You and God

1. Discover your Spiritual Gift

A. Speech the Gospel of Jesus Christ

b. https://www.facebook.com/100009886952192/videos/3398143980431974/

2. Read to the book Steps to Christ and submit a response (250

words)
Steps to Christ concentrates on God's inclusive love for His people and His merciful nature.
Ellen White addresses how we can all be saved by grace and how we can become
better Christians. She dedicates each chapter to describing ways to get closer to
God, following a set of steps that require higher and higher dedication and more
understanding of God's wisdom. The first chapter of the book, "God’s Love for Man,"
illustrates the quality of God’s love. His acceptance can be seen when we look
around us and at the nature that surrounds us, allowing us to understand a little
more about God and his mercy. Through sin, we broke "God’s rule of love," yet in his
infinite mercy, he gave his only begotten son to pay the price for our redemption.
This is God’s love for us. The second chapter of the book," The Sinner’s Need of
Christ," speaks about how, through sin, man became disobedient. In his sinful state,
he could no longer find communion with God or be in harmony with him. This has
caused a separation between man and God. The third chapter of the book,
"Repentance,", describes how we should repent of our sins. It shows us the
difference between true repentance and repentance led by the fear of punishment for
transgression. Jesus can restore and cleanse all those who want to be purified, and
they must recognize that this can only be done through Him and in Him. The author
also mentions that the Holy Spirit also moves those who do not know of the power of
God but understand the wickedness of their sins. The fourth chapter of the book,"
Confession", illustrates that for confession to be genuine, there must be a humble
acceptance of guilt for actions. There must be a sincere desire without deception or
hypocrisy.
 You and God

Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventists

Seventh-day Adventist express their understanding of the Bible teaching with 28
paragraphs. They call them “28 fundamental beliefs.’’ Here they are:

 For the detailed statements of these fundamental beliefs, refer to the handout
entitled, “28 Fundamental Beliefs.”

1. The Holy Scriptures

The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given
by divine inspiration. The inspired authors spoke and wrote as they were moved by
the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to humanity the knowledge
necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative, and the
infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of
experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s
acts in history. (Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2
Tim. 3:16, 17; Heb. 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20, 21.)

2. The Trinity
There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons.
God is immortal, all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever present. He is infinite
and beyond human comprehension, yet known through His self-revelation. God, who
is love, is forever worthy of worship, adoration, and service by the whole creation.
(Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 6:8; Matt. 28:19; John 3:16 2 Cor. 1:21, 22; 13:14; Eph.
4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2.)

3. The Father
God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all
creation. He is just and holy, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities and powers exhibited in the Son and
the Holy Spirit are also those of the Father. (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 4:35; Ps. 110:1, 4; John
3:16; 14:9; 1 Cor. 15:28; 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 John 4:8; Rev. 4:11.
4. The 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 human, 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
heaven 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. (Isa.
53:4-6; Dan. 9:25-27; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-3, 14; 5:22; 10:30; 14:1-3, 9, 13; Rom.
6:23; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4; 2 Cor. 3:18; 5:17-19; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-19; Heb. 2:9-18;
8:1, 2.)

5. The Holy Spirit

God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation,
incarnation, and redemption. He is as much a person as are the Father and the Son.
He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ’s life with power. He draws and
convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the
image of God. Sent by the Father and the Son to be always with His children, He
extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in
harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth. (Gen. 1:1, 2; 2 Sam. 23:2; Ps.
51:11; Isa. 61:1; Luke 1:35; 4:18; John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 5:3;
10:38; Rom. 5:5; 1 Cor. 12:7-11; 2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Peter 1:21.)

6. Creation
God has revealed in Scripture the authentic and historical account of His creative
activity. He created the universe, and in a recent six-day creation the Lord made “the
heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” and rested on the seventh
day. Thus He established the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of the work He
performed and completed during six literal days that together with the Sabbath
constituted the same unit of time that we call a week today. The first man and
woman were made in the image of God as the crowning work of Creation, given
dominion over the world, and charged with responsibility to care for it. When the
world was finished it was “very good,” declaring the glory of God. (Gen. 1-2; 5; 11;
Exod. 20:8-11; Ps. 19:1-6; 33:6, 9; 104; Isa. 45:12, 18; Acts 17:24; Col. 1:16; Heb.
1:2; 11:3; Rev. 10:6; 14:7.)
7. The Nature of Humanity
Man and woman were made in the image of God with individuality, the power and
freedom to think and to do. Though created free beings, each is an indivisible unity
of body, mind, and spirit, dependent upon God for life and breath and all else. When
our first parents disobeyed God, they denied their dependence upon Him and fell
from their high position. The image of God in them was marred and they became
subject to death. Their descendants share this fallen nature and its consequences.
They are born with weaknesses and tendencies to evil. But God in Christ reconciled
the world to Himself and by His Spirit restores in penitent mortals the image of their
Maker. Created for the glory of God, they are called to love Him and one another,
and to care for their environment. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7, 15; 3; Ps. 8:4-8; 51:5, 10; 58:3;
Jer. 17:9; Acts 17:24-28; Rom. 5:12-17; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20; Eph. 2:3; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1
John 3:4; 4:7, 8, 11, 20.)

8. The Great Controversy

All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan
regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe. This
conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of choice,
in self-exaltation became Satan, God’s adversary, and led into rebellion a portion of
the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world when he led Adam and
Eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in
humanity, the disordering of the created world, and its eventual devastation at the
time of the global flood, as presented in the historical account of Genesis 1-11.
Observed by the whole creation, this world became the arena of the universal
conflict, out of which the God of love will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His
people in this controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit and the loyal angels to guide,
protect, and sustain them in the way of salvation. (Gen. 3; 6-8; Job 1:6-12; Isa.
14:12-14; Ezek. 28:12-18; Rom. 1:19-32; 3:4; 5:12- 21; 8:19-22; 1 Cor. 4:9; Heb.
1:14; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Peter 3:6; Rev. 12:4-9.)
9. The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Charist
In Christ’s life of perfect obedience to God’s will, His suffering, death, and
resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that
those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life, and the whole
creation may better understand the infinite and holy love of the Creator. This perfect
atonement vindicates the righteousness of God’s law and the graciousness of His
character; for it both condemns our sin and provides for our forgiveness. The death
of Christ is substitutionary and expiatory, reconciling and transforming. The bodily
resurrection of Christ proclaims God’s triumph over the forces of evil, and for those
who accept the -atonement assures their final victory over sin and death. It declares
the Lordship of Jesus Christ, before whom every knee in heaven and on earth will
bow. (Gen. 3:15; Ps. 22:1; Isa. 53; John 3:16; 14:30; Rom. 1:4; 3:25; 4:25; 8:3, 4; 1
Cor. 15:3, 4, 20-22; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15, 19-21; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 2:15; 1 Peter 2:21, 22; 1
John 2:2; 4:10.)

10. The Experience of Salvation

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 Savior 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. (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 45:22; 53; Jer.
31:31-34; Ezek. 33:11; 36:25-27; Hab. 2:4; Mark 9:23, 24; John 3:3-8, 16; 16:8;
Rom. 3:21-26; 8:1-4, 14-17; 5:6-10; 10:17; 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Gal. 1:4; 3:13, 14,
26; 4:4-7; Eph. 2:4-10; Col. 1:13, 14; Titus 3:3-7; Heb. 8:7-12; 1 Peter 1:23; 2:21, 22 ;
2 Peter 1:3, 4; Rev. 13:8.)
11. The Growing in Christ
By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He who
subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power
and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil
forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance
of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually
committed to Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our
past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and
meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are
called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer,
feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises,
gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. We
are also called to follow Christ’s example by compassionately ministering to the
physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of humanity. As we give
ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His
constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every
task into a spiritual experience. (1 Chron. 29:11; Ps. 1:1, 2; 23:4; 77:11, 12; Matt.
20:25-28; 25:31-46; Luke 10:17-20; John 20:21; Rom. 8:38, 39; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18; Gal.
5:22-25; Eph. 5:19, 20; 6:12-18; Phil. 3:7-14; Col. 1:13, 14; 2:6, 14, 15; 1 Thess.
5:16-18, 23; Heb. 10:25; James 1:27; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:18; 1 John 4:4.)

12. The Church

The church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior. In continuity with the people of God in Old Testament times, we are called
out from the world; and we join together for worship, for fellowship, for instruction in
the Word, for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, for service to humanity, and for
the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its authority from
Christ, who is the incarnate Word revealed in the Scriptures. The church is God’s
family; adopted by Him as children, its members live on the basis of the new
covenant. The church is the body of Christ, a community of faith of which Christ
Himself is the Head. The church is the bride for whom Christ died that He might
sanctify and cleanse her. At His return in triumph, He will present her to Himself a
glorious church, the faithful of all the ages, the purchase of His blood, not having
spotted or wrinkle, but holy and without blemish. (Gen. 12:1-3; Exod. 19:3-7; Matt.
16:13-20; 18:18; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38-42; 7:38; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:19-22;
3:8-11; 5:23-27; Col. 1:17, 18; 1 Peter 2:9.)
13. The Remnant and Its Mission
The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last
days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of
the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of
His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of
Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work
of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in
this worldwide witness. (Dan. 7:9-14; Isa. 1:9; 11:11; Jer. 23:3; Mic. 2:12; 2 Cor.
5:10; 1 Peter 1:16-19; 4:17; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Jude 3, 14; Rev. 12:17; 14:6-12; 18:1-
4.)

