Our Faith Framework: 28 Fundamentals

What is our faith built on?

Most of us know of at least one church – whether a local place of worship, a centre for charity or even just from a person that we kind of know. However, just like with most other communities and their centres, each religion isn't the same. Even within Christianity alone, there are more than 45 000 denominations. So what separates them? What makes each belief different enough to be separate?

It’s a good question, and one most people should ask before committing to a religious denomination. What do they believe, and what do I believe? Being able to do our own research has been a milestone in history, and one that we fully endorse and encourage everyone to participate in. One way to do this is to learn what the denomination (sector of Christianity) believes, and its history.

The easiest way to do this is to go back to where it all began.

In the 1st century CE, upon Jesus’ return to Heaven, the disciples received a final instruction: to ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…’ (Matthew 28:16, NKJV)

They did just this. Christianity spread like wildfire, and as more people joined and more time passed, different ideas were incorporated into the church – particularly by those converted from other belief systems.

Now, bear with me as we have a very, very summarised version of what’s happened in Christianity in the last few thousand years.

As the Ante-Nicene period continued, persecution from the Roman authorities increased, forcing many Christian groups to operate in secret. In the Late Antiquity period, Christianity was finally permitted – however, it also began to be ‘officially’ combined with pagan practices as the Roman Empire made it an official religion. As the Roman empire fell, the Roman Catholic church (as it would be later known) maintained its strength, becoming the most stable institution at the time. This enabled it to have almost ultimate power in denouncing other forms of Christianity. This ushered in what is now known as the middle ages. The Roman Catholic Church restricted education, limited personal Biblical reading and enforced the hierarchy of the time. This time of religious restriction began to end as Martin Luther, a Catholic monk, criticised the Catholic Church, leading to the beginning of the Protestant denominations. He was joined by reformers such as John Calvin and John Wesley, leading into groups such as Calvinism, Presbyterianism and Methodism, which were key in the first faith revivals. In these movements, people were increasingly encouraged to learn the Bible for themselves, increase personal faith and discover God’s love – for example through the understanding that God gives free will rather than force and gives salvation through His grace alone.

So, where do Adventists fit into this story?

Adventism started in the early 1830s with a man named William Miller. At first a Baptist, he struggled with his personal understanding of the Bible – eventually doing his own Biblical research to confirm his growing faith. One of his focus points was on the elements of prophecy such as that of Daniel 8:14 – through which he eventually uncovered a new understanding. This laid the foundation for what would later become the focus of the Adventist movement: Jesus’ soon return.

Unfortunately, Miller and his followers misinterpreted the passages in question, thinking that it referred to Jesus’ Second Coming, and set a date for the time of Jesus’ return – the 22nd of October 1844. But it was incorrect. Rather then witnessing Jesus’ return on that much anticipated day, the people were part of what would be known as the Great Disappointment – a time of incredible devastation from the majority of Miller’s followers.

Although Miller ended up being wrong about this interpretation, some of his followers, such as Ellen White, persisted with his theory in faith. Through careful examination of he Bible and endless prayers, they realised that the prophecy did not signal Jesus' return date, but rather that He had entered a new phase in the heavenly sanctuary¹. This exciting revelation led to other discoveries, such as that of the Seventh-Day Sabbath, and the understanding of other important but previously disregarded Biblical based suggestions, such as the health message.

This growth in both knowledge and numbers continued to spike, with the once small group now an international community of over 21 million baptised members worldwide. The Seventh-Day Adventist church is still known for our adherence to God’s advised health routine, maintenance of the Seventh-Day Sabbath and the exciting proclamation that, while we don’t claim to know an exact date, Jesus' return is imminent. The 28 Fundamentals of Adventism help sum this up – giving a brief overview of our views, and why we believe them.

So, if you’re new to this denomination, you’re wanting a quick refresh or you’re simply curious and want to know more, we think this can be a great place to start.

The 28 Fundamentals

The Holy Scriptures: the Old and the New Testament of the Bible are the written Word of God and each author has written their words led by the Holy Spirit. Through the Bible, God has gifted us all the knowledge necessary for salvation. It is our ultimate guide for all faith and practice, holds the standard for our character and has authority over all other doctrines.

