christian Beliefs

Question 1

Nature of God

Answer 1

• Christians believe in one God who is the creator and the sustainer of all that exists.
• God is omnipotent which means he is almighty and have unlimited power.
• God is benevolent which means he is all-loving and all-good.
• God is just which means he is a perfect and fair judge.
• The Problem of Suffering asks: if God is all these things why does he allow bad things to happen to good
  and innocent people?

Question 2

The Trinity

Answer 2

• Christians believe God is three persons in one. This idea is called the Trinity.
• Each person of the Trinity is fully God but the three persons of the Trinity are not the same.
• The Father is the creator of all life.
• The Son is Jesus Christ who is both fully human and fully God.
• The Holy Spirit is the unseen power of God at work in the world, especially answering prayers.
  “We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit” – The Nicene Creed.

Question 3

Creation

Answer 3

• Creation in Genesis describes how God created the world in 6 days and also says that God thought
  creation was good.
• Creation in Genesis (a book in the Old Testament) shows Christians that they should be good stewards of
  earth.
• Creation in John (a book in the New Testament) is like a poem and shows that Jesus was present at the
  creation of the world.
• Some Christians think the world was literally created in 6 actual days, but other Christians think it is just a
  metaphor.
• Some people disagree with creation in the Bible because they say that it can’t have been made in 7 days or
  that humans are evolved from apes.

Question 4

Incarnation

Answer 4

Christians believe that God was incarnated (born)
in human form as Jesus Christ.
- Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit and gave
birth as a virgin – for Christians this is proof of Jesus’
status as the son of God.
- Christmas is the festival that celebrates the
incarnation

Question 5

Crucifixion

Answer 5

Jesus travelled to Jerusalem to preach and he was
sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate.
- Jesus was then nailed to a cross where he died.
- In his last moments Jesus was able to forgive those
who were killing him showing Christians how
important forgiveness is.
- This event is remembered on Good Friday

Question 6

Resurrection

Answer 6

Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead –
this is the resurrection.
- Early on the Sunday, three women visited his tomb
expecting to find his body but it was not there.
- This event is celebrated on Easter Sunday.
- After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his
disciples and told them to spread the word of him.
QUOTE - “He is risen” – some Christians say this to
each other on Easter Sunday.

Question 7

Ascension

Answer 7

-Forty days after he rose from the dead Jesus
ascended (went up) into heaven.

Question 8

A belief in resurrection and ascension

Answer 8

• Shows life after death is real.
• Assures Christians they will rise again after death
  and live on in the afterlife.
• Leads Christians to try and lead a good life.

Question 9

Sin

Answer 9

• Christians believe you are judged after you die and whether you believe in Jesus decides if you go to
  heaven or hell. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats also suggests that you need to help the poor to go
  to heaven.
• Sin is any action or thought that goes against God’s will. The original sin was when Eve ate the apple in the
  Garden of Eden.
• God gave humans free will but they should use that freedom to make good choices and not sin.

Question 10

Salvation

Answer 10

• Salvation is the idea that Jesus’s crucifixion is the grace (undeserved kindness) that saves people from hell.
• There a different theories about the way that Jesus saves (atonement). (1) Some Christians believe that
  Jesus saves because he pays the punishment for people breaking God’s law by sinning. (2) Some Christians
  believe that Jesus saves because he defeated death and the devil. (3) Some Christians believe that Jesus
  saves because he shows us how to live a good life