14. Unity in the Body of Christ

The church is one body with many members, called from every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people. In Christ we are a new creation; distinctions of race, culture,
learning, and nationality, and differences between high and low, rich and poor, male
and female, must not be divisive among us. We are all equal in Christ, who by one
Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another; we are to
serve and be served without partiality or reservation. Through the revelation of Jesus
Christ in the Scriptures we share the same faith and hope, and reach out in one
witness to all. This unity has its source in the oneness of the triune God, who has
adopted us as His children. (Ps. 133:1; Matt. 28:19, 20; John 17:20-23; Acts 17:26,
27; Rom. 12:4, 5; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17; Gal. 3:27-29; Eph. 2:13-16; 4:3-6,
11-16; Col. 3:10-15.)

15. Baptism
By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and
testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we
acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, become His people, and are received as
members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the
forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in
water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of
repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their
teachings. (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38; 16:30-33; 22:16; Rom. 6:1-6; Gal. 3:27; Col.
2:12, 13.)
16. The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is a participation in the emblems of the body and blood of Jesus
as an expression of faith in Him, our Lord and Savior. In this experience of
communion Christ is present to meet and strengthen His people. As we partake, we
joyfully proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again. Preparation for the Supper
includes self-examination, repentance, and confession. The Master ordained the
service of foot-washing to signify renewed cleansing, to express a willingness to
serve one another in Christ like humility, and to unite our hearts in love. The
communion service is open to all believing Christians. (Matt. 26:17-30; John 6:48-63;
13:1-17; 1 Cor. 10:16, 17; 11:23-30; Rev. 3:20.)

17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries

God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts that each
member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of
humanity. Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who apportions to each member as
He wills, the gifts provide all abilities and ministries needed by the church to fulfill its
divinely ordained functions. According to the Scriptures, these gifts include such
ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching, administration,
reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing service and charity for the help and
encouragement of people. Some members are called of God and endowed by the
Spirit for functions recognized by the church in pastoral, evangelistic, and teaching
ministries particularly needed to equip the members for service, to build up the
church to spiritual maturity, and to foster unity of the faith and knowledge of God.
When members employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God’s varied
grace, the church is protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine, grows
with a growth that is from God, and is built up in faith and love. (Acts 6:1-7; Rom.
12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27, 28; Eph. 4:8, 11-16; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10, 11.)

18. The Gift of Prophecy

The Scriptures testify that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is
an identifying mark of the remnant church and we believe it was manifested in the
ministry of Ellen G. White. Her writings speak with prophetic authority and provide
comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction to the church. They also make clear
that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.
(Num. 12:6; 2 Chron. 20:20; Amos 3:7; Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17;
Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10; 22:8, 9.)
19. The Law of God
The great principles of God’s law are embodied in the Ten Commandments and
exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God’s love, will, and purposes
concerning human conduct and relationships and are binding upon all people in
every age. These precepts are the basis of God’s covenant with His people and the
standard in God’s judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit they point out sin
and awaken a sense of need for a Saviour. Salvation is all of grace and not of works,
and its fruit is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience develops Christian
character and results in a sense of well-being. It is evidence of our love for the Lord
and our concern for our fellow human beings. The obedience of faith demonstrates
the power of Christ to transform lives, and therefore strengthens Christian witness.
(Exod. 20:1-17; Deut. 28:1-14; Ps. 19:7-14; 40:7, 8; Matt. 5:17-20; 22:36-40; John
14:15; 15:7-10; Rom. 8:3, 4; Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 8:8-10; 1 John 2:3; 5:3; Rev. 12:17;
14:12.)

20. The Sabbath

The gracious Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and
instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth
commandment of God’s unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-
day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching
and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful
communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a
sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal
future in God’s kingdom. The Sabbath is God’s perpetual sign of His eternal
covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from
evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God’s creative and
redemptive acts. (Gen. 2:1-3; Exod. 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Lev. 23:32; Deut. 5:12-15;
Isa. 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Ezek. 20:12, 20; Matt. 12:1-12; Mark 1:32; Luke 4:16; Heb.
4:1-11.)

21. Stewardship
We are God’s stewards, entrusted by Him with time and opportunities, abilities and
possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources. We are responsible to
Him for their proper use. We acknowledge God’s ownership by faithful service to Him
and our fellow human beings, and by returning tithe and giving offerings for the
proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His church. Stewardship is
a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and the victory over selfishness and
covetousness. Stewards rejoice in the blessings that come to others as a result of
their faithfulness. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15; 1 Chron. 29:14; Haggai 1:3-11; Mal. 3:8-12;
Matt. 23:23;
22. Christian Behavior
We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with biblical
principles in all aspects of personal and social life. For the Spirit to recreate in us the
character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things that will produce
Christ like purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and
entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty.
While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat,
befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the
imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit. It also means that because our
bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along
with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and
abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic
beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to
our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in
whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires
our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness. (Gen. 7:2; Exod. 20:15; Lev. 11:1-47; Ps.
106:3; Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 10:31; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 10:5; Eph. 5:1-21; Phil.
2:4; 4:8; 1 Tim. 2:9, 10; Titus 2:11, 12; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 John 2:6; 3 John 2.)

23. Marriage and the Family

Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong
union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the Christian a
marriage commitment is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into
only between a man and a woman who share a common faith. Mutual love, honor,
respect, and responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the
love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and
His church. Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse,
except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. Although some family
relationships may fall short of the ideal, a man and a woman who fully commit
themselves to each other in Christ through marriage may achieve loving unity
through the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture of the church. God blesses the
family and intends that its members shall assist each other toward complete
maturity. Increasing family closeness is one of the earmarks of the final gospel
message. Parents are to bring up their children to love and obey the Lord. By their
example and their words they are to teach them that Christ is a loving, tender, and
caring guide who wants them to become members of His body, the family of God
which embraces both single and married persons. (Gen. 2:18-25; Exod. 20:12; Deut.
6:5-9; Prov. 22:6; Mal. 4:5, 6; Matt. 5:31, 32; 19:3-9, 12; Mark 10:11, 12; John 2:1-
11; 1 Cor. 7:7, 10, 11; 2 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4.)
24. Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary
There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle that the Lord set up and not
humans. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the
benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. At His ascension,
He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and, began His intercessory ministry,
which was typified by the work of the high priest in the holy place of the earthly
sanctuary. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the
second and last phase of His atoning ministry, which was typified by the work of the
high priest in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary. It is a work of investigative
judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing
of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the
sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things
are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative
judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ
and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also
makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for
translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God
in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal
to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark
the close of human probation before the Second Advent. (Lev. 16; Num. 14:34;
Ezek. 4:6; Dan. 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; Rev. 8:3-5; 11:19; 14:6, 7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:11, 12.)

25. The Second Coming of Christ

The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of
the gospel. The Saviour’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide.
When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the
righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The
almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present
condition of the world, indicates that Christ’s coming is near. The time of that event
has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times. (Matt.
24; Mark 13; Luke 21; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-18;
5:1-6; 2 Thess. 1:7- 10; 2:8; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; Rev. 1:7; 14:14-20;
19:11-21.)
26. Death and Resurrection
The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal life to
His redeemed. Until that day death is an unconscious state for all people. When
Christ, who is our life, appears, the resurrected righteous and the living righteous will
be glorified and caught up to meet their Lord. The second resurrection, the
resurrection of the unrighteous, will take place a thousand years later. (Job 19:25-27;
Ps. 146:3, 4; Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10; Dan. 12:2, 13; Isa. 25:8; John 5:28, 29; 11:11-14; Rom.
6:23; 16; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 20:1-10.)

27. The Millennium and the End of Sin

The millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven
between the first and second resurrections. During this time the wicked dead will be
judged; the earth will be utterly desolate, without living human inhabitants, but
occupied by Satan and his angels. At its close Christ with His saints and the Holy
City will descend from heaven to earth. The unrighteous dead will then be
resurrected, and with Satan and his angels will surround the city; but fire from God
will consume them and cleanse the earth. The universe will thus be freed of sin and
sinners forever. (Jer. 4:23-26; Ezek. 28:18, 19; Mal. 4:1; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Rev. 20; 21:1-
5.)

28. The New Earth

On the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide an eternal home
for the redeemed and a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy, and
learning in His presence. For here God Himself will dwell with His people, and
suffering and death will have passed away. The great controversy will be ended, and
sin will be no more. All things, animate and inanimate, will declare that God is love;
and He shall reign forever. Amen. (Isa. 35; 65:17-25; Matt. 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev.
11:15; 21:1-7; 22:1-5.)
 You and Youth

1. Reaction Paper 1000 words for 10 Topics

Topic

1. Music and Worship

2. Health and Temperance

3. Religious Freedom

4. Youth Evangelism

5. Morality

6. Human Rights

7. Christian Dress

8. Sex and Romance

9. AIDS/Cancer

10. Service and Volunteering

1. Music and Worship

“The music of the Gospel leads us home.” - Frederick W. Faber

Music as an art form has always connected deeply with people of all cultures and
languages throughout human history. Making melodies with voices and instruments
has been a key part of the expression of man’s experiences. When words fail us,
and the circumstances of our physical lives confine us, music is an outlet for the
hopes and dreams, passions and desires, the tension and confusion, and even the
transformation taking place within us.

