Fundamental Belief #4 from 28 fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church
[FONT=times new roman, times][FONT=times new roman, times]Fundamental Beliefs [/FONT]
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GOD THE SON
The wilderness had become a nightmare of vipers. Snakes
slithered under cooking pots, coiled around tent pegs. They
lurked among children's toys, lay in wait in the sleeping
pallets. Their fangs sank deep, injecting deadly poison.
The wilderness, which once had been Israel's refuge,
became its graveyard. Hundreds lay dying. Realizing their
predicament, terrorized parents hurried to Moses' tent,
pleading for help. "Moses prayed for the people."
God's answer? Mold a serpent, and lift it high--and all
who looked on it would live. "So Moses made a bronze
serpent, and put it on a pole; and...if a serpent had bitten
anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived"
(Num. 21:9).
The serpent has always been Satan's symbol (Genesis 3;
Revelation 12), representing sin. The camp had been plunged
into Satan's hands. God's remedy? Not looking at a lamb on
the sanctuary altar, but beholding a bronze serpent.
It was a strange symbol of Christ. Just as the likeness
of the serpents that stung was lifted up on a pole, Jesus,
made "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom. 8:3), was to be
lifted up on the shameful cross (John 3:14,15). He became
sin, taking upon Himself all the sins of everyone who has
lived or will live. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be
sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in
Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). By looking to Christ hopeless humanity
can find life.
How could the incarnation bring salvation to humanity?
What effect did it have on the Son? How could God become a
human being and why was it necessary?
The Incarnation: Predictions and Fulfillment
God's plan to rescue those who strayed from His all-wise
counsel (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9) convincingly demonstrates
His love. In this plan His Son was "foreordained before the
foundation of the world" as the sacrifice for sin, to be the
hope of the human race (1 Peter 1:19,20). He was to bring us
back to God and provide deliverance from sin through the
destruction of the works of the devil (1 Peter 3:18; Matt.
1:21; 1 John 3:8).
Sin had severed Adam and Eve from the source of life, and
should have resulted in their immediate death. But in
accordance with the plan laid before the foundation of the
world (1 Peter 1:20,21), the "counsel of peace" (Zech.
6:13), God the Son stepped between them and divine justice,
bridging the gulf and restraining death. Even before the
cross, then, His grace kept sinners alive and assured them
of salvation. But to restore us fully as sons and daughters
of God, He had to become a man.
Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God gave them hope
by promising to introduce a supernatural enmity between the
serpent and the woman, between his seed and hers. In the
cryptic statement of Genesis 3:15 the serpent and its
offspring represent Satan and his followers; the woman and
her seed symbolize God's people and the Saviour of the
world. This statement was the first assurance that the
controversy between good and evil would end in victory for
God's Son.
The victory, however, would be painful: "`He [the
Saviour] shall bruise your [Satan's] head, and you [Satan]
shall bruise His [the Saviour's] heel'" (Gen. 3:15). No one
would come out unscathed.
From that moment, mankind looked for the Promised One.
The Old Testament unfolds that search. Prophecies foretold
that when the Promised One arrived, the world would have
evidence to confirm His identity.
A Prophetic Dramatization of Salvation
After sin entered, God instituted animal sacrifices to
illustrate the mission of the Saviour to come (see Gen.
4:4). This symbolic system dramatized the manner in which
God the Son would eradicate sin.
Because of sin--the transgression of God's law--the human
race faced death (Gen. 2:17; 3:19; 1 John 3:4; Rom. 6:23).
God's law demanded the life of the sinner. But in His
infinite love God gave His Son, "`that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life'" (John
3:16). What an incomprehensible act of condescension! God
the eternal Son, Himself pays vicariously the penalty for
sin, so that He can provide us forgiveness and
reconciliation to the Godhead.
After Israel's exodus from Egypt, the sacrificial
offerings were conducted in a tabernacle as part of a
covenant relationship between God and His people. Built by
Moses according to a heavenly pattern, the sanctuary and its
services were instituted to illustrate the plan of salvation
(Ex. 25:8,9,40; Heb. 8:1-5).