‘Psalms 119:105; Proverbs 30:5, 6; Isaiah 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20, 21’²

The Trinity: There is one God, who has authority over all, being all powerful, all knowing, and ever present. He is love and is worthy of our worship, service and adoration. God is a unity of three persons in one: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These entities are individual in form but are united in purpose and spirit.

‘Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah. 6:8; Matthew 28:19; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2.’²

Father: God the Father is the Creator, Sustainer and the ultimate Ruler of all. He is loving, holy, faithful, merciful and just.

‘Genesis 1:1;Deuteronomy 4:35; Psalms 110:1, 4; John 3:16; 14:9; 1 Corinthians 15:28; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John 4:8; Revelation 4:11’²

Son: Jesus the Son is both fully divine and human, as He came in human form to give us salvation through His voluntary death and resurrection. He now sits in the Heavenly sanctuary, acting as our High Priest and Advocate. He was part of Creation, and reveals God’s character to us. He will physically return (known as The Second Coming) to restore and deliver His people.

‘Isaiah. 53:4-6; Daniel 9:25-27; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-3, 14; 5:22; 10:30; 14:1–3, 9, 13; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 5:17-19; Phillipians 2:5–11; Colossians 1:15-19; Hebrews 2:9-18; 8:1, 2.’²

Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is God’s presence, sent to guide, teach and empower us, as He has done with those who wrote the Bible and Jesus as He was on earth.

‘Genesis 1:1, 2; 2 Samuel 23:2; Psalms 51:11; Isaiah 61:1; Luke 1:35; 4:18; John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 5:3; 10:38; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 1:21’²

Creation: God created the world in 6 literal days, and on the 6th day, God created humanity in His image, giving them dominion over the world and the responsibility to care for it. On the seventh day, He rested, establishing Sabbath as a day set aside to spend with Him and in rest, forever.

‘Genesis 1-2; 5; 11; Exodus 20:8-11; Psalms 19:1–6; 33:6, 9; 104; Isaiah 45:12, 18; Acts 17:24; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2; 11:3; Revelation 10:6; 14:7.’²

Nature of Humanity: We were created in the image of God, who is good, with a body, mind and spirit. We were given the ability to have free will. We were made to live forever, depending on God for our life and strength, however, we chose to sin, resulting in the fallen world we live in currently. Only Jesus can redeem us from this sinful state, and encourages us to love Him and one another.

‘Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7, 15; 3; Psalms 8:4-8; 51:5, 10; 58:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Acts 17:24-28; Romans. 5:12-17; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 20; Ephesians 2:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 John 3:4; 4:7, 8, 11, 20.’²

The Great Controversy: There is a spiritual conflict between Christ and Satan – Good and Evil. This began as a created being (now known as Satan) chose to exercise his free will in terms of hate and self-exaltation. Satan caused the introduction of evil into the world, and is the one who causes all evil today. Humanity has been caught in-between this struggle as we chose to be a part of sin. However, God’s ultimate love and mercy has allowed us to be redeemed from sin, meaning that are able to be on His side as He ultimately destroys sin at the end of time.

‘Genesis. 3; 6-8; Job 1:6-12; Isaiah. 14:12-14; Ezekial. 28:12-18; Romans. 1:19-32; 3:4; 5:12-21; 8:19-22; 1 Corinthians. 4:9; Hebrews. 1:14; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Peter 3:6; Revelation. 12:4-9.’²

Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ: Jesus is the only means of salvation, as He willingly paid the price of sin for us through His life, death and resurrection. Through faith in Him we can accept this gift.

‘Genesis. 3:15; Psalms. 22:1; Isaiah. 53; John 3:16; 14:30; Romans. 1:4; 3:25; 4:25; 8:3, 4; 1 Corinthians. 15:3, 4, 20-22; 2 Corinthians. 5:14, 15, 19-21; Phillipians. 2:6-11; Colossians. 2:15; 1 Peter 2:21, 22; 1 John 2:2; 4:10.’²

Salvation: We are saved from sin, and offered the gift of eternal life with God (salvation) through faith in Jesus. Faith involves repentance of our sins, acceptance of forgiveness and a transformation of our lives.