Music connects with us on a level nothing else does, and for that reason, people
have always recognized a divine power and spirituality to music.

Yet no matter how societies around the world relate to music, God’s people should
realize they have a special claim on the art of song. The power of great music lies in
the power of the gospel story, of God calling his people home. As a Gospel
Coalition writer says, “If you believe in God, you have a framework for enjoying
music that is more satisfying to heart and mind, and more authentic to the actual
experience of that enjoyment.”

So while the world at large may use music in their search for meaning, for
expression, or simply pleasure and distraction, the Bible reveals a much deeper,
ancient, and powerful purpose at work when followers of Christ lift their voices.

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my
soul” (Psalm 66:16).

In Scripture, we see that music is used for glorifying and worshipping God, telling of
his great deeds, offering outlets for both lament and praise, and providing unity to
God’s people. We also see that an appreciation of the songs recorded in the Bible
provides a fuller understanding of a greater story: God claiming the hearts of people
from every culture and walk of life to become a part of his song in Heaven.

Music is also a tool for teaching theology. Knowledge of God is woven throughout
inspired songs, such as the Psalms.

“There is (according to Paul) a definite relationship between our knowledge of the

Bible and our expression of worship in song. One way we teach and encourage
ourselves and others is through the singing of the Word of God. But if we do not
know the Bible and understand it, we cannot honestly sing it from our hearts”
writes Warren W. Wieserbe on the meaning of Colossians 3. Engaging in
theologically rich music is like choosing to linger in a treasure trove, a room full of
precious gems that bring color and texture to the way you value knowing God.
Joining words of faithful teaching to melodies that move us is a way that we can
meditate on what is true, and thus allow the holistic work of music to connect our
heads to our hearts, where true change and transformation takes place. David
reflected this when he penned the Psalms.

Scripture is full of recordings of song and poetic verse. From Adam singing in
response to the creation of Eve (Genesis 2:23), to the song raised in heaven in
praise of God’s sovereignty in Revelation (Revelation 5:9). Even Jesus is recorded
singing with his disciples (Matthew 26:30).

Perhaps the best known collection of songs in the Bible is the book of Psalms, a
compilation of Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers – many of them written by King
David, who was himself a poet and harpist. This collection was used in the temple in
Israel for worship (1 Chronicles 16:7-36), and was brought back into use in the
construction of the second temple after the Babylonian exile (Ezra 3:10-
11; Nehemiah 12:27-47).

As a song from your favorite artist might carry you through a difficult season, these
poems and hymns were designed to carry God’s people in prayer as they wait for the
coming of God’s Kingdom.

Other recordings of songs appear in the Bible in response to a significant event,

usually a great victory accomplished by God.

The song of Moses and Miriam in Exodus 15 is one example, after God displayed his
power over the natural world, and his strength to save people he loves from their
enemies by drowning the Egyptian army in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:26-31). In their
song, Moses and Miriam praised the victory of God, “I will sing to the Lord, who has
triumphed gloriously” (Exodus 15:1), and worshipped God for the story he was
unfolding in their lives, bringing his people out of exile, and into a land prepared for
them:

“In your unfailing love, O Lord,

you lead the people whom you have redeemed.
And by your invincible strength
You will guide them to your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them, O Lord,
In the sanctuary which your hands have
established” (Exodus 15:6-7).

The story of God’s people is also a story of forgetful people. Music, as seen in the
Bible, trains us in the practice of remembering who God is and what he has done. All
throughout the Psalms, and even in the New Testament letters to the church, there
are genuine commands and exaltations for God’s people to sing to tell of his
wonderful deeds, and thus remind ourselves with the power of song who God is,
what he has done, and how he keeps his promises.

“Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts” (Psalm 105:2). Telling
of his wondrous acts not only is a witness to those around us of God’s greatness, but
it is just as much a blessing to us when we use our voices to speak what God has
done for us, reminding us of his goodness.

Far from an obligation, God’s command for us to sing is a gift, uniting the wiring of
our minds and hearts to his life-giving instructions that keep us on the road back to
him.

Such a command reveals God’s heart for our flourishing. Through the gift of music,
he has united art with truth, offering a deeply enjoyable way for the gospel message
to sink itself into our hearts. As Bob Kauflin, a songwriter and worship leader said,
“There’s something about singing that both enables and encourages the rich
indwelling of the word of Christ in our hearts. The ‘word of Christ’ is the gospel. It’s
who Jesus is, what he’s done, and why it matters. That gospel is to dwell in us richly
through singing. Singing is what helps us do that and express that.”

Paul also instructs the church of Ephesus to use music as they relate to one another
and mature in Christ: “… speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs
from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving
thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Ephesians 5:19
2. Health and Temperance

Health Reform and Christian Temperance

"And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it
to obtain a corruptible crown, but we are incorruptible." 1 Cor. 9:25.

Many professed Christians do not know that it is a religious duty to preserve and
promote physical health. They seem to say, "Don't worry about your body; just try to
save your soul." So they never ask what is good and what is bad for one's health.
Smoking, drinking, eating pork, etc., are all right with them. We would never go along
with such health-destroying habits. Not only do we reject the things just mentioned,
but also the use of every other article that is evidently harmful, such as flesh foods in
general (even clean animals), coffee, tea, Coca-Cola, and other soft drinks, vinegar,
drugs, etc.

However big a list we might make, it would never be complete because more and
more health-damaging products are invented every day.

Someone may challenge us, "I will give you $1,000.00 if you show me where the
Bible forbids drinking coffee." A convinced health reformer would probably reply,
"And I will give you $2,000.00 if you show me where it is written, Thou shalt not
smoke."

The Bible does not offer a direct answer to every health question, but it plainly
teaches general health principles that permit or even demand specific applications in
harmony with our scientific knowledge, our experience, our common sense, and our
good will. For example:

"Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1
Cor. 10:31.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelled in
you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of
God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Cor. 3:16, 17.

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God that your whole
spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ." 1 Thess. 5:23.

As can be seen, health reform is part of our preparation for the second coming of
Christ.
I-MEDICINE AND RELIGION

Whatever tends to injure health and cause premature death is a form of slow suicide
and must, therefore, be considered a violation of the sixth commandment, which
says, "Thou shalt not kill." 20:13.

Things conducive to health:

faith in God; obedience to God's laws; assurance of God's approval

-clear conscience
-cheerfulness
correct habits in general
-obedience to physical laws governing the body
-proper diet
-physical exercise
-rest
fresh air (living in rural areas)
-sunshine

Things detrimental to health:

-guilty conscience
Stress (anxiety, mental depression, unhappy married life, etc.)
wrong eating habits (eating too much, eating at improper times, eating unwholesome
food, not drinking enough pure water, etc.)
-close confinement
-polluted air (lack of ventilation) -lack of sunshine (sleeping in a sunless room) -lack
of physical exercise
lack of rest
lack of cleanliness
-improper clothing
-intoxication (smoking, drinking, drug medication, etc.)

Some rules for eating and drinking:

In grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts are to be found all the food elements that we
need." CD 310.
Articles of diet that should not be touched: flesh foods (CD 373–416), animal fats,
coffee, tea (CD 393), beer, wine, and alcoholic drinks in general (CD 420–421). Rich
desserts (rich cakes, pies, puddings, etc.) should be left alone. "Especially harmful
are the custards and puddings in which milk, eggs, and sugar are the chief
ingredients." CD 331-335
Cheese, rich pastry, spiced foods, and condiments do their work in deranging the
stomach, exciting the nerves, and enfeebling the intellect." CD 236.
Mustard, pepper, pickles, vinegar, and similar things irritate the stomach (CD 345).
Baking soda causes inflammation of the stomach and is poisonous to the system
(CD 316).
The excessive use of salt is harmful (CD 311, 340). And so is the excessive use of
sugar. (CD 327).
Forbear from the consumption of fried foods and the excessive use of fat and oil (CD
354).
Milk and sugar, eaten together in large quantities, are even more injurious than meat
(CD 330).
It is not well to eat fruit and vegetables at the same meal." MH 299.
Food should not be eaten very hot or very cold. If food is cold, the vital force of the
stomach is drawn upon in order to warm it before digestion can take place." CD 106.
Overeating debilitates the stomach and the other organs of digestion, bringing on as
a result a feeling of oppression, indigestion (dyspepsia), colic, and headaches. It
benumbs the sensitive nerves of the brain and exerts a depressing influence on the
intellect (CD 101–103). By indulging in overeating and failing to get sufficient
physical exercise, many are digging their graves with their teeth. "Such a course
endangers the strongest constitution." CD 141.
Those who are bothered by a sense of "oneness" and a desire for frequent eating
should restrict their appetite. The sense of faintness, the all-gone feeling, "is
generally the result of eating meat frequently and too much" (CD 175).
A two-meal-a-day program is recommended for better health (CD 173, 178). If a third
meal is deemed necessary, it should be light and eaten several hours before going
to bed (CD 174).
Eat a substantial breakfast because in the morning your stomach is better prepared
"to take care of more food than at the second or third meal of the day" (CD 173).
Drinking at mealtime retards the digestive process. "Taken with meals, water
diminishes the flow of the salivary glands; and the colder the water, the greater the
injury to the stomach. Ice water or ice lemonade, drunk with meals, will arrest
digestion until the system has imparted sufficient warmth to the stomach to enable it
to take up its work again. Hot drinks are debilitating; and besides, those who indulge
in their use become slaves to the habit. Food should not be washed down; no drink
is needed with meals." CD 420.
Digestion is hindered by violent exercise or deep study immediately after eating. But
a short walk after a meal is beneficial (CD 103, 104).
Regularity in eating is essential. "The stomach calls for food at the time it is
accustomed to receiving it." If dinner is eaten one or two hours before or after the
usual time, the stomach is not prepared to take care of it properly (CD 179).
The stomach needs rest. After a regular meal, at least five hours should elapse
before the next meal is eaten (CD 173, 179). Nothing should be eaten between
meals. (CD 229, 235, 236).
A fruit diet for a few days has often brought great relief to brain workers. Many times
a short period of entire abstinence from food, followed by simple, moderate eating,
has led to recovery through nature's own recuperative effort. An abstemious diet for
a month or two would convince many sufferers that the path of self-denial is the path
to health." CD 189.
3. Religious Freedom

