Exam 2 Person & Work of God Flashcards
What is Practical (Secularism)
Disengagement of society (education, politics, social standing, business) from instruction by, responsibility to, or the public presence of religion.
What is Magic
Manipulation of objects, substances, spirit entities & minds including humans and demons by word (ritual, incantations, curses, spells, etc.) and objects (charms, amulets, crystals, herbs, potions, wands, candles, etc.).
Non-Evangelical Scholastic Methods of Knowing God
- Causality – every effect must have an adequate cause. Life is an effect. What is an adequate cause of this effect? Natural theology
- Negation – define a bad and say that God has none of that. “in” or “im” change = mutate. Immutable. Immortal, invisible, impeccable, infinite, incomprehensible, impassible
- Eminence – define a good and say God has the superlative of it. Best/all = omni. Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent, omnisapient
The Definition of Trinity:
In the unity of God’s essence there subsists three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who are consubstantial and coeternal, yet distinct in the personal mode of their existence, [the Father begetting the Son, and the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son.
Basic Affirmations of Trinity:
- Oneness of God
- The Old Testament God Is the New Testament God
- Logos Is God, but not Father
- Holy Spirit Is a Divine Person, but neither Father nor Son
- New Testament Is Consciously Trinitarian
- The Bible Does not Reason Abstractly about Trinity
Westminster Shorter Catechism Definition, Question 4
What is God?
What is God? God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Immutability Summary:
God does not change in His essence, character, plans, purposes, knowledge but does change in His attitudes and actions depending on our repentance, resistance or prayers
Election Basic Definition
Verb: “To Choose”: Before the foundation of the world, God chose to give certain people, those in Christ, every spiritual blessing; Noun: “the chosen”: The people whom God chose before the foundation of the world to receive every spiritual blessing.
Election Wesleyan-Arminian Basic Definition:
Before the foundation of the world, God, on the basis of foreknown human faith, chose in Christ individuals to be heirs of eternal life.
Election Calvinism Basic Definition:
Before the foundation of the world, God chose certain individuals to be recipients of eternal life solely on the basis of His gracious purpose apart from any human merit or action.
Models of Creation
Young Earth Creation: God created all things less than 10,000 years ago. The Genesis 1 days are six, sequential twenty-four-hour days. Stars, moon, earth, trees, and animals were created essentially as we see them today. Adam & Eve were created as mature adults. Often associated with flood geology, the theory that dinosaurs were killed, fossils, canyons, mountains were formed by the flood.
Historic Creationism: Genesis 1 & 2 is the record of the God who created the sun, moon, stars, planet earth, plants, animals, etc. in the beginning (a period of time before our story begins) shaping the unpopulated uncultivated land of Israel into a luxuriant garden for Him to dwell with the first humans, His image bearers and covenant partners. The days are six 24 hour periods of God’s working to prepare Eden.
Literary Framework: God inspired Moses to use the metaphor of the Sabbath week to narrate God’s acts of creation. Thus, God’s supernatural creative words or fiats are real and historical but their timing is unspecified. The purpose of the metaphor is to call Adam to imitate God in work, with the promise of entering His Sabbath rest. The days are in the Genesis narrative not in the act of Creation.
Define Providence
God working out His plan through the upholding of the creation, cooperation with all second causes, and direction of all things towards His ultimate goal.