'Genesis. 3:15; Isaiah. 45:22; 53; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekial 33:11; 36:25-27; Habakkuk 2:4; Mark 9:23, 24; John 3:3-8, 16; 16:8; Romans 3:21-26; 8:1-4, 14-17; 5:6-10; 10:17; 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 1:4; 3:13, 14, 26; 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:4-10; Colossians 1:13, 14; Titus 3:3-7; Hebrews. 8:7-12; 1 Peter 1:23; 2:21, 22; 2 Peter 1:3, 4; Rev. 13:8.'²

Growing in Christ: As humans, we are in a continual process of spiritual growth and maturation, through Christ’s power. This growth occurs when we spend time in daily prayer, thoughtfully reading or hearing His Word, spend time worshipping God, commune with other believers and assist in the ministries and service of the Church.

‘1 Chronicles 29:11; Psalms 1:1, 2; 23:4; 77:11, 12; Matthew 20:25-28; 25:31-46; Luke 10:17-20; John 20:21; Romans 8:38, 39; 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 5:19, 20; 6:12-18; Philippians 3:7-14; Colossians 1:13, 14; 2:6, 14, 15; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 23; Hebrews 10:25; James 1:27; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:18; 1 John 4:4.’²

Church: The church is made up of sinful people, who rely on Jesus alone for salvation, believing in Him as our Lord. We are Christ’s followers, and centre on the worship of God, spreading the Gospel and serving humanity with love.

‘Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus. 19:3-7; Matthew 16:13-20; 18:18; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38-42; 7:38; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11; 5:23-27; Colossians 1:17, 18; 1 Peter 2:9’²

Remnant and Its Mission: God has a remnant people, who are made up of those who truly believe in Christ. We are called in these last days to announce Jesus’ salvation and soon return.

‘Daniel 7:9-14; Isaiah 1:9; 11:11; Jeremiah 23:3; Micah 2:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 1:16-19; 4:17; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Jude 3, 14; Revelation 12:17; 14:6-12; 18:1-4’²

Unity in Christ: Regardless of any differences, we are all one in Christ. All nations, kindred, tongue and people are God’s children and all are called to believe in Him.

‘Psalms 133:1; Matthew 28:19, 20; John 17:20-23; Acts 17:26, 27; Romans 12:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 5:16, 17; Galatians 3:27-29; Ephesians 2:13-16; 4:3-6, 11-16; Colossians 3:10-15’²

Baptism: Baptism by immersion symbolises our faith in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, demonstrating our commitment to walking in Jesus’ light and salvation rather than in sin.

‘Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38; 16:30-33; 22:16; Romans 6:1-6; Galatians. 3:27; Colossians 2:12, 13’²

The Lord’s Supper (Communion): We celebrate the Lord’s Supper as ‘communion’. It is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice and an expression of unity in Him, reminding us of His love. Preparation includes self-examination, repentance and confession, along with the symbolism of renewal and service to others. This service is open to all believing Christians.

‘Matthew 26:17-30; John 6:48-63; 13:1-17; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17; 11:23-30; Revelation 3:20’²

Spiritual Gifts and Ministries: The Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts to people, allowing them to serve the church in different ways. These include pastoral, evangalistic and teaching ministries, and the ability to use the power of healing, prophecy, administration, compassion, reconciliation, faith and other abilities for God’s purpose.

‘Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27, 28; Ephesians 4:8, 11-16; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10, 11’²

Gift of Prophecy: The Spirit of prophecy is one of God’s spiritual gifts. We believe that Ellen White had this gift, and it is one of the guiding elements of the church. Further, the Bible is the standard by which all teachings, experiences and gifts in this form must be tested.

‘Numbers 12:6; 2 Chronicles 20:20; Amos 3:7; Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 12:17; 19:10; 22:8, 9’²

Law of God: The 10 Commandments, including the Sabbath, are God’s eternal law. They express God’s love, will and provide guidance for how to live according to these things. While we are saved by faith alone, this faith is expressed through our intended obedience. When we break these laws, God’s gift of mercy and Jesus’ salvation is the only way to be forgiven and saved again.

‘Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalms 19:7-14; 40:7, 8; Matthew 5:17-20; 22:36-40; John 14:15; 15:7-10; Romans 8:3, 4; Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 8:8-10; 1 John 2:3; 5:3; Revelation 12:17; 14:12’²

Sabbath: The seventh day of the week (Saturday) is the Sabbath. As instituted at Creation, and again in the fourth commandment, it remains a day set aside to rest and worship God. It is a sign of His love for us.

'Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17; ‘Leviticus 23:32; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Isaiah 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Ezekiel 20:12, 20; Matthew 12:1-12; Mark 1:32; Luke 4:16; Hebrews 4:1-11’²

Stewardship: Everything belongs to God, and the way we manage and respect His gifts of time, talents and resources should reflect this.

‘Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15; 1 Chronicles 29:14; Haggai 1:3-11; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 23:23; Romans 15:26, 27; 1 Cor. 9:9-14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 9:7’²

Christian Behaviour: We should aim to live a life reflecting Christ’s character in self-control, holiness and love.

‘Genesis 7:2; Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 11:1-47; Psalms 106:3; Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; 10:31; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 10:5; Ephesians 5:1-21; Phillipians 2:4; 4:8; 1 Timothy 2:9, 10; Titus 2:11, 12; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 John 2:6; 3 John 2’²

Marriage and Family: Marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, intended to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church. It was first instilled at Eden, and still demonstrates a commitment, both to God and to the spouse as a testament of loyalty and mutual love and respect. Divorce should only happen as necessary (such as in cases of adultery) and parents should raise their children knowing and loving God. We are to reflect Jesus’ character in the way we treat our children and spouse.

‘Genesis 2:18-25; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:5-9; Proverbs 22:6; Malachi 4:5, 6; Matthew 5:31, 32; 19:3-9, 12; Mark 10:11, 12; John 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 7:7, 10, 11; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4.’²

Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary: Jesus is currently interceding for humanity in the heavenly sanctuary, and has done since 1844, which was the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days. This is known as the investigative judgement and involves the assessment of humanity (both living and passed) to evaluate who is worthy to have part in the first resurrection and translation at Jesus’ return.

‘Leviticus 16; Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6; Daniel 7:9-27; 8:13, 14; 9:24-27; Heb. 1:3; 2:16, 17; 4:14-16; 8:1-5; 9:11- 28; 10:19-22; Revelation 8:3-5; 11:19; 14:6, 7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:11, 12’²

Second Coming of Christ: Jesus will return to redeem His people and establish His kingdom. This will be literal, personal, visible and worldwide. Upon His return, those who have been righteous throughout history will be resurrected and will be raised to heaven with the righteous living. This time of return is at an unspecified date in the near future, as according to Biblical prophecy.

‘Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians. 4:13-18; 5:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 1:7- 10; 2:8; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7; 14:14-20; 19:11-21’²

Death and Resurrection: In Eden, humanity chose to sin, as we still do today. Sin leads to eternal death. However, through His love and mercy, God has pardoned us from our due, and will grant eternal life to His people upon Jesus’ second coming. This will be for both those believers alive at the time, and those who died the first death (simply a state of ‘unconsciousness’) believing in Him. The second resurrection is for the wicked, and it will take place 1000 years later. They will die the second death, which will be eternal.

‘Job 19:25-27; Psalms 146:3, 4; Ecclesiastes. 9:5, 6, 10; Daniel 12:2, 13; Isaiah 25:8; John 5:28, 29; 11:11-14; Romans. 6:23; 6:16; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 20:1-10’²

Millennium and End of Sin: After Christ’s return, there will be a thousand years of peace, in which we’ll dwell with God in Heaven. During this time, the wicked dead will be judged but remain dead, as Satan and his angels are the only living figures on the earth. After this time, sin and its effects will be eradicated.

‘Jeremiah 4:23-26; Ezekiel 28:18, 19; Malachi 4:1; 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3; Revelation 20; 21:1-5’²

New Earth: After 1000 years in Heaven, God will create a new earth, where we are able to live in perfect harmony, without sin, forever.

‘Isaiah 35; 65:17-25; Matthew 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 11:15; 21:1-7; 22:1-5’²

As the church has changed throughout history, so has our interpretation of many Biblical texts – something we expect to continue. However, as a church, we feel these fundamentals are the essential guiding principles to the continual discovery of the truth.

What do you think?

If you’re interested in learning more about the Seventh-Day Adventist church, or wish to find a church to attend in your area, contact us at the link below.

¹Seventh Day Adventist Church, What is Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary?

²These texts were sourced directly from Adventist.org, What do Adventists Believe?