Religious Freedom: A Multifaceted Gift to Humanity

Published in Adventist Review on March 4, 2022.

https://adventistreview.org/feature/religious-freedom-a-multifaceted-gift-to-humanity/

There is more to religious freedom than meets the eye. While belief in religious
freedom is as old as religion itself, it has only been in the last 250 years that nation
states and the international community have more clearly expressed their
commitments to preserving this fundamental human freedom. “The American
experiment,” written into constitutional guarantees in 1789-1791, clearly articulated a
key understanding of this freedom by formally separating church and state, and
forbidding legislatures to make any “law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Other constitutions soon reflected similar
understandings, but the consensus about religious freedom took longer to develop in
the international community.

One catalyzing organization in the development of that international consensus has

been the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), which has a fascinating
history and story. dating from its charter in 1893. The context that prompted the
creation of this religious liberty association was proposed legislation in the United
States Senate that would have directly violated the constitutional guarantees of the
First Amendment.

In 1888, Adventist leaders opposed two bills introduced in the US senate by Senator
Henry W. Blair of New Hampshire. The first bill called for a promotion of Sunday,
understood as the Lord’s Day, a day of rest, whose observance the bill was
supposed to impose as a national requirement. The second bill proposed a
constitutional amendment requiring the nation’s public school to teach the ‘principles
of the Christian religion.’

One of the leaders among Seventh-day Adventist pioneers, Alonzo, T, Jones, a

future editor of the Adventist Review, even testified to the Congress to stop Sunday
law and the proposed provision to make America into a Christian nation. It was, as
he clearly described it, a religious liberty issue.

One year later in 1889, Seventh-day Adventists created an association in order to

promote religious liberty. It was called “The National Religious Liberty Association.”
This movement was amplified in 1893 when the association expanded to become
the International Religious Liberty Association.

Engaging political and religious actors at the beginning of Seventh-day Adventist

church existence became a deliberate choice. Some would say that doing so was a
necessity if the Seventh-day Adventist church was to be credible and relevant in the
public space. Promoting religious liberty was meant to benefit all. Seventh-day
Adventists understand religious liberty as a universal human right that cannot be
restricted to a group at the exclusion of others.

Today, the discipline of engaging the international community, including both global
and national institutions, to promote the foundational and pivotal position of religious
freedom is still vital.

What makes this freedom so compelling?

A Growing International Consensus Because of Tragic Events

Significant global geopolitical events altered the history of our world in significant
ways. Two world wars in the 20th century prompted the human family to reassess its
moral compass. The enormous loss of human life challenged the accumulated
traditions of centuries: 16 million deaths during WWI, and 60 million deaths during
WWII.

Critical questions that could no longer be ignored were squarely in the moral vision
of the international community. What is the value of human life? Why so many
senseless killings?

What is the measure of human dignity? How could lives be either privileged or
abused because of valuing grounded on racial, ethnic, cultural, political, or even
religious hierarchical constructs?

Are there principles—moral principles—which can serve as barometer or reference

points in human relations, states engagements and international norms?

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948,
was set to play such a role—a guiding compass regarding what really matters when
in protecting human life, human rights, and human responsibilities. Key among these
rights, one which in fact undergirds all rights, is freedom of religion or belief. Article
18 of the UDHR states:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion;

this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone
or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief
in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.”

What follows is an attempt to explore the multifaceted dimensions of freedom of

religion or belief, at personal, interpersonal, societal, national, and international
levels.

International Recognition and Formulation of Religious Freedom.

Freedom of religion or belief is explicitly recognized in international law through the

UN Charter; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Helsinki
Accords; the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and
Discrimination based on Religion or Belief; the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the African Commission on
Human, and People's rights; and in many other institutions’ working policies.

The two most famous declarations about religious freedom are found as Article 18 in
the Universal Declaration of Human rights (UDHR), and as Article 18 in the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The ultimate goal of freedom, religious freedom, and other freedoms as well, is love.

Fundamentally, religious liberty, religious freedom, or freedom of religion or belief,

according to the international legal nomenclature, is an indispensable and
incontrovertible tool for developing awareness in delineating the parameters of what
it means to be human and humane. While considering freedom of religion or belief
from legal, political, social, and cultural perspectives, our fundamental non-tradable
and nonnegotiable thesis is that religious freedom speaks not only to the humanity of
every person but also to the sacredness of human beings. This presupposition is the
foundational pillar of religious freedom from a faith-based perspective. That is the
spiritual root of religious freedom.

The feature of human experience that determines the locus of this infinite value of
every person is human conscience. Ingrained in our human consciousness and
conscience is the need for freedom and self-determination for every human being
capable of mature rationality.

Defining Our Terms

Religious Freedom is first a freedom. It is part of a cluster of interrelated,

interdependent, and indivisible freedoms. It is also a compound freedom that is
inseparable and central to all other fundamental freedoms.

“The logic is the fact that religious freedom is a compound liberty, that is, there are
other liberties bound within it. Allowing the freedom of religion entails allowing the
freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, and the liberty of conscience. If a
regime accepts religious freedom, a multiplier effect naturally develops and pressure
the regime toward further reforms. As such religious liberty limits government (it is a
‘liberty’ after all) by protecting society from the state. Social pluralism can develop
because religious minorities are protected” (Hitchen, as quoted by Carter 2017).

Religious freedom can be defined as the right to profess, practice, and propagate
one’s beliefs without coercion, intimidation, or manipulation. Freedom of religion or
belief includes the right to wear symbols, and to display them in the public space. It
is also the right to possess or to own property devoted to religious or philosophical
matters.

Consequently, freedom of religion or belief is the right to build institutions as

expressions of one’s deeply held convictions. Religious liberty includes the right to
build sacred spaces designed to promote one’s convictions, worldview, and values. It
is also the right to perform rites and rituals to signify one’s beliefs.

It is also the right to celebrate and/or to set aside sacred times to express exclusive
allegiance to God: for example, a day when all is submitted to God’s sovereignty:
one’s time, reflections, and activities or rest as in Judaism or in Seventh-day
Adventist faith tradition.

This freedom signifies the following realities.

1. A political principle. At a most basic level, freedom of thought, conscience,

religion, or belief is a political principle which undergirds other political principles,
such as consent of the governed, limited government, rule of law, democracy, and
representative government;

2. A legal provision in international law, enshrined in the UDHR, European Union,

African Union agencies, OAS, ASEAN, other international institutions, and national
constitutions;

3. A compound freedom. It presupposes freedom of thought, conscience, belief,

conviction, expression, assembly, and association.

4. A human right. The right aspects is often emphasized, but there is more. The
human aspect should not be neglected for anthropological, theological,
philosophical, and existential reasons.

5. A sign of our humanity, not only because of our rationality but also because of our
sense of moral and ethical responsibilities. Moreover, the pivotal position of religious
freedom grounded on freedom of conscience allows it to provide a normative basis
for what it means to be a human being. It has both individual and corporate
dimensions such as peaceful coexistence and cooperation.

6. A symbol of our interconnectedness, because of what we have in common, not

just consciousness but also human conscience.

7. A seal of sacredness. In monotheistic religions, human beings are sacred, temples

of the divine, created in the image of God; or representatives of the divine; or
connected to the divine, as stipulated in Asian religions.

8. A call to solidarity, tolerance, and respect, based on the sacredness of every

human being.

9. A moral imperative. Freedom of conscience religion or belief is a deterrent against

authoritarianism or totalitarianism. It is against the trampling of human dignity,
against the reduction of human beings to objects which one can dominate,
domesticate or subjugate.
10. An expression of the immeasurable value of every human being. Freedom of
religion or belief is a sign signifying the need to protect human beings from being
instrumental zed, used, abused, and dehumanized. Human beings have infinite
value.

Widening the Scope

Freedom of religion or belief is thus a sign of our humanity, and a symbol of the
interconnectedness of the human family. It is intrinsically a call for human solidarity.
This freedom, based on the inviolability of human conscience, is also an antidote
against the trampling of human dignity and against the abuses of dominance,
dominations, and dominions.

As such, it is purposed to foster tolerance in the dignity of difference without the

need of uniformity in belief. Promoting religious freedom is to equip people with the
foundation for the respect of every human being. Religious freedom should be
fostering responsibility based on the imperative of human solidarity. It positions us to
see others from a benevolent disposition, to embrace their infinite mysterious,
unquantifiable, and immeasurable value.

