For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV).
From the beginning, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has had a push-pull relationship with the doctrine of Salvation by Faith. It is a delicate balance to teach that there is nothing we can do for ourselves in order to be saved while also maintaining that this does not give us permission to commit any sin just “because we are already saved.” Ephesians 2:8–9 declares that salvation is the gift of God and not something that comes from us. The Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief 10 confirms the Church’s explanation of this verse: “Through the Spirit we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God’s law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.”
The Global Church-Member Surveys (GCMS) of 2018 and 2023 asked members around the world to rate how much they agreed with the statement, “I will not get to Heaven unless I obey God’s law perfectly.”
Belief of Salvation through Perfect Obedience of God’s Law
In 2018, 14.5% strongly disagreed, 11.6% disagreed, 9.2% were not sure, 23.1% agreed, and 41.6% strongly agreed. Overall, a little more than a quarter (26.1%) disagreed with the statement, and just under two-thirds (64.7%) agreed that one needs to keep God’s Law perfectly to go to Heaven.
In 2023, the figures had not changed much: 14.1% strongly disagreed, 11.4% disagreed, 8.1% were not sure, 23.8% agreed, and 42.7% strongly agreed. Overall, in 2023, slightly fewer (25.5%) disagreed, and slightly more (66.5%) agreed, than in 2018.
Thus, there was more agreement than disagreement with a view of salvation that is at odds with what the Seventh-day Adventist Church teaches.
Belief in Christians Reaching a Sinless Perfection in the Last Days
In the 2023 GCMS, three more questions were added. The first asked how much members agreed with the statement, “Because Jesus lived without sin, we are able to as well…”: 7.7% strongly disagreed, 7.7% disagreed, 13.1% were unsure, 30.5% agreed, and 41.1% strongly agreed. Overall, 15.4% disagreed more than they agreed, and 71.6% agreed more than they disagreed.
Belief in Living by God’s Rule to Receive Grace
Members were then asked how much they agreed that in order to receive God’s grace, we must first live by His rules: 25.2% strongly disagreed; 14.4% disagreed; 7.6% were unsure; 25% agreed; and 27.8% strongly agreed. Overall, 39.6% disagreed more than they agreed, and 52.8% agreed more than they disagreed. Yet this, too, is not what the Church teaches.
Belief that People Cannot Change Their Level of Faith
Finally, members were asked how much they agreed with the statement that people have a certain amount of faith and cannot do much to change it: 26% strongly disagreed, 24.4% disagreed, 19.8% were unsure, 17.5% agreed, and 12.3% strongly agreed. Overall, 50.4% disagreed more than they agreed, and 29.8% agreed more than they disagreed.
Ellen White wrote, “The great work that is wrought for the sinner who is spotted and stained by evil is the work of justification. By Him who speaketh truth he is declaredrighteous. The Lord imputes unto the believer the righteousness of Christ and pronounceshim righteous before the universe. He transfers his sins to Jesus, the sinner’s representative” (Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 392).
We are declared righteous because our sins are transferred to Jesus as our representative. We are not perfect, and we don’t have to be perfect to receive Christ’s salvation.
You can access the full GCMS 2023.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 12/2/2025.