Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists

evidence of genuine repentance (2 Cor. 2:6-10).
It is especially through restoring sinners to the
church that God's power, glory, and grace are
revealed. He longs to liberate the captives of sin,
transferring them from the kingdom of darkness
into the kingdom of light. God's church, the theater
of the universe, displays the power of Christ's
atoning sacrifice in the lives of men and women.
Today Christ, through His church, invites all to
become a part of His family. "'Behold,'" He says,
"'I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears
My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him
and dine with him, and he with Me'" (Rev. 3:20).
Notes:
1. On the origin of the term church Berkhof
wrote, "The names 'Church', 'Kerk' and 'Kirche'
are not derived from the word ekklesia, but
from the word kuriake, which means 'belonging
to the Lord.' They stress the fact that the
Church is the property of God. The name to
407