Christian beliefs Flashcards
Nature of God
Omnipotent-All powerful
Benevolent- all loving
Just- fair
The problem of evil and suffering
‘If god is all good,all powerful and all loving why does he allow suffering?’
1.If he was all good he would not want us to suffer
2. if he was all powerful he could stop all suffering
3.if he was fair he wouldn’t want us to suffer and some more than others
The trinity
The belief that there are three persons in one God, the father, the son and the holy spirit, but are also one being.
Son of God: A title used for Jesus, denotes a special relationship between Jesus and the father
Holy spirit:the third person in the trinity whom christians believe is the inspiring presence of God in the world
The father: benevolent, omnipotent and omniscient.The creator and transcendant
Christian beliefs about creation
- God created heaven and earth solely by himself
‘In the beginning god created the heavens and earth’ Genesis 1:1
2.The trinity was apart of creation and the ‘Word’ is Jesus Christ
‘In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God.He was with God in the beginning and through him all things were made.’ John 1
Some believe that it is metaphorical but some also believe it is literal
Christian beliefs about the afterlife and resurrection
- Believe that after death they will receive new spiritual bodies after they die
- Some believe that their resurrection will be like Jesus and they will physically come back to their physical bodies.
Belief in being raised from the dead will give christians stronger faith because it shows that God is all powerful and can do the impossible.Shows that god has a plan and not to fear death
Christian beliefs about Judgement
- Some believe that there will be a day at the end of time called judgement day where Jesus will resurrect all of mankind and judge them.Sending the sinful to hell and the righteous to heaven.
- Others believe that judgement happens the moment you die and people are already in their after life ( in their spiritual bodies).
Christian beliefs about heaven and hell
Heaven- a state of eternal happiness in the presence of God
Hell- Place of eternal suffering or a state of being without God (Mortal sins)
Catholics believe in purgatory a souls is where venial sins go
Venial sins
A transgression against the law of god that does not deprive the soul of divine grace either because it was committed without full understanding or without full consent of will
Mortal sin
A wilfully committed, serious transgression against the law of God
Incarnation and its importance
Incarnation: Becoming flesh, taking human form
Because Jesus is God incarnate christians believe anything Jesus says and that he has authority.
It is important to christians because its how christians came to know God and what was necessary for salvation
Crucifixion
Made up for the original sin of Adam and Eve and restored the relationship between God and Humans. Jesus forgave his executioners shows God will forgive those who repent.
Ascension and its importance
The event ,40 days after the resurrection ,when Jesus returned to God ,the father, in heaven. Showed the people that Jesus was the son of God
Sin
(1) Any action or thought that separates humans from God (2) Behaviour which is against Gods laws and wishes or against principles of morality
Salvation
Saving the soul, deliverance from sin and admission to heaven brought about by Jesus
Jesus’ sacrifice pays for our sin, building a bridge back to God so we can have eternal life with him
Atonement
restoring the relationship between people and God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Salvation by works
Many Christians believe that it is made clear in the bible that we must act a certain way to achieve salvation.
Salvation by Grace
Other christians that argue that mankind is sinful and believe that humans can ever deserve a place in heaven.Instead that the afterlife is a gift bestowed on us by God. Salvation is an act of Gods divine grace.
original sin
A doctrine that says everyone is born with a built in urge to disobey God and important doctrine in Catholicism
Salvation by grace quote
‘For it is by grace you have been saved’ - Ephesians 2:8
Salvation by works quote
‘Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead,’ - James 2:7
after life quote
‘For wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus.’- Romans 6:23
Two types of salvation
Two types: Salvation by works and Salvation by grace
Catholic beliefs about sin and human nature
Catholics believe that because we were made from Adam who committed the first sin we are all sinners and is transmitted with human nature
crucifixion quote
‘For god so loved the world he gave his one and only son.’ - John 3:16
Importance of crucifixion
Showed gods love for humans
May make Christians feel closer to God as he knows suffering and what they are going through.Jesus’s crucifixion was predicted in scripture showing the validity of scripture and that he is the son of god
incarnation quote
‘This is how the birth of Jesus the messiah came to about his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph before they came together she was found to be pregnant through the holy spirit’ - Matthew 1:18
‘ The word made flesh as man to man’
Christian quote for judgement
“He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.Then the king will say to those on his right ‘come, you who are blessed by my father ;take your inheritance ,the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world’ - Matthew 25:31-46
quotes for hell
‘But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness.’ - Matthew 8:12
quotes for heaven
There shall be no more pain, for the former of things have passed away’ - revelation 21:1-4
ressurection + after life quotes
‘that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ - John 3:16
‘I am the ressurection and the life . He who believes in me will live,even though he dies’ - John 11:25-26
‘the gift of god is eternal life’
omnipotence quote
‘Nothing is impossible with God’ - Luke 1:37
Benevolent quote
‘for god so loved the world he gave his only son’
defence against the problem of evil and suffering
Theodocies
free will defence -we are given the will to chose to love god
god cannot be loving because people suffer
- all loving and wouldnt want people to suffer
- if he’s all loving but allows people to suffer because he’s not all powerful then he isn’t god
- a loving god wouldn’t allow humans to feel suffering or create it
God can be loving despite ppl suffering
- free will
- God is also just
- He loves us so much he wants us to learn which can only happen through suffering
- love does not exclude suffering : parents discipline their children and that doesn’t mean they don’t love their child
causes of sin
- satan
- adam and eve
- lust
Lust causes sin
“Any man who has looked at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart”
adultery is against the 10 commandments= going against gods word/divine law= sinning
Satan causes sin
“do not let us be tempted to sin by others,by ourselves, by satan”
adam + eve caused sin
original sin - going against gods word
