Christian Beliefs and Teachings

• God is:

  • Omnibenevolnet
  • Omnipotent
  • Just
• “God is love” (1 John)
• “The Heavens proclaim his righteousness, for He is a god of justice” (Pslam 50:6)
• “The almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power” (Job 37:23)
• How does the nature of God influence Christians:

  • To worship God - believe He is worthy of worship, want to thank him for creating everything (including their own life).
  • To have hope for forgiveness for sins - as God is omnibenevolent, have hope he will forgive them. Pray for this forgiveness.
  • To follow God’s commandments and teachings, prepare for judgement day.
  • To be just in their conduct, reflecting that God is a “God of justice”.
• The problem of evil:

  • There are questions about the nature of God - how can God be omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent when evil and suffering still exists.
• Free Will Defence : Moral evil is caused by humans, not God

  • Moral evil is caused by human beings, who God has lovingly given free will.
• St Augustine: Evil and Suffering are caused by Original Sin:

  • Genesis 3 tells the story of the fall.
  • Adam and Eve misused their free will and by disobeying God brought evil and suffering into the world. It is the Original Sin.
  • Their actions affect everyone and everything: there is disharmony between heaven and earth, and we are all born sinful.
  • This is why there is need for salvation.
• John Hick: Evil and Suffering are a part of God’s plan:

  • John Hick proposed a ‘soul-making theodicy’ - evil and suffering have instrumental value as they help us grow as people.
  • We would not be able to perform the good deeds needed to enter Heaven if there was no evil and suffering.
• The Trinity:

  • The Trinity is the three parts of God.
  • The three parts of the Trinity are God as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  • The Father is the powerful creator of the world.
  • The Son is Jesus, who came to Earth in human form and died.
  • The Holy Spirit is the invisible part of God acting within the world.
• Importance of the Trinity:

  • It is a central belief that underpins every other Christian belief.
  • Christians can understand the complex nature of God.
  • Shows that Jesus is the Son of God / the incarnation.
  • God is present in the world today through the Holy Spirit - may be a sense of hope for Christians.
  • Understand different ways to encounter God.
• The Apostle’s Creed is an important statement of belief about the Trinity (God). It is the ancient baptismal symbol of the Church.
• God the Father: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)
• God the Son: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30)
• God the Holy Spirit: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26)
• Creation:

  • Day 1 - Light was created.
  • Day 2 - Sky was created.
  • Day 3 - Dry land, seas, plants and trees were created.
  • Day 4 - The Sun, Moon and Stars were created.
  • Day 5 - Creatures that live in the sea and creates that fly were created.
  • Day 6 - Animals that live on the land and humans were created imago dei.
  • Day 7 - God rested, making this a Holy Day.
• “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good” (Genesis)
• “In the Image of God He created them” (Genesis)
• ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1-3)
• Fundamentalist Christians believe that Genesis is literally true. They will accept that God created the world in 6 days and they reject all scientific discoveries such as the Big Bang Theory, and these are not found in the bible.
• Liberal Christians believes that Genesis is a metaphorical account of creation, believing that science and religion can together explain creation. They think that science tells us how the world was created and religion tells us why the world was created.
• The Resurrection:

  • The resurrection of Jesus is when he came back to life from the dead.
  • Opens the door to eternal life - shows Jesus conquering sin and death.
  • “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25)
• Judgement:

  • God is just & will judge people after they're death based on how they have lived their lives.
  • Many Christians believe there will be a Day of Judgement at the end of time; God will decide the destination of people’s souls.
  • Some believe faith alone is enough whereas others believe in the need for good works as well.
  • Matthew 25: Parable of the Sheep & the Goats.
• Heaven:

  • Heaven is mentioned in the Bible, but rarely described.
  • Some Christians believe Heaven is a physical place, whereas others think it is a spiritual state of being united with God for eternity, in a state of supreme happiness.
• Heaven:

  • “The righteous will have eternal life” (Matthew 25:46)
  • “Those who believe in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life” (John 13:6)
  • “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise“ (Luke 23:43)
  • “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36)
  • “My fathers house has many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2-3)
• Hell:

  • The Bible teaches that hell is where unrepentant sinners go after death if they have not accepted forgiveness and salvation through Jesus (and his sacrificial cruxifixction & subsequent resurrection).
  • It is a place of pain and suffering, without God.
  • Some Christians believe Hell is a physical place - although some believe that there is nobody there - whereas many think of it as a spiritual state of being separated from God for eternity.
• Hell:

  • Matthew 25: Parable of the Sheep & the Goats
  • “The fiery lake of burning sulphur” (Revelation 21:8)
  • “Wrongdoers will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9)
  • “We will be separated from God if we fail to meet the need of the poor“ (Catechism)
• How the belief in heaven influences Christians today:

  • To follow Jesus Christ, because they believe that they will be saved and go to Heaven (Sola Christus)
  • To follow the 10 commandments and follow God.
  • To do good and avoid sin (Matthew 25)
• How the belief in hell influences Christians today:

  • They will be judged when they die (Parable of the Sheep and the Goats) so follow Jesus’ teachings to be a good Christian.
  • Catholic Christians see hell as a free choice to deliberately turn away from God so most do not reject God - stay faithful to God.
• Jesus as the Son of God and the incarnation:

  • He is believed to be 100% human and 100% divine.
  • He is God incarnate.
• Why do Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God:

  • The Nicene Creed teaches that Jesus is ‘the only begotten Son of God’.
  • The resurrection and ascension are seen as proof that Jesus was divine.
  • The Virgin Birth of Jesus is seen as proof of his divinity - it is miraculous.
  • When Jesus was baptised by John, God said: ‘This is my son’ (Matthew 3).
  • The Gospels refer to Jesus as ‘Son of God’.
  • Jesus performed 37 miracles, demonstrating his powers.
  • When Jesus walks on water, his disciples exclaim ’you really are the Son of God’ (Matthew 14).
• ”Surely he was the Son of God!” Roman Centurion
• “The word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14)
• “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30)
• Jesus being the Son of God influencing Christians today:

  • Take his teachings seriously.
  • Place a crucifix in their home.
  • Attend Church to hear about the Gospels of Jesus.
  • Celebrate Christmas and Easter.
  • Sola Christus - salvation.
  • Believing in the truth of the resurrection as the gateway to eternal life.
• “Nobody comes to the Father except through me” (Jesus)
• How the crucifixion affects Christians today:

  • Christians should forgive and help to reform others - Jesus forgave criminals and the Romans “Father forgive them, they know not what they do”.
  • Crucifix symbol - symbolises the sacrifice and suffering that Jesus endured.
  • Suffering is a part of life.
• How the resurrection affects Christians today:

  • Plain cross symbol - symbolises that Jesus defeated death and was resurrected to Heaven.
  • Follow the teachings of God.
  • Have faith in Jesus as he is the Son of God.
  • There is no need to fear death.
• Crucifixion:

  • Jesus was sentences to death by crucifixion for blasphemy.
  • Christians believe Jesus’ death was sacrificial - He have His life as atonement for the sins of humanity.
• Resurrection:

  • Jesus was brought back to life 3 days after his cruxifixction.
  • He overcomes sin and death - opens the door for eternal life.
  • “He is not here; he is risen” (Luke 24:5-6)