Christianity - The nature of God Flashcards
Three main branches of christianity
Catholic
Orthodox
Protestant
Define monotheistic
A religion that believes there is only one God
Define holy
Separate and set apart for a special purpose by God
What type of religion is Christianity
What does this mean
Christianity is a monotheistic religion
This means all Christians believe there is only one God, who they believe creates and sustains all that existis
How do Christians communicate with God
Through prayer
State a key Christian statement of belief
A key Christian statement of belief called the Nicene Creed begins: ‘We believe in one God’
State the first of the ten commandments that Christians should obey
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:2-3 NIV
Some of the qualities/attributes of God
God as omnipotent (all-powerful), loving, just,
omnipresent (everywhere), omniscient(all-powerful)
Define omnipotent
Omnipotent: almighty, having unlimited power; a quality of God (….there is nothing God cannot do or achieve….,God’s power and authority to do Good)
State a scripture that says shows that God is omnipotent
Nothing is impossible with God - Luke 1:37 NIV
When angel Gabriel answered Mary when she questioned her forthcoming pregnancy
Define benevolent
All-lovinh, all-good; a quality of God
What do Christians believe about God in terms of God’s benevolence
Christians believe that because God loves humans, God wants what is best for them
They believe that God created humans because He is all loving and desired to bestow His love upon creatures
How does God’s quality of Benevolence help Christians in their daily life
God is benevolent
This encourages Christians to love each other in their daily lives by treating everybody with care and respect
What do Christians believe to be God’s greatest act of love
Christians believe that God’s greatest act of love was sending God’s Son, Jesus, to earth
State a scripture that shows that God is loving
‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ John 3:16 NIV
What is the Bible’s definition of love
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
1 corinthians 13:4-8 NIV
This description of love suggests some qualities that Christians should aspire to.
Define justice
Bringing about what is right and fair, according to the law, or making up for a wrong that has been committed
How does God’s quality of being just help Christians in their daily life
God will never support injustice, ill-treatment, prejudice or oppression
Therefore Christians should do all they can to prevent these wrongs wherever they encounter them
What is the problem of evil and suffering
Many people question why a loving God would allow people to suffer, rather than prevent the evil actions of others from happening.
What do Christians believe in terms of the problems of evil and suffering
Christians believe that a just God treats all people fairly and is incapable of making a wrong judgement
Therefore Christians are sure that they can trust God even when things appear to be going wrong
Define trinity
The belief that there are three persons in the One God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are separate, but are also one being