To obtain forgiveness, a repentant sinner brought a
sacrificial animal that had no blemishes--a representation
of the sinless Saviour. The sinner then would place his hand
upon the innocent animal and confess his sins (Lev. 1:3,4).
This act symbolized the transfer of the sin from the guilty
sinner to the innocent victim, depicting the substitutionary
nature of the sacrifice.
Since "without shedding of blood there is no remission"
of sins (Heb. 9:22), the sinner then killed the animal,
making the deadly nature of sin evident. A sorrowful way to
express hope, but the sinner's only way to express faith.
After the priestly ministry (Leviticus 4-7), the sinner
received forgiveness of sins through his faith in the
substitutionary death of the coming Redeemer, which the
animal sacrifice symbolized (cf. Lev. 4:26,31,35). The New
Testament recognizes Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as "the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John
1:29). Through His precious blood, "as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:19), He obtained for
the human race redemption from the ultimate penalty of sin.
Predictions About a Saviour
God promises that the Saviour-Messiah--the Anointed
One--would come through Abraham's line: "`In your seed all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed'"
(Gen. 22:18; cf. 12:3).
Isaiah prophesied that the Saviour would come as a male
child, and would be both human and divine: "For unto us a
Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government
will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). This Redeemer would ascend the throne
of David and establish an everlasting government of peace
(Isa. 9:7). Bethlehem would be His birthplace (Micah 5:2).
The birth of this divine-human person would be
supernatural. Citing Isaiah 7:14, the New Testament states,
"`Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and
they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated,
`God with us'" (Matt. 1:23).
The Saviour's mission is expressed in these words: "`The
Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has
anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent
Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord'" (Isa. 61:1,2;
cf. Luke 4:18,19).
Amazingly the Messiah would suffer rejection. He would be
perceived as "a root out of dry ground." "He has no form or
comeliness, and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we
should desire Him....Despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief....We did not esteem Him"
(Isa. 53:2-4).
A close friend would betray Him (Ps. 41:9) for thirty
pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12). During His trial He would be
spat upon and beaten (Isa. 50:6). Those who executed Him
would gamble for the very clothes He wore (Ps. 22:18). None
of His bones were to be broken (Ps. 34:20), but His side was
to be pierced (Zech. 12:10). In His afflictions He would not
resist, but "as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He
opened not His mouth" (Isa. 53:7).
The innocent Saviour would suffer immensely for sinners.
"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;...
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for
our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed....And the Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all....He was cut off from the land
of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was
stricken" (Isa. 53:4-8).
The Saviour Identified
Only Jesus Christ has fulfilled these prophecies.
Scriptures trace His genealogy to Abraham, calling Him the
Son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1), and Paul affirms that the
promise to Abraham and his seed was fulfilled in Christ
(Gal. 3:16). The Messianic title "Son of David" was widely
applied to Him (Matt. 21:9). He was identified as the
promised Messiah, who would occupy the throne of David
(Acts 2:29,30).
Jesus' birth was miraculous. The virgin Mary "was found
with child of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 1:18-23). A Roman
decree brought her to Bethlehem, the predicted birthplace
(Luke 2:4-7).
One of Jesus' names was Immanuel, or "God With Us," which
reflected His divine-human nature and illustrated God's
identification with humanity (Matt. 1:23). His common name,
Jesus, focused on His mission of salvation: "`And you shall
call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their
sins'" (Matt. 1:21).
Jesus identified His mission with that of the Messiah
predicted in Isaiah 61:1,2: "`Today this Scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:17-21).
Although He made a profound impact on His people, His
message was generally rejected (John 1:11; Luke 23:18). With
few exceptions He was not recognized as the world's Saviour.
Instead of acceptance, He met death threats (John 5:16;
7:19; 11:53).