What Faith Tells Us

From a faith-based perspective, freedom of religion or belief is primarily understood

as a divine attribute. Only a being totally autonomous and dependent on nothing
outside of oneself can claim absolute freedom. Nonetheless, the idea of creation in
the image of God, reflected in the language of the Book of Genesis, leaves room for
reflecting divine communicable attributes such as freedom.

From faith’s perspective, religious freedom is best understood as part of the image of
God. It is deeply connected to the issue of free will. The justification of the
importance of free will and freedom of choice is the fact that there can be no genuine
covenant without the freedom to choose to enter a relationship. Love cannot be
forced. God gives us a choice. We have not been created as robots, programmed
machines who will automatically do things expected under certain circumstances.

Today, in our world, there is a growing awareness of the need for a space where a
consensus can reached regarding the importance of all human beings. There is a
growing awareness of the preciousness of human life, the mystery of human life, the
incontrovertible factoring in of the human dignity of every person. This awareness is
—obviously—fiercely contested by supremacist ideologies, but it is still part of the
world ethos.

Still, “an urgent need exists for more conceptual clarity concerning freedom of
religion or belief, not only in order to defend this right against inimical attacks from
outside, but also to strengthen the consensus about the significance of freedom of
religion or belief within the human rights community itself.” (Heiner Bielefeldt (2013,
35).
This need for consensus is obviously true and relevant for the religious communities
as well as part of civil society. The unique importance of human conscience, the
inner-sacred space which characterizes every human being, binding our very
existence and relations with others on ethical and moral principles and values clearly
needs greater and more public affirmation. Without such affirmation and protection,
people are vulnerable to being instrumental zed and downgraded to objects are used
and abused.

Judging, criticizing, putting people into boxes, cataloguing them, and disrespecting
the sanctity of their lives is unacceptable abuse.

Freedom of religion or belief functions as a sign and an ever-present reminder of the

need to relate to every person with respect and courteous circumspection before the
mystery of every person. That mysterious inner world is rich with beauty and hidden
treasures, but also displays traumas and wounds that make life difficult for many.

Every human story is complex. No one should function as prosecutor, jury, and judge
in an extra-legal “courtroom,” distributing sentences against others because they are
different, or because they do not fit our system of references and preferences.
Acceptance of other people’s right to exist in the dignity of difference requires a
pause in each person, a relinquishing of the self-appointed indecency to judge others
without knowing their stories. It requires hearing from them on their own terms.

Religious freedom, when believed and embraced as part of one’s lifestyle, is part of
a benevolent disposition toward every person one meets. It becomes an integral part
of a lifestyle characterized by a humble attitude before the mystery of the other.
Every human being one meets is in a unique mysterious connection with the Creator.
This relationship is sacred and intimate. It may be at various stages of realization,
but it is nonetheless irreducible to any categorization. It should therefore never be
desecrated by disruptive intrusions by anyone. This unique sacred space that
conscience is, is irreplaceable and irreproducible. It should not be violated. Judging,
criticizing, putting people into boxes, cataloguing them, and disrespecting the
sanctity of their lives is unacceptable abuse, whether those acts occur in global,
national, community, or personal theaters. All humans are sacredly endowed:
children, youth, adults, elderly people, and members of all races, ethnicities, and
faiths.

What If We Embrace Religious Freedom?

Religious freedom or freedom of religion or belief has been difficult to embrace

because of the implications it requires for how we live and relate to others. But if this
freedom were embraced, there would be no genocides, no conquest, no subjugation
of people, no domination and domestication of other people, no human trafficking,
and no slavery, contemporary or ancient. There would be no territorial annexations
depriving people groups and individuals of their space of living and resources.
States would not use anti-blasphemy laws and anti-conversions laws to reprimand,
repress, persecute, imprison and murder dissenting voices. The dignity of difference
would be celebrated if no one is harmed, hurt, humiliated, and ostracized because
they believe differently.

if this freedom were embraced, there would be no genocides, no conquest, no

subjugation of people, no domination and domestication of other people, no human
trafficking, and no slavery.

On the other hand, the right to be different would not be used to force societies to
legitimize personal choices not consonant with other people’s beliefs. Freedom of
belief should never be used to force a belief on others.

In the religious sphere, world religions would use the power of witness and peaceful
persuasion to share their convictions. There would be no coercion, forced
conversions or intimidation not to convert. Christians would uplift Christ instead of
forced conversions and military dominance to subjugate indigenous populations.
Mission, unlike some of its painful history, would only be a commission to witness to
the Prince of Peace and His call for reconciliation with God and with one another.

Insight from the Bible

An incontrovertible dimension of religious freedom is revealed in the fifth chapter of

book of Galatians. The Apostle Paul argues that the whole Christian faith is
predicated upon the idea of freedom. He wrote: “It is for freedom that Christ set us
free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
He repeats this premise in v. 13:

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an
opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is
fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In this context, the Apostle Paul climaxes his argument with a delineation of “the fruit
of the Spirit.” The ultimate goal of freedom, religious freedom, and other freedoms as
well, is love. More specifically and comprehensively, the goal of freedom is the fruit
of the Holy Spirit:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-
control”

(Galatians 5:22-23).

If these things are believed; if this tree matures; if this fruit appears, we see clearly
that we have individual, interpersonal, social, political, economic, and spiritual
responsibilities which we must act to fulfill. Faith requires nothing less of us.
Persons from many and differing faith and philosophical traditions can rally to
promote such pivotal and incontrovertible freedom, for peaceful coexistence, for the
healing of human relations and for societal health through the dignity of difference.

Ganoune Diop, Ph.D

4. Youth Evangelism

Empowering Youth Focusing on Salvation and Service

Discipleship, Leadership, Missions, Evangelism

It's probably Ellen White's best-known statement about young people—and an

unforgettable image for anyone who works with youth. An army of dedicated
Christian young people, deployed around the world to bring the message of Jesus
soon return to everyone. It's the vision that shapes our work as Adventist youth.
leaders.
We have never fully realized the potential of this army of youth. At various times
In our history, at different places in the Adventist world, we've come close. Waive
tapped into that potential army with tremendous results. But in too many places,
Too much of the time, the army of youth remains an unrealized dream.
As youth leaders, we spend effort and energy trying to entertain our youth so they
won't slip away from the church. We argue among ourselves about how to solve
the problem of our youth. We worry about their dress, their music, and their
deportment, their games, movies, and dates. It's time we actually put our effort
towards mobilizing God's army!
Our twofold focus as Adventist youth leaders must always be Salvation and
Service. We work to introduce our young people to Jesus Christ so that they will
choose a saving relationship with Him for themselves. The second part of this
Equally important is to train them to bring His message of love and
hope to others.
This handbook will focus on four keys to achieving the twin goals of salvation.
and Service:

! Discipleship
! Leadership
! Missions
! Evangelism

Discipleship is the process of learning to follow.

Ultimately, the leader we want our youth to follow is, of course, Jesus. As leaders,
We ourselves need to be Christ's disciples. Then we need to encourage young
people to become our disciples in order to teach them to follow Jesus. Paul said:
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV).
6
This is akin to the concept of mentoring that is so popular in the business world.
but it goes much farther. Jesus commission was to go and make disciples of all
nations. The process of making a disciple involves sharing the values, lifestyle,
and priorities that we ourselves have learned from Jesus. Through this process, we
lead young people into their own saving relationship with Jesus, and we model a
life of service, which they can take to the world.
Go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew
28:19)

Leadership is what we do as youth leaders, pastors, and Sabbath school leaders.

and teachers need to show.

It's also what we need to develop in our young people. Our task is to become
effective leaders ourselves, and to train our youth to become leaders—leaders in
their peer group and their community, so that they can lead others to Jesus.

Missions Following Jesus example means doing the kind of loving service
for others that He did.

We can give our young people countless opportunities to serve others, both in their
own communities and around the world. Whether it's mowing the grass for a
senior citizen, serving lunch at a soup kitchen, or building an orphanage in
Another country, missions, and service projects will draw our young people closer to
Jesus than any other activity we can plan for them.

Evangelism Reaching the world with His message is the ultimate goal of
our Adventist youth ministry.

With our focus clearly on Salvation and Service, we need to provide evangelistic
opportunities for our own young people to make a decision for Jesus, and then
involve them in evangelism—both traditional and non-traditional—that will give
them the opportunity to share His message with others.

There should be an earnest desire in the heart of every youth who has purposed to
be a disciple of Jesus Christ to reach the highest Christian standard and to be a
worker with Christ. (Ellen G. White, God's Amazing Grace, p. 284)

In a moment, we'll look at practical ways to achieve these four goals of leadership,
discipleship, mission and service, and evangelism. First, though, let's see what effect
a focus on Salvation and Service for youth will have on the local church, on you as
the youth leader, and on the youth themselves.
Salvation and Service for All Ages

MASTER GUIDE LEADERSHIP

This continues to be the highest level of leadership within the Adventurer/ Pathfinder
programs of the church. It focuses on one’s personal spiritual life and growth first
and foremost. General leadership skills are then woven into the sharpening of those
skills, which are specifically geared to leading youth in God-ordained areas of
development: understanding God’s world of nature, outreach ministry, service to
others and a life-style that denotes healthy living.

