Understanding Salvation in Seventh-day Adventism
Seventh-day Adventists believe in the fullness of the atonement through Jesus Christ and the assurance of salvation for those who accept Him as their personal Savior. However, this assurance comes with a profound sense of accountability and a call to adhere to God's commandments.
The Assurance of Salvation
Ellen White, a respected figure in Seventh-day Adventism, has offered profound insights on the nature of salvation. According to her, a person who accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior can be declared righteous in God's sight:
"If you give yourself to Him and accept Him as your personal Savior, then sinful as your life may have been for His sake, you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned."
Such assurance, however, is not a license to live in willful disobedience. Ellen White emphasized the importance of living in accordance with God's perfect law:
"God’s holy law is the only thing by which we can determine whether we are keeping His way or not. If we are disobedient, our characters are out of harmony with God’s moral rule of government, and it is stating a falsehood to say ‘I am saved.’"
Living in Healthy Tension
Seventh-day Adventists are called to live in a healthy tension between full trust in Christ and complete distrust in human capability. This involves consistently fixing our gaze on Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), trusting in His provision and strength rather than in ourselves:
"Connected with Jesus Christ they will be wise unto salvation. They will be fruit-bearing trees."
The emphasis is on the reality of salvation as a continuous process. As Ellen White put it, followers of Christ must:
"live in this healthy tension: full confidence in Christ and complete mistrust in ourselves. We need to persistently focus on Jesus, John 15:5; Philippians 4:13; Hebrews 12:2. Not on ourselves, but bearing fruit that is the natural result of cultivating a close fellowship with Him."
The Reality of Eternal Life
Although eternal life is a reality, it is not fully realized until the second coming of Christ when believers will see Him face to face. Until then, the assurance of salvation is dynamic and ongoing:
"We must know how to live consciously in a steady reality of ‘already’ but ‘not yet.’ We have eternal life, but not yet. We are saved, but not yet. We are perfect in Christ but not yet. We sit with Christ by the right side of the heavenly Father, but not yet. Thus, we experience the true joy of salvation."
Until the second coming, believers must continue to walk in faith and strive to live in accordance with God's law. The assurance of salvation is available, but it is also a call to lifelong discipleship and transformation.
Conclusion
The belief in and assurance of salvation in Seventh-day Adventism is a foundation for a life of faith, hope, and obedience. By embracing Jesus Christ as the source of salvation, believers are empowered to live in a way that reflects the character of God, even as they wait for the complete fulfillment of their salvation in the second coming.