Toward the end of Jesus' three-and-a-half-year ministry,
Judas Iscariot, a disciple, betrayed Him (John 13:18; 18:2)
for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14,15). Instead of
resisting, He rebuked His disciples for trying to defend Him
(John 18:4-11).
Though innocent of any crime, less than twenty-four hours
after He was arrested He had been spat upon, beaten, tried,
condemned to death, and crucified (Matt. 26:67; John
19:1-16; Luke 23:14,15). Soldiers gambled for His clothing
(John 19:23,24). During His crucifixion none of His bones
was broken (John 19:32,33,36), and after He died soldiers
pierced His side with a spear (John 19:34,37).
Christ's followers recognized His death as the only
sacrifice of avail to sinners. "God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us" (Rom. 5:8). "Walk in love," he wrote, "as
Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma"
(Eph. 5:2).
The time of His Ministry and Death
The Bible reveals that God sent His Son to earth in "the
fullness of the time" (Gal. 4:4). When Christ began His
ministry He proclaimed, "The time is fulfilled" (Mark 1:15).
These references to time indicate that the Saviour's mission
proceeded in harmony with careful prophetic planning.
More than five centuries earlier, through Daniel, God had
prophesied the exact time of the beginning of Christ's
ministry and the time of His death.(*1)
Toward the end of the 70 years of Israel's captivity in
Babylon, God told Daniel that He had allocated to the Jews
and the city of Jerusalem a probationary period of 70 weeks.
During this time, by repenting and preparing themselves
for the Messiah's coming, the Jewish nation was to fulfill
God's purposes for them............
[FONT=times new roman, times][FONT=times new roman, times]Fundamental Beliefs [/FONT]
[FONT=times new roman, times][FONT=times new roman, times]Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed and hold certain fundamental beliefs to be the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. These beliefs, as set forth here, constitute the church's understanding and expression of the teaching of Scripture. Revision of these statements may be expected at a General Conference session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language in which to express the teachings of God's Holy Word. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=times new roman, times]Here is #4 of the 28 fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church as listed by the official SDA site. Here is the link to the official page. [/FONT]
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4. Son:
God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things were created, the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged. Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By His miracles He manifested God's power and was attested as God's promised Messiah. He suffered and died voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to minister in the heavenly sanctuary in our behalf. He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things. (John 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:15-19; John 10:30; 14:9; Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17-19; John 5:22; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9-18; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4; Heb. 8:1, 2; John 14:1-3.)
God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things were created, the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged. Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By His miracles He manifested God's power and was attested as God's promised Messiah. He suffered and died voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to minister in the heavenly sanctuary in our behalf. He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things. (John 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:15-19; John 10:30; 14:9; Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17-19; John 5:22; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9-18; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4; Heb. 8:1, 2; John 14:1-3.)
GOD THE SON
The wilderness had become a nightmare of vipers. Snakes
slithered under cooking pots, coiled around tent pegs. They
lurked among children's toys, lay in wait in the sleeping
pallets. Their fangs sank deep, injecting deadly poison.
The wilderness, which once had been Israel's refuge,
became its graveyard. Hundreds lay dying. Realizing their
predicament, terrorized parents hurried to Moses' tent,
pleading for help. "Moses prayed for the people."
God's answer? Mold a serpent, and lift it high--and all
who looked on it would live. "So Moses made a bronze
serpent, and put it on a pole; and...if a serpent had bitten
anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived"
(Num. 21:9).
The serpent has always been Satan's symbol (Genesis 3;
Revelation 12), representing sin. The camp had been plunged
into Satan's hands. God's remedy? Not looking at a lamb on
the sanctuary altar, but beholding a bronze serpent.
It was a strange symbol of Christ. Just as the likeness
of the serpents that stung was lifted up on a pole, Jesus,
made "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom. 8:3), was to be
lifted up on the shameful cross (John 3:14,15). He became
sin, taking upon Himself all the sins of everyone who has
lived or will live. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be
sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in
Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). By looking to Christ hopeless humanity
can find life.
How could the incarnation bring salvation to humanity?