As one church leader of the past put it so simply: “You can’t teach what you don’t
know, and you can’t lead where you won’t go.” As leaders we must not only be good
at spouting theory if we expect to see success with our youth ministry; we must live
what we preach and demonstrate it.
Adventurers (ages 6-9)

Adventurer-aged children are the very youngest of our youth, but they are not too
young for Salvation and Service. Your Adventurer ministry should take advantage of
the natural energy, enthusiasm and curiosity of children in this age group. Parents,
church school teachers, and Sabbath School teachers all have an important role to
play in introducing children of this age to Jesus and to the joy of serving Him.
Children in this age group are old enough to understand the concepts of sin and
salvation if they are explained simply and clearly, and are old enough to make a
commitment to Jesus for themselves.

This is an ideal age to begin a lifetime of service activities. Children in this age
group are usually eager to help others and will find service projects fun and
interesting.

Pathfinders (ages 10-15)

Young people enter the Pathfinder years with the wide-eyed eagerness and enthusiasm
of elementary-school children; they leave those years as sophisticated high-school-aged
teenagers. During the Pathfinder years, children go through the tremendous physical and
social changes of early adolescence. They begin to separate their own identity from that of
their families and begin to identify more with their peers than with their parents.

Early adolescents often become bored with church activities and may sometimes rebel
against family and church standards. An active Pathfinder Club, supported by a good junior
and early elementary Sabbath School program, can help keep youth of this age involved and
interested in the church.

During these years, most children raised in Adventist homes will face the decision of
whether or not to be baptized. Baptism often occurs during the years between 10 and 15; in
fact, the average age of baptism in the Adventist church is about 10.8 years (The ABZs of
Adventist Youth Ministry). Encourage young people to wait until they fully understand the
significance of a commitment to Jesus and the responsibilities of church membership.

As you lead youth in this age group to make a commitment to Jesus through baptism,
give them many opportunities to become involved in service. Effective service projects can
pierce through adolescent apathy and help young people see that their faith is meaningful
and relevant.
5. Morality

Ethics in a Challenging World

What does it mean to be ethical? Answers vary, based on those who respond, where
they are from, and who or what determines their morality. Ethics, after all, are based
on one’s morality.

Culture strongly influences what is considered ethical within a given society. One
successful consulting firm offers this definition: “Ethical behavior means acting in
ways that are consistent with what society, individuals, and businesses generally
accept as good values.¹

In this and many secular models, “society, individuals, and businesses” determine
what is ethical behavior. Therefore, depending on cultural norms, what is determined
as ethical in one society may or may not be considered ethical in another. These
ethics can change based on culture.

While some cultures and secular entities give a nod to biblical principles, such as the
Golden Rule of treating others as we wish to be treated, most do not acknowledge
the authority of a higher, God-given, unchangeable moral law in determining
universal ethical behavior.

SUPERSEDING CULTURE

Seventh-day Adventists, however, acknowledge God’s moral law, the Ten

Commandments, as timeless and superseding all cultures. This divinely given code
of conduct determines our ethics. In more than 200 countries and multiple cultures,
God’s last-day remnant movement seeks to operate based upon His moral law,
which outlines ethical behavior toward God and our fellow humans.

This timeless, authoritative moral code of ethical conduct is summarized in such

biblical texts as, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself”
(Luke 10:27) and “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord
require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
(Micah 6:8).

Rather than replacing the Ten Commandments, these summaries provide a way of
expressing the main purpose of God’s moral law, upon which we base our ethics and
behavior, regardless of time or culture.
PERFECT EXAMPLE

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of ethical behavior. In the well-known Sermon on
the Mount, Christ outlines heavenly morals and behavior.

Starting with the Beatitudes, He identifies these heavenly moral values—meekness;

a strong desire for righteousness; mercy; purity of heart; peacemaking—and offers
comfort and hope to those who are “poor in spirit” and those who are persecuted.

Christ continues with specific examples of Christian moral behavior and ethical
expectations—being a light; keeping the commandments; having pure motives;
being faithful to one’s spouse; going the second mile; and loving one’s enemies.
Tucked in is a model prayer; encouragement to place one’s treasures in heaven
rather than on earth; an assurance about not worrying; and an admonition not to
judge others. Jesus ends with the parable of the wise man who built his house upon
solid rock, rather than shifting sand.

This sermon, given on a grassy hillside 2,000 years ago, has been acknowledged for
centuries as the most powerful discourse on ethical behavior ever given. Yet some
assert that its precepts are impossible to fulfill, particularly Christ’s command:
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).

TRUE MORALITY

Is Jesus setting us up for automatic failure with an impossible request? Ellen White
wrote: “Before the world, God is developing us as living witnesses to what men and
women may become through the grace of Christ. We are enjoined to strive for
perfection of character. . . . Would Christ tantalize us by requiring of us an
impossibility? Never, never! What an honor He confers upon us in urging us to be
holy in our sphere, as the Father is holy in His sphere! He can enable us to do this,
for He declares, ‘All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.’ This unlimited
power it is our privilege to claim.”²

Explaining how this takes place, she wrote: “Those who desire to be transformed in
mind and character are not to look to men, but to the divine Example. God gives the
invitation, ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’ By conversion
and transformation, men are to receive the mind of Christ.”³

We are to submit daily to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the power of Christ in our
lives. Only by Christ’s grace are we saved and grow in submission to Him, thus
becoming more like Him all through His power. As Paul wrote: “Work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do
for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12, 13). Abide in Christ and grow in Christ. He wants
us to become like Him through His power.

These ethics transcend time and culture because they are God-given and universal
in application. They are inextricably tied to the gospel.
Ellen White observed: “Through sin the whole human organism is deranged, the
mind is perverted, the imagination corrupted. Sin has degraded the faculties of the
soul. Temptations from without find an answer chord within the heart, and the feet
turn imperceptibly toward evil.”⁴

ETHICS OF THE GOSPEL

But praise God, we are not left in this wretched condition! “As the sacrifice in our
behalf was complete, so our restoration from the defilement of sin is to be complete,”
wrote Ellen White. “No act of wickedness will the law of God excuse; no
unrighteousness can escape its condemnation. The ethics of the
gospel acknowledge no standard but the perfection of the divine character. . . .
[Christ’s] life is our example of obedience and service. God alone can renew the
heart.”⁵

And He has promised to do so. When we are converted and submit our will to His,
Christ performs this amazing transformation within us: “I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give
you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Eze. 36:26, 27).

This is the key to receiving the mind of Christ, to becoming the ethical, moral people
He calls us to be as individuals, and as His church.

“The glory of God is His character. . . . This character was revealed in the life of
Christ. . . . Christ desires His followers to reveal in their lives this same character. . . .
Today it is still His purpose to sanctify and cleanse His church ‘with the washing of
water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.’ No
greater gift than the character that He revealed, can Christ ask His Father to bestow
upon those who believe on Him.”⁶

¹ Nick Price, “Ethical Behavior for Board Members Is Culturally Driven,”

BoardEffect.com, August 9, 2017, www.boardeffect.com/blog/ethical-behavior-board-
members-culturally-driven/
² Ellen G. White, “Let This Mind Be in You,” Signs of the Times, Sept. 3, 1902.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub.
Assn.,1905), p. 451.
⁵ Ibid., pp. 451, 452. (Italics supplied.)
⁶ White, “Let This Mind Be in You.”
6. Human Rights
From its very inception in the middle of the nineteenth century, the Seventh-day
Adventist Church has supported human rights. Inspired by biblical values, the early
Adventists were involved in the struggle against slavery and injustice. They claimed
the right of every person to choose beliefs according to conscience and to practice
and teach his or her religion in full freedom, without discrimination, always respecting
the equal rights of others. Seventh-day Adventists are convinced that in religion the
exercise of force is contrary to God's principles.

In promoting religious freedom, family life, education, health, mutual assistance, and
meeting crying human need, Seventh-day Adventists affirm the dignity of the human
person created in the image of God.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written and adopted by
individuals who had emerged from the unprecedented destruction, disorientation and
distress of World War II. This harrowing experience gave them a vision of and desire
for a future world of peace and freedom. Coming from the best and highest part of
the human heart, the Universal Declaration is a fundamental document standing
firmly for human dignity, liberty, equality, and non-discrimination of minorities. Article
18, which upholds unconditionally religious liberty in belief and practice, is of special
importance, because freedom of religion is the basic human right which undergirds
and upholds all human rights.

Today the UDHR is often violated, not least Article 18. Intolerance frequently raises
its ugly head, despite the human rights progress accomplished in many nations. The
Seventh-day Adventist Church urges the United Nations, government authorities,
religious leaders and believers, and non-government organizations to consistently
work for the implementation of this Declaration. Politicians, trade union leaders,
teachers, employers, media representatives, and all opinion leaders should give
strong support to human rights. This would respond to and help reduce growing and
violent religious extremism, intolerance, hate crimes and discrimination based either
on religion or anti-religious secularism. In this way, the Universal Declaration will
grow in practical importance and luster, and never risk becoming an irrelevant
document.

