 16:24-31; 20:8-11; John 1:1-3,14; Eze 20:12,20; Mark 1 :21-32; 2:27,28; Isa 58: 13; Luke 4:6; 23:54-56; 24:1; Acts 17:2; Heb 4:9-11; Isa 66:22,23; Lev 23:32; Rev 7:1-8)

17. The observance of Sunday is the Pagan counterfeit of seventh-day Sabbath observance. Sunday has been promoted by the papacy as a mark of her authority. When Sunday observance is enforced by United States civil law it becomes the end-time mark of the beast. (Ex 31:13; Eze 20:12,20; Rev 7:1-8; 13:16; 14:1,9,10)

18. The papacy is the antichrist of the Bible prophecy; it was the great persecuting power of the Middle Ages and will again, in partnership with apostate Protestantism, persecute God's saints at the end of time. It is the change of the Sabbath and the many pagan and unbiblical teachings that she has introduced to Christendom that denotes her as modern, spiritual Babylon. (1 John 4:2,3; Daniel 7:25; Rev 13:1-8)

19. The tithe is holy unto the Lord and is God's provision for the support of His ministry. It reminds us that God is the owner of all things. Freewill offerings are also a part of God's plan for the support of His work throughout the world. (Lev 27:30-32; Mal 3:8-12; Num 18:20-28; Matt 23:23; Prov 3:9,10; 1 Cor 9:13,14; 2 Cor 9:6,7; Ps 96:8)

20. The Seventh Commandment: ["Nothing but the violation of the marriage bed can either break or annul the marriage vow. ...Marriage was from the creation constituted by God a divine ordinance. The marriage institution was made in Eden. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment was instituted in Eden. Then let this, God's institution of marriage, stand before you as firm as the Sabbath of the fourth commandment." (TSB 158, 159; see 79).] Marriage was ordained by God in Eden before the fall, for the benefit of humanity, and its sanctity is guarded by one of the ten commandments (see Gen 1:27; 2:18-25; Ex 20:14; Prov 18:22; Heb 13:4). The only ground for divorce in Scripture is “fornication”, after such a divorce the innocent party has the Scriptural right to remarry, but it is "adultery" for the guilty party to remarry either before or after the innocent party remarries (see Matt 5:31,32; 19:3-12; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18; Rom 7:1-3; 1 Cor 7:1-40). If there has been a divorce on other than Biblical grounds, or merely a separation
without a divorce, reconciliation is the ideal; but even if the two remain separated, they are still married to each other in God's eyes, and should act accordingly (see 1 Cor 7:10, 11).

21. The Christian is called unto sanctification and his life should be characterized by carefulness in conduct and in modesty and simplicity in dress. There should be a plain distinction between the dress of men and women. He or she is to refrain from any attire that is out of keeping with the Biblical rule of modesty, and from the wearing of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, colorful cosmetics, and any form of adornment that draws attention to themselves. Their influence is to come from the inner adornment of a character that will attract others to Jesus. (2 Kings 9:30; Jer 4:30; 1 Thess 3:13; 4:3,7; 5:23; 1 Peter 2:21; 3:3-5,15; Isa 3:16-24; 1 Cor 10:31; 1 Tim 2:9,10 Deut 22:5)

22. The Christian will recognize his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore he will honor God by caring for his body, abstaining from such things as caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, illicit and social drugs, tobacco in all its forms, the blood and fat of flesh foods, and all unclean meats. Christians
will be striving to comply with God's instruction concerning the original diet of Gen 1:29 and 3:18. (1 Cor 3:16,17; 6:19,20; 9:25;10:1-11,31;2 Cor 7:1; Gal 5:17-21; 6:7,8; 1 Peter 2:9-12; Lev 11:1-8; Acts 15:29)

23. In the Christian life, there is complete separation from worldly practices such as card playing, theatergoing, dancing, novel reading, competitive sports, watching unprofitable television programs, and listening to sensual, worldly music etc., which tend to deaden and destroy the spiritual life. (2 Cor 6:14-18; 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4; 2 Tim 2:19-22; Eph 5:8-11; Col 3:5-10)

24. The church is to come behind in no gift and the presence of the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy is to be one of the identifying marks of God's true church at the end of time. (1 Cor 1:5-7; 12:1-28; Amos 3:7; Hosea 12:10,13; Rev 12:17; 19:10) We recognize that this gift was manifested in the life and ministry of Ellen G. White.

25. The Bible teaches a definite organization. The members of this organization are under sacred obligation to be subject unto Christ, the Head of the church, to loyally support His work, and to share in its maintenance. They are not to forsake the assembling of themselves together. (Matt 16:16-18; Eph 1:10-23; 2:19-22; 1 Cor 14:33,40; Titus 1:5-9; Matt 18:15-18; 1 Cor 12:12-28; 16:1-3; Heb 10:24-27; Acts 4:32-35; 6:1-7)

26. Baptism by immersion is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and openly expresses faith in His saving grace and the giving up of sin and the world. It is recognized as a condition of becoming a member of the body of Christ. (Matt 3:13-17; 28:19; Acts 2:38,41-47; 8:35,39; 16:32,33; 22:16; Rom 6:1-11; Gal 3:27; Col 3:1-3)

27. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper commemorates the Saviour's death; participation by members of the body is essential to Christian growth and fellowship. It is to be preceded by the ordinance of foot washing as a preparation for this solemn service. (Matt 26:26-29; 1 Cor 11:23-30; John 6:48-56; 13:1-17)

28. Through the study of the Word God speaks to us, imparting light and strength; through prayer the soul is united with God. These are Heaven's ordained means for obtaining victory in the conflict with sin and for the development of Christian character. (Ps 19:7,8; 119:130; John 6:63; 17:17; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Thess 5:17; Luke 18:1; Ps 55:17; Isa 50:4)

29. Every church member is under sacred command from Jesus to use his talents in personal soul-winning work in helping to give the gospel to all the world. When this work is finished and the character of Christ is perfectly reproduced in His people, Jesus will come. (Matt 24:14; 5:48; 25:14-29; 28:18-20; Rev 22:17; Isa 43:10-12; 2 Cor 5:17-20; Rom 10:13-15; Gen 17:1; Eph 4:12,13)

30. In accordance with God's uniform dealing with mankind, warning them of coming events that will vitally affect their destiny, He has sent forth a proclamation of the approaching return of Christ. This preparatory message is symbolized by the three angels' messages of Revelation 14. These messages result in a people who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (Amos 3:7; Matt 24:29-34; Rev 14:6- 12; Zeph 3:13; Micah 4:7,8; Isa 26:2; Rev 22:14)

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