What effect did it have on the Son? How could God become a
human being and why was it necessary?
The Incarnation: Predictions and Fulfillment
God's plan to rescue those who strayed from His all-wise
counsel (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9) convincingly demonstrates
His love. In this plan His Son was "foreordained before the
foundation of the world" as the sacrifice for sin, to be the
hope of the human race (1 Peter 1:19,20). He was to bring us
back to God and provide deliverance from sin through the
destruction of the works of the devil (1 Peter 3:18; Matt.
1:21; 1 John 3:8).
Sin had severed Adam and Eve from the source of life, and
should have resulted in their immediate death. But in
accordance with the plan laid before the foundation of the
world (1 Peter 1:20,21), the "counsel of peace" (Zech.
6:13), God the Son stepped between them and divine justice,
bridging the gulf and restraining death. Even before the
cross, then, His grace kept sinners alive and assured them
of salvation. But to restore us fully as sons and daughters
of God, He had to become a man.
Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God gave them hope
by promising to introduce a supernatural enmity between the
serpent and the woman, between his seed and hers. In the
cryptic statement of Genesis 3:15 the serpent and its
offspring represent Satan and his followers; the woman and
her seed symbolize God's people and the Saviour of the
world. This statement was the first assurance that the
controversy between good and evil would end in victory for
God's Son.
The victory, however, would be painful: "`He [the
Saviour] shall bruise your [Satan's] head, and you [Satan]
shall bruise His [the Saviour's] heel'" (Gen. 3:15). No one
would come out unscathed.
From that moment, mankind looked for the Promised One.
The Old Testament unfolds that search. Prophecies foretold
that when the Promised One arrived, the world would have
evidence to confirm His identity.
A Prophetic Dramatization of Salvation
After sin entered, God instituted animal sacrifices to
illustrate the mission of the Saviour to come (see Gen.
4:4). This symbolic system dramatized the manner in which
God the Son would eradicate sin.
Because of sin--the transgression of God's law--the human
race faced death (Gen. 2:17; 3:19; 1 John 3:4; Rom. 6:23).
God's law demanded the life of the sinner. But in His
infinite love God gave His Son, "`that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life'" (John
3:16). What an incomprehensible act of condescension! God
the eternal Son, Himself pays vicariously the penalty for
sin, so that He can provide us forgiveness and
reconciliation to the Godhead.
After Israel's exodus from Egypt, the sacrificial
offerings were conducted in a tabernacle as part of a
covenant relationship between God and His people. Built by
Moses according to a heavenly pattern, the sanctuary and its
services were instituted to illustrate the plan of salvation
(Ex. 25:8,9,40; Heb. 8:1-5).
To obtain forgiveness, a repentant sinner brought a
sacrificial animal that had no blemishes--a representation
of the sinless Saviour. The sinner then would place his hand
upon the innocent animal and confess his sins (Lev. 1:3,4).
This act symbolized the transfer of the sin from the guilty
sinner to the innocent victim, depicting the substitutionary
nature of the sacrifice.
Since "without shedding of blood there is no remission"
of sins (Heb. 9:22), the sinner then killed the animal,
making the deadly nature of sin evident. A sorrowful way to
express hope, but the sinner's only way to express faith.
After the priestly ministry (Leviticus 4-7), the sinner
received forgiveness of sins through his faith in the
substitutionary death of the coming Redeemer, which the
animal sacrifice symbolized (cf. Lev. 4:26,31,35). The New
Testament recognizes Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as "the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John
1:29). Through His precious blood, "as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:19), He obtained for
the human race redemption from the ultimate penalty of sin.
Predictions About a Saviour
God promises that the Saviour-Messiah--the Anointed
One--would come through Abraham's line: "`In your seed all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed'"
(Gen. 22:18; cf. 12:3).
Isaiah prophesied that the Saviour would come as a male
child, and would be both human and divine: "For unto us a
Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government
will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). This Redeemer would ascend the throne
of David and establish an everlasting government of peace
(Isa. 9:7). Bethlehem would be His birthplace (Micah 5:2).