This statement was voted by the General Conference Administrative Committee,

November 17, 1998, and released by the General Conference Office of Public
Affairs.

human rights, rights that belong to an individual or group of individuals simply for
being human, or as a consequence of inherent human vulnerability, or because they
are requisite to the possibility of a just society. Whatever their theoretical justification,
human rights refer to a wide continuum of values or capabilities thought to enhance human
agency or protect human interests and declared to be universal in character, in some sense equally
claimed for all human beings, present and future.
It is a common observation that human beings everywhere require the realization
of diverse values or capabilities to ensure their individual and collective well-being. It
also is a common observation that this requirement—whether conceived or
expressed as a moral or a legal demand—is often painfully frustrated by social as
well as natural forces, resulting in exploitation, oppression, persecution, and other
forms of deprivation. Deeply rooted in these twin observations are the beginnings of
what today are called “human rights” and the national and international legal
processes associated with them.
7. Christian Dress

We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the
principles of heaven. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we
involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christ like purity, health,
and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet
the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing cultural
differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true
beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a
gentle and quiet spirit. It also means that because our bodies are the temples of the
Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and
rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean
foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the
irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain
from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and
bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and
goodness.—Fundamental Beliefs, 21

Christian Behavior

Christian behavior—the lifestyle of a follower of God—arises as a grateful response

to God's magnificent salvation through Christ. Paul appeals to all Christians: "I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove which is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God"
(Rom. 12:1, 2). So Christians willingly protect and develop their mental, physical and
spiritual faculties in order that they may honor their Creator and Redeemer.

Christ prayed, "'I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You
should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the
world'" (John 17:15, 16). How can a Christian be both in the world and separate from
it? How should the Christian lifestyle differ from that of the world?

Christians should adopt a different lifestyle, not for the sake of being different but
because God has called them to live by principle. The lifestyle to which He has
called them enables them to reach their full potential as His creation, making them
efficient in His service. Being different also advances their mission: to serve the
world—to be salt in it, light to it. Of what value would salt be without taste, or light
that didn't differ from darkness?
Christ is our example. He lived so thoroughly in the world that people accused Him
of being "'a glutton and a drunkard'" (Matt. 11:19, NIV), though He was not. He so
consistently lived out God's principles that no one could prove Him guilty of sin (John
8:46, NIV).

Behavior and Salvation

In determining what is appropriate behavior, we should avoid two extremes.

The first is accepting the rules and applications of principles to become as a means
of salvation. Paul sums up this extreme with the words, "You who are trying to be
justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace"
(Gal. 5:4, NIV).

The opposite extreme is believing that since works do not save, they are therefore
unimportant—that what a person does really doesn't matter. Paul spoke to this
extreme too: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom
to indulge the sinful nature" (Gal. 5:13, NIV). When each member follows his or her
own conscience, "there is no mutual discipline of fellow Christians in keeping with
Matthew 18 and Galatians 6:1, 2. The church becomes not the body of Christ, within
which there is mutual love and care, but a collection of atomistic individuals, each of
whom goes his or her own way without taking any responsibility for one's fellows or
accepting any concern for them."1

While our behavior and our spirituality are closely related, we can never earn
salvation by correct behavior. Rather, Christian behavior is a natural fruit of salvation
and is grounded in what Christ has already accomplished for us at Calvary.
8. Sex and Romance

THE DIVINE IDEAL OF SEXUALITY AND MARRIAGE

Issues related to human sexuality and marriage can be seen in their true light as
they are viewed against the background of the divine ideal for humanity. God’s
creative activity culminated in making humankind in His own image as male and
female and instituting marriage. Marriage as a wonderful divine gift to humanity is a
covenant-based union of the two genders physically, emotionally, and spiritually,
referred to in Scripture as “one flesh.” Jesus Christ affirmed marriage to be both
monogamous and heterosexual, a lifelong union of loving companionship between a
man and a woman. In addition, throughout Scripture such heterosexual union in
marriage is elevated as a symbol of the bond between Deity and humanity.

The harmonious relation of a man and a woman in marriage provides a microcosm

of social unity that is time-honored as a core ingredient of stable societies. The
Creator intended married sexuality not only to serve a punitive purpose but also to
provide joy, pleasure, and physical completeness. At the same time, it is to a
husband and wife whose love has enabled them to know each other in a deep
sexual bond that a child may be entrusted. Their child, a living embodiment of their
oneness, thrives in the atmosphere of married love and unity and has the benefit of a
relationship with each of the natural parents.

While the monogamous union in marriage of a man and a woman is affirmed as the
divinely ordained foundation of the family and social life and the only morally
appropriate locus of intimate sexual expression, [1] singleness and the friendship of
singles are within the divine design as well. Scripture, however, places a distinction
between acceptable conduct in friendship relations and sexual conduct in marriage.

Unfortunately, human sexuality and marriage have been corrupted by sin. Therefore,
Scripture does not focus only on the positive aspects of human sexuality but also on
wrong expressions of sexuality and their negative impact on people and society. It
warns humans of destructive sexual behaviors such as fornication, adultery,
homosexual intimacies, incest, and polygamy, (e.g., Matt 19:1-12; 1 Cor 5:1-13; 6:9-
20; 7:10-16, 39; Heb 13:4; Rev 22:14, 15) and calls them to do what is good,
healthy, and beneficial.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church adheres without reservation to the divine ideal of
pure, honorable, and loving sexual relations within heterosexual marriage, believing
that any lowering of this high view is detrimental to humanity. It also believes that the
ideals of purity and beauty of marriage as designed by God need to be emphasized.
Through the redemptive work of Christ, the original purpose of marriage may be
recovered, and the delightful and wholesome experience of matrimony may be
realized by a man and a woman who join their lives in a lifelong marriage covenant.
THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY

The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that it has been called into existence by
God to proclaim the everlasting gospel to the entire world, and to invite persons
everywhere to be ready for the second coming of Jesus. The Church pursues God’s
mission around the globe, currently teaching, preaching, caring, and serving in more
than 200 nations. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has no creedal statement: it
believes that its teachings rest on the authority of the Bible alone. It summarizes
those beliefs, however, in a Statement of Fundamental Beliefs, currently 28 in
number. Central to the Church’s understanding of God’s plan for ordering human
society is its teaching on “Marriage and the Family.” 2

Because Seventh-day Adventists live, work, and minister in every part of the world,
individual Seventh-day Adventists and the institutions by which the Church pursues
God’s mission relate to and interact with all levels of human government. The Bible
instructs Christians to be obedient to the laws enacted by civil government, and
wherever morally possible, Seventh-day Adventist members and Church
organizations will seek to be subject to the governing authorities, even as they seek
counsel about how to respond when the claims of government conflict with the truths
of the Bible and the Fundamental Beliefs of the Church.

THE CHURCH’S RELATIONSHIP TO CIVIL LEGISLATION ABOUT

HOMOSEXUALITY AND ALTERNATIVE SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

The Word of God is replete with instruction and illustration bearing on the believer’s
relationship to the authority and jurisdiction of civil government. Because the
Seventh-day Adventist Church values the entirety of the Word of God as its ultimate
authority for truth, doctrine, and way of life, it always seeks to reflect in its teaching
and practice the full message of Scripture regarding appropriate interaction with civil
government. To that end, the Church periodically offers counsel to individuals,
leaders, and church institutions when the claims of civil government and the
teachings of the Bible appear to be in conflict. This document focuses on the growing
divide between the enactments of some civil governments and the beliefs of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church about acceptable sexual behaviors.

The following principles, though not comprehensive, undergird the Church’s

consistent application of biblical truths to the societies and cultures in which it
operates and the governments to which it responds. These principles will be
especially important in framing, for a Church ministry or organization, an appropriate
response to any level of civil government that may attempt to impose on the Church
its perceptions of legally and morally acceptable sexual practices.

1. All human governments exist through the provision and allowance of God. The
apostle Paul clearly instructs both individual Christians and the Church to place
themselves willingly in submission to human governments that have been ordained
by God to preserve God-given liberties, promote justice, preserve social order, and
care for the disadvantaged (see Rom 13:1-3). Insofar as they act in concert with the
values and principles articulated in the Word of God, civil governments deserve the
respect and obedience of individual believers and the corporate Church. Wherever
possible, individual Seventh-day Adventists and Church organizations in a given
state or nation will seek by their behavior and statements to be understood as loyal
citizens, participating in the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Additionally,
believers are instructed to pray for those in civil authority (1 Tim 2:1, 2) so that
believers may practice the virtues of God’s kingdom.

2. Although the authority of human government is derived from the authority of God,
the claims and jurisdictions of human governments are never ultimately definitive for
either individual believers or the Church. Both individual believers and the Church
owe supreme allegiance to God Himself. On those occasions when the claims of civil
government directly conflict with and contradict the teaching of the Word of God as
understood by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, both the Church and its members
are bound by that same Word of God to obey its precepts rather than those of
human government (Acts 5:29). This expression of a higher allegiance is specific
only to the claim of government that is in contradiction to the Word of God, and does
not otherwise diminish or remove the obligation of either the Church or individual
believers to live in submission to civil authority on other matters.

3. Because individual believers and the organized Church enjoy the rights and
liberties given them by God and ratified by civil government, they may fully
participate in the processes by which societies organize social life, provide for public
and electoral order, and structure civil relationships. This may include a clear
articulation of the Church’s beliefs in such things as (1) the preservation of liberty of
conscience; (2) the protection of the weak and disadvantaged; (3) the responsibility
of the state to promote justice and human rights; (4) the divinely ordained state of
marriage between one man and one woman and the family that results from this
union; and (5) the values of God-given health principles and practices in building up
the social and economic welfare of the state. Neither individual Seventh-day
Adventists nor the congregations, institutions, and entities through which they
engage in their God-given mission should surrender their privileges and rights as a
result of opposition to their allegiance to biblical teaching. With its long history of
defending religious liberty and freedom of worship around the globe, the Seventh-
day Adventist Church defends the rights of all persons, of whatever faith, to follow
the dictates of their conscience and to engage in the religious practices to which that
faith compels them.

