Jesus said, “I have come to give you life more abundantly.” For those who accept this gift, life takes on new dimension and new meaning. It becomes a life focused on those attributes that were evident in the life of Jesus. The longing of every Seventh-day Adventist Christian should be to embrace the life of Jesus and to be as He was in this world. And thus, the Christian will be distinctively different—not odd, or strange, but curiously attractive in a way that as others observe the life, they might “glorify their Father in Heaven.”

On Being Transformed in Christ—An Affirmation of Christian Values and Quality of Life

For Seventh-day Adventists, Christianity transcends a set of beliefs or even regular church attendance; it is a way of life. Events in recent years have shown that our world is in need of people whose lives are examples of historic Christian values, particularly in the face of prevailing relativism in society.

As the Holy Word reveals, God offers everlasting values in the Ten Commandments, which were engraved in stone by His very hand (Exodus 31:18), and in Jesus Christ, the embodiment of those values. Jesus said He came “to fulfill” every point of that law, that not the least item will pass away “until all is accomplished” (Matthew 15:18, NASB).

The Adventist lifestyle is distinctive. We place high value on simplicity and the virtues that long have formed the bedrock of society—family, integrity, work, honesty, and purity. We advocate modesty in dress and adornment, and good stewardship of our means. We seek for beauty and refinement in speech and deed, as we continually grow into the wholeness God intends for us.

Two key elements of the Adventist lifestyle speak directly to the matter of “quality of life,” specifically the Sabbath and healthy living. Adventists observe the seventh day, Saturday, according to the Biblical injunction (Exodus 20:8). For 24 hours, we lay aside the toils and cares of the week, entering into the rhythm of Sabbath rest, which mirrors our salvation rest in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. We spend the Sabbath in worship, with family, and in helping others.

Seventh-day Adventists, as Christians, also place a strong emphasis on health. All that we are—including our physical bodies—is for God’s use and praise. Accordingly, we promote a healthful diet (including a vegetarian diet), exercise, sufficient rest, trust in God, and abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful drugs.

Beyond these personal and corporate values, Adventist Christians—indeed, all who accept Christ as their Lord and Savior—are called to uphold the Christian values of love and hope, expressing these in a life of faith. Such an expression is in itself a challenge to the moral ambiguity and decay of values that pervade society, and give witness to the quality of life available to all who respond to the Gospel invitation.

This statement was voted by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Administrative Committee (ADCOM), for release at the time of the General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., July 5, 2005.