The birth of this divine-human person would be
supernatural. Citing Isaiah 7:14, the New Testament states,
"`Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and
they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated,
`God with us'" (Matt. 1:23).
The Saviour's mission is expressed in these words: "`The
Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has
anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent
Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord'" (Isa. 61:1,2;
cf. Luke 4:18,19).
Amazingly the Messiah would suffer rejection. He would be
perceived as "a root out of dry ground." "He has no form or
comeliness, and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we
should desire Him....Despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief....We did not esteem Him"
(Isa. 53:2-4).
A close friend would betray Him (Ps. 41:9) for thirty
pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12). During His trial He would be
spat upon and beaten (Isa. 50:6). Those who executed Him
would gamble for the very clothes He wore (Ps. 22:18). None
of His bones were to be broken (Ps. 34:20), but His side was
to be pierced (Zech. 12:10). In His afflictions He would not
resist, but "as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He
opened not His mouth" (Isa. 53:7).
The innocent Saviour would suffer immensely for sinners.
"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;...
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for
our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed....And the Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all....He was cut off from the land
of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was
stricken" (Isa. 53:4-8).
The Saviour Identified
Only Jesus Christ has fulfilled these prophecies.
Scriptures trace His genealogy to Abraham, calling Him the
Son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1), and Paul affirms that the
promise to Abraham and his seed was fulfilled in Christ
(Gal. 3:16). The Messianic title "Son of David" was widely
applied to Him (Matt. 21:9). He was identified as the
promised Messiah, who would occupy the throne of David
(Acts 2:29,30).
Jesus' birth was miraculous. The virgin Mary "was found
with child of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 1:18-23). A Roman
decree brought her to Bethlehem, the predicted birthplace
(Luke 2:4-7).
One of Jesus' names was Immanuel, or "God With Us," which
reflected His divine-human nature and illustrated God's
identification with humanity (Matt. 1:23). His common name,
Jesus, focused on His mission of salvation: "`And you shall
call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their
sins'" (Matt. 1:21).
Jesus identified His mission with that of the Messiah
predicted in Isaiah 61:1,2: "`Today this Scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:17-21).
Although He made a profound impact on His people, His
message was generally rejected (John 1:11; Luke 23:18). With
few exceptions He was not recognized as the world's Saviour.
Instead of acceptance, He met death threats (John 5:16;
7:19; 11:53).
Toward the end of Jesus' three-and-a-half-year ministry,
Judas Iscariot, a disciple, betrayed Him (John 13:18; 18:2)
for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14,15). Instead of
resisting, He rebuked His disciples for trying to defend Him
(John 18:4-11).
Though innocent of any crime, less than twenty-four hours
after He was arrested He had been spat upon, beaten, tried,
condemned to death, and crucified (Matt. 26:67; John
19:1-16; Luke 23:14,15). Soldiers gambled for His clothing
(John 19:23,24). During His crucifixion none of His bones
was broken (John 19:32,33,36), and after He died soldiers
pierced His side with a spear (John 19:34,37).
Christ's followers recognized His death as the only
sacrifice of avail to sinners. "God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us" (Rom. 5:8). "Walk in love," he wrote, "as
Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma"
(Eph. 5:2).
The time of His Ministry and Death
The Bible reveals that God sent His Son to earth in "the
fullness of the time" (Gal. 4:4). When Christ began His
ministry He proclaimed, "The time is fulfilled" (Mark 1:15).
These references to time indicate that the Saviour's mission
proceeded in harmony with careful prophetic planning.
More than five centuries earlier, through Daniel, God had
prophesied the exact time of the beginning of Christ's
ministry and the time of His death.(*1)
Toward the end of the 70 years of Israel's captivity in
Babylon, God told Daniel that He had allocated to the Jews
and the city of Jerusalem a probationary period of 70 weeks.
During this time, by repenting and preparing themselves
for the Messiah's coming, the Jewish nation was to fulfill
God's purposes for them............
