The Seventh-day Adventists believe in the advent or the return of Christ. They accept the Bible as their only creed and believe that the Holy Scriptures—the Old and the New Testaments—teach certain fundamental beliefs of life. “They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history. ” The Trinity explains the significance of one God who combines the profoundness of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The entire creation will worship him for eternity.
The eternal Father is the gentle and loving creator and sustainer of all creation. It is believed that God, by coordinating with the Father and Son, performed creation and filled the life of Christ with power. God created the heaven and the earth, and all living things upon the earth for six days and on the seventh day, he is believed to have taken rest. Thus, he introduced Sabbath for all people and this “is God’s perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. ” Man and woman take the image of God and possess the freedom to think.
However, they depend upon God for their life and breath and for the holistic nature, which is the union of body, mind, and spirit. All humanity is said to be in a “great controversy” between Christ and Satan. Baptism is the symbol of the union of man with Christ. Baptism, done by immersion in water, symbolizes the forgiveness of our sins and our acceptance of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. We need to keep it pure by wearing modest dresses and keep it healthy by good diet and exercise. Partners sharing a common faith can get into wedlock, and closeness in family is an important message of Christ.
The Church symbolizes a family where believers in the Christ come out from the world to join together for worship and fellowship. They celebrate the Lord’s Supper and strive for the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel. It is believed that a remnant has been called out in the last days to rule over the judgment hour. It is said to herald the approach of Christ’s Second Advent. Three angels symbolize this proclamation where judgment in heaven is done by the work of repentance and reform on the earth. The emblems of our body and the blood of Jesus participate in the Lord’s Supper.
This is the work of the Lord to strengthen His people. Foot washing is done to symbolize the renewed cleansing and to indicate one’s willingness to serve humanity in all humility. A thousand year rule of Christ is called a millennium. During this time, the earth will have Satan and his angels, devoid of humans. At the close of the millennium Christ and his saints will descent from heaven to earth and the righteousness will be restored.
Works Cited
1. 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:12. 2. Hudson Seventh-day Adventist Church,