what do christians believe about the nature of God? Flashcards
how is Gods nature revealed to humans? [3]
1.bible
2.religious experiences(where an individual has a direct experience with God)
3.through Jesus(who is believed to be god incarnate)
God is omnipotent
God is all-powerful,almighty and unlimited
How is Gods Omnipotence demostrated?
Exodus:the ten plagues
The account of the ten plagues shows that God can do things that no one else can
1.able to control and alter natural processes as he desires to achieve his will
eg.turn dust into gnats ”stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt”
God is omnibenevolent
God is all-loving and infinitely good
How is God’s omnibenevolence demonstrated?[2]
1.Through Jesus as God became flesh to pay the price for human sin and repair his relationship with Humans
2.Psalm 86:15
But you O Lord,are a god merciful and gracious
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness
what is the cause of evil and suffering?
Adam and Eve(humans) were given free will.When they chose to act out of selfish desires and ignore God’s will,it can cause suffering to others.Evil and suffering isn’t God’s will,they’re consequences of human choice.
why does God allow evil and suffering?
God is justified in allowing suffering to continue because it has a purpose and is apart of his divine plan
why is suffering necessary?[2]
1.helps humans develop higher virtues.Christians believe that those virtues can only be developed in response to suffering
eg.compassion = response to other people’s suffering
2.helps humans understand what is moral(when someone does something that causes suffering,they might understand that it’s wrong)
why can’t humans fully understand the purpose of suffering?
we have a limited view on universe-can’t see the bigger picture.Humans may not possess the knowledge or perspective to comprehend God’s divine plan or the reason behind the existence of evil and suffering
story of Job:why did Job lose everything?
Job was a good man who worshipped Go and lived a good life.A figure called the ‘Adversary’ asked for permission to test Job’s faith when he’s faced with misfortune. Job lost everything and asked God why innocent people suffer
the story of Job:God’s response
Job 38:2,4 & 12
”who are you question my wisdom
with your ignorant empty words?..
where were you when i made the world?..
have you ever in you life commanded a day to dawn…”
what did God’s response to Job mean?
God knows what he’s doing.God’s purpose may not be obvious to us but he always has a reason for what he does.
God is personal
God has personal qualities and you can have a relationship with him(he is a bit like a friend)
how is God being personal demonstrated?[2]
- through Jesus.He’s God incarnate acting in the world ; God chose to become flesh so he could repair his relationship with humanity
2.through the holy spirit. God’s spirit at work in the world.It guides people and is involved in human life
God is impersonal
God is mysterious and unknowable- dissimilar to humans.God is wholly other so he unlike anything we have experienced.He could be a spirit or force like magnetism or gravity which influences the earth invisibly