4. Because the Seventh-day Adventist Church believes and practices a wholistic

understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ, its evangelistic, educational, publishing,
medical, and other ministry organizations are integral and indivisible expressions of
its fulfillment of the commission given by Jesus, “Go therefore and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19, 20,
ESV). While Seventh-day Adventist congregations, publishing and media ministries,
educational institutions, hospitals and medical centers, and ministry organizations
appear to share certain similarities with other social and cultural institutions, they
have historically been organized and continue to be organized on a faith and
fissional basis. They exist for the express purpose of communicating the saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ through their multiform methods and initiatives, and to
advance the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and should enjoy all the
privileges and liberties accorded to the religious organization of which they are
essential parts. The Seventh-day Adventist Church vigorously asserts and defends
the nonseparability of its various forms of mission, and urges all civil governments to
accord to each of its organizations and entities the rights of conscience and freedom
of religious practice asserted in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and
guaranteed in the constitutions of most world states.

5. In their interface with civil governments and societies, both the Church and
individual Seventh-day Adventists must conduct themselves as representatives of
the kingdom of Christ, exhibiting His characteristics of love, humility, honesty,
reconciliation, and commitment to the truths of the Word of God. Each human being,
of whatever gender, race, nationality, social class, faith, or sexual orientation,
deserves to be treated with respect and dignity by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
and the entities and organizations through which it pursues God’s mission. Because
it defines itself as the body of Christ, who “died for us” “while we were yet sinners”
(Rom 5:8), the Church holds itself to the highest standards of speech and conduct
toward all human beings. Recognizing that God is the ultimate Judge of all persons,
the Church believes in the opportunity of all persons to be included in the kingdom of
heaven as they acknowledge and forsake their sinfulness, confess Christ as Lord,
accept His righteousness in place of their own, seek to obey His commandments,
and live His life of service. The Church affirms its right to describe some behaviors,
ways of living, and the organizations that promote them as contrary to the Word of
God. The Church is also responsible, however, to differentiate clearly between its
critique of those beliefs and behaviors, and its respect for the persons expressing
those beliefs and behaviors. The Church does not condone and will not allow its
public statements on matters of social concern to be characterized as contempt or
verbal humiliation of those with whom it disagrees. In exercising its freedoms, the
Church’s public speech must exhibit the grace always seen in Jesus. All Seventh-
day Adventist entities and organizations, as well as individual members of the
Church, are urged to express their respect for individuals or groups of persons with
whose behavior and opinions they are compelled to disagree because of allegiance
to the Word of God. The Church earns the credibility to participate in difficult social
and national issues by its clear identification of itself as a redemptive entity.

In light of the above principles derived from the Word of God, the Seventh-day
Adventist Church seeks to offer counsel to congregations, church organizations and
entities, and those who lead church organizations and entities. The complex issues
surrounding civil governments’ responses to the reality of homosexuality and
alternative sexual practices in contemporary society underscore the importance of
this counsel.
9. AIDS/Cancer

RATIONALE

The global epidemic of AIDS profoundly impacts the worldwide gospel mission of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. Church leaders are called to respond through
initiatives in education, prevention, and community service, and through personal
acts of kindness to persons and families involved in the crisis. AIDS is no respecter
of national boundaries, church membership, gender, marital status, education,
income, or position in life. In many countries of the world, it is decimating the
population, taking the lives of many individuals, including Seventh-day Adventist
Church members. All persons, especially young people growing up in an era of
moral laxity, need to be taught biblical principles regarding sexuality and God’s
design that sexual intimacy be experienced within the protection of the marriage
covenant. Leadership should provide credible information to members–presented in
their own language and sensitive to their own culture. The Church is called to be
both a prophetic and a compassionate voice–the mouthpiece and hands of God as
it extends the ministry of Christ into the community.

The global mission of the Church, in reaching out to all races and peoples, draws
into church fellowship many who are infected by the AIDS virus prior to joining the
church or who are affected by having family members with AIDS. The epidemic is of
such magnitude that no family will ultimately remain untouched. Many are infected
through no action of their own. A judgmental attitude is always inappropriate,
especially since the source of the infection cannot be determined with certainty.
Many have experienced shame, fear, and agony as family members suffered and
died with AIDS, often feeling compelled to secrecy regarding their painful situation.
Just as Christ came to offer healing to a suffering world, so Seventh-day Adventists
are commissioned to compassionately care for those who suffer and are affected
with the virus of AIDS. Members can safely serve as care givers, at home or in
health care facilities, if they are educated in appropriate ways of doing so.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Seventh-day Adventist Church recognizes its Christian responsibility to respond

to the global AIDS crisis and its devastating effect on humanity and wishes to
respond in multiple ways which include:

Extending the teaching and healing ministry of Christ, who without prejudice cared
for all in need, by engaging in efforts to reduce the risk of individuals acquiring AIDS,
and compassionately and nonjudgmentally caring for all those affected when an
individual suffers from AIDS.
Designating a person in each division, along with such personnel and financial
resources as may be secured, to respond to AIDS challenges through appropriate
initiatives and cooperative efforts with other entities in the community or country at
large.

Developing and managing AIDS education programs using the resource HIV/AIDS
Guide when applicable.* Programs should be contextualized for relevant cultural and
linguistic needs and directed to:

Pastors: Through continuing education and ministerial meetings designed to equip

pastors to deal with members touched by the AIDS crisis. Pastors need information
on prevention, compassionate ministry, and applied ecclesiastical functions such as
conducting a funeral service for a person infected with AIDS.

Teachers: As continuing education and in-service training with emphasis on

conveying spiritual values and developing skills among youth for coping with sexual
pressures.

Parents: By their modeling a lifestyle that upholds Christian values, recognizing that
marriage relations and any use of alcohol or other abusive substances has a direct
negative effect on their children’s sexual values and practices.

Church members: Through sermons, Sabbath School Bible Study Guides, premarital
counseling and marriage-strengthening activities, seminars regarding AIDS, and
educational curricula which provides information regarding sexuality in general and
AIDS in particular.

Communities: By recognizing the opportunity for Christian witness and ministry in the
community at large, providing appropriate community outreach, and participating in
cooperative endeavors.

Protecting and strengthening marriage by:

Upholding the ideal of abstinence from premarital sex.

Advocating premarital HIV testing for both potential partners as part of the church-
based preparation for marriage.

Elevating God’s ideal for fidelity in marriage.

Recommending protective measures against sexually transmitted diseases,

including HIV.

Intentionally transmitting Christian values to the next generation, recognizing that

individual sexual values are established in youth. Priority should be given to
providing accurate information, a forum for open discussion, and emphasis on the
moral dimension of decision making regarding sexuality.
*Provided by the Health and Temperance Department, General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists, in cooperation with the General Conference AIDS Study
Commission members.
10. Service and Volunteering

A CALL TO SERVE

SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WELFARE

SERVICE (SAWS) IN 1956, THE ADVENTIST CHURCH HAS CONTINUALLY
PRIORITIZED HUMANITARIAN AID AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

Today, Adventist humanitarian work reaches into more than 120 countries and
serves tens of millions of people every year. This priority springs from a deeply held
belief in service. Throughout the Old Testament, God made provision for the poor
and less fortunate living in Israel. In the New Testament, the writings of the apostle
Paul show a Christian church that gave willingly and generously to support the needy
among them. (Deuteronomy 15:1-11, 2 Corinthians 8:8-15)

Our world is full of wars, natural disasters, poverty and famines, and we are
motivated to reach out to the suffering in the name of Jesus. Our faith inspires us to
show Christ’s love to the world around us. Faith expressed by action may require
sacrifice, but it is only by selflessly serving others that we become a true reflection of
Christ.

Our active faith is expressed personally in daily service to those around us and
corporately in humanitarian organizations such as the Adventist Development and
Relief Agency (ADRA) and Adventist Community Services (ACS). For Adventists, it
is not enough to acknowledge that poverty exists. We must live a life in which the
grace God has given us flows on to others in the form of love, care and generosity.
(Matthew 25:31-45)

Service and Volunteering for ATM- Adventist Traveller's Ministry

https://fb.watch/lK1VmD2JaT/

Christ is the only true, the great, the model missionary.

In order to reach our communities for Christ, we must have the mission, motivation,
and methods of Christ. This is fundamentally predicated on being emptied of self,
and full of Christ. There can be no effective outreach without this experience.

sa tanan nagpaluyu ani nga buluhaton sa Sulads Managyabo amo ipaabot ang
dakong pasalamat sa Ginoo labi na sa inyung pagtabang ug pag abot sa inyung
gugma ngadto Sa Sulads Managyabo.
• 04 • 7-9 • 2023 “𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙮𝙖𝙗𝙤 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡” Buca, Sta.
Maria, Davao Occidental

Joint force with

#ATM Adventist Travellers ministry

#AMM Adventist Motorcycle Ministry CDO-Chapter

#AHD Adventist Hospital - Davao

#Team Gensan

Glory to Him in the highest!

ATM Next visitation @ LATIAN, SULADS MISSION SCHOOL, CATMON,

MANUEL PERALTA MALITA, DAVAO OClDENTAL this coming June 9-12, 2023.

Come and Join us to reach the unreachable.