My Deep Dive into Adventist Beliefs About God
So this morning I brewed some coffee and thought, “Man, I’ve seen Adventist churches around forever but have zero clue what they actually believe about God.” Felt like a total knowledge gap. Grabbed my laptop and started digging into reputable Adventist sources – no Wikipedia rabbit holes this time!
First thing that surprised me? Their view of the Trinity feels way more practical than abstract. Like, they describe Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three distinct personalities working together like a close-knit family. Not just some vague mystical concept – real beings interacting. Jotted that down in my notebook with little stick figures holding hands (don’t judge my doodles).
Then I got stuck on Jesus. Found out Adventists believe He’s fully God but chose to become permanently human. Like He didn’t just put on a human suit for 33 years then ditch it. That blew my mind! Highlighted that section yellow because it changes how you read Bible stories about Him.
Almost spilled coffee when I learned about the Holy Spirit’s job. They see Him not as a vague force, but as God’s personal therapist/heart surgeon – convicting people of sin AND performing spiritual healing. Saved that quote about “Spirit working like a compass in fog.”
Kept seeing this phrase “great controversy” everywhere. Turns out it’s their framework for why evil exists: a cosmic showdown between good and evil where God’s character is being questioned. Made me rethink those “why do bad things happen” questions instantly.
The kicker? How personal they make everything. One article said God isn’t hiding – He’s actively pursuing people like a shepherd hunting lost sheep. Underlined that twice and wrote “THIS!” in margins. Finished my research feeling like I’d unpacked a mystery box about neighbors I see every Sunday.
Whole process took about three hours including coffee refills. Ended up with five core doctrines tattooed in my brain:
- Trinity as a loving team
- Jesus – forever God and human
- Holy Spirit – divine heart changer
- Cosmic conflict context
- God actively chasing people
Honestly expected dry theology but got this vivid picture of God as a determined, relational being. Might visit one of their bookstores tomorrow – this rabbit hole’s got me curious now!
