In “An Open Letter to the Church” (Adventist Review, May 24, 1979), the president of the General Conference, Neal C. Wilson, announced the intention of the denomination to convene a representative group “to survey and study difficult theological issues” and share the results with the church. This group, the Righteousness by Faith Consultation, consisting of 145 members, was appointed and met in Washington, D.C., October 3-4, 1979. The consultation appointed an editorial committee of 24 members to prepare for publication the materials growing out of the meeting. The editorial committee met February 4-7, 1980, and the paper “The Dynamics of Salvation” was prepared for eventual publication in the Adventist Review. However, it was first distributed to the full membership of the consultation for critique and then revised in harmony with the responses. The result is the statement “The Dynamics of Salvation” printed in this issue of the Adventist Review. While this article is the product of the Righteousness by Faith Consultation, it also reflects discussions at previous meetings devoted to a study of righteousness by faith. “The Dynamics of Salvation” is a study document, not a creedal statement. It attempts to set forth what Seventh-day Adventists believe about salvation through Jesus Christ. It seeks to combine theological accuracy with clarity and practicality, so that the reader may experience the benefits of salvation and not merely grasp its theory. Certain aspects of this inexhaustible theme, such as the nature of Christ, perfection, and original sin, are not dealt with in detail in this paper. They may be taken up later as subjects of the church’s ongoing discussions. The Dynamics of Salvation” should be considered as a whole, in order that the balance of the various parts may be discerned.
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