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Christ-Centered Doctrinal Beliefs

The sanctuary is central because it is where the great truth of salvation is so powerfully expressed, where the meaning of the cross is revealed. And all our doctrines, one way or another, must be linked to the gospel promise and salvation. Like the spokes of the wheel, other doctrines come out from the great truth of salvation by faith in Jesus.

“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. . . . Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.” - Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1137.

What did Jesus mean by referring to Himself as “the truth” in John 14:6? Compare with John 17:17. What are we to do with the truth? 3 John 3.

Our doctrinal beliefs influence who we are and in what direction we are going. Doctrines are not just abstract theological ideas; all true doctrine is anchored in Christ, and all should in various ways impact how we live. In fact, one could justifiably say that our identity as Seventh-day Adventists is rooted in our doctrinal teachings more than in anything else. The teachings, then, which we derive from the Bible, are what make us who we are as Seventh-day Adventists.

The role of stewardship is to live doctrinal truth as it is in Jesus, and doing so in a way that positively affects our quality of life. “You have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:21-24, NKJV).

In this text we find what it means not only to know the truth but to live it. Being a steward isn’t just about believing doctrines, however true those doctrines are; being a steward means living out those truths in our lives and in our interaction with others.