Welcome to the next installment in the r/Christianity Denominational AMAs!
Today's Topic Seventh-day Adventism
Panelists u/lordmister15 u/Second_Flight
THE FULL AMA SCHEDULE
AN INTRODUCTION
Wikipedia Intro
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming (advent) of Jesus Christ. The denomination grew out of the Millerite movement in the United States during the middle part of the 19th century and was formally established in 1863. Among its founders was Ellen G. White, whose extensive writings are still held in high regard by the church today.
Much of the theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church corresponds to Protestant Christian teachings such as the Trinity and the infallibility of Scripture. Distinctive teachings include the unconscious state of the dead and the doctrine of an investigative judgment. The church is also known for its emphasis on diet and health, its "holistic" understanding of the person,its promotion of religious liberty, and its conservative principles and lifestyle.
The world church is governed by a General Conference, with smaller regions administered by divisions, union conferences and local conferences. It currently has a worldwide baptized membership of about 18.02 million people.As of May 2007, it was the twelfth-largest religious body in the world, and the sixth-largest highly international religious body. It has a missionary presence in over 200 countries and territories and is ethnically and culturally diverse.The church operates numerous schools, hospitals and publishing houses worldwide, as well as a humanitarian aid organization known as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
28 Official beliefs
The church has an official list of 28 beliefs. I offer a bit of information for those beliefs that may not follow the traditional protestant view
Holy Scriptures : The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history.
Trinity : There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal 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 the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Creation :God is Creator of all things, and has revealed in Scripture the authentic account of His creative activity. In six days the Lord made “the heaven and the earth” and all living things upon the earth, and rested on the seventh day of that first week. Thus He established the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of His completed creative work.
Nature of Man : 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.
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.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
Life, death, and resurrection of Christ
The Experience of Salvation
Growing in Christ :In the 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
The Church
Remnant and Its Mission : 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
Unity in the Body of Christ
Baptism : By immersion in water.
Lord's Supper (Communion) : Emblems of the body and blood of Jesus
Spiritual Gifts and Ministries
The Gift of Prophecy :One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen. G. White. As the Lord’s messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction.
Law of God :Salvation is all of grace and not of works, but its fruitage is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and results in a sense of well-being.
The Sabbath : 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
Stewardship : We acknowledge God’s ownership by faithful service to Him and our fellow men, and by returning tithes and giving offerings for the proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His church.
Christian Behavior : Modesty in dress and behavior. Emphasis on health, as our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
Marriage and the Family : Traditional protestant view of marriage between one man and one woman.
Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary : There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. 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.
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. The church does not believe in the rapture.
Death and Resurrection : 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.
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 New Earth : On the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide an eternal home for the redeemed and a perfect envi- ronment for everlasting life, love, joy, and learning in His presence.
About u/lordmister15
I’m a college senior majoring in Computer Science. I was raised pentecostal by my grandmother but was never baptized, and stopped attending at age 13. When I was a senior in HS, some SDA classmates invited me to an evangelistic crusade, and I loved everything about the church. I was baptized that same year and have never looked back.
I’ve had the pleasure to serve the Church as youth leader, clerk, and as an ordained Elder. I currently co-lead the local chapter of the Adventist Christian Fellowship, the largest SDA student-led ministry.
About u/Second_Flight
I'm a high-school student from Maryland. I've been home-schooled for a couple of years, and before that I went to a private school. In my spare time I like to make music , something I've been doing for 2.5 years now.
I'm chronically shy, but I'm pretty sure I'm an extrovert too. Bit of a strange combination :3
Thanks to the panelists for volunteering their time and knowledge!
As a reminder, the nature of these AMAs is to learn and discuss. While debates are inevitable, please keep the nature of your questions civil and polite.
Join us tomorrow when u/VexedCoffee , u/rjwvwd , u/wilson_rg , and u/mindshadow take your questions on Anglicanism!