Christians
believe in one God who, in a great act of love, created the universe, heaven,
earth, and all things therein. Because it was created in love, everything in
creation is good and special to God. Christians emphasize God's parental love
in particular, teaching that God created humans to be God's children. God wants
to share a loving close personal relationship with each of them.
The
universe is not only good and moral, but ordered and purposeful. Everything in
the cosmos is part of God's divine plan, a plan too great for humans to fully
comprehend.
While
Christian doctrine traditionally teaches that God is pure spirit, and therefore
has no gender, Christians follow Jesus' example and call God Father. The
intimacy suggested by the term emphasizes the parental wisdom and love that
Christians often ascribe to God. It also describes the relationship that
Christians believe Jesus had with God.
Christians
teach that Jesus was both human and divine. As a human being he was perfectly
obedient to God the Father, and Christians believe they are called to follow
his example. As a divine being, he was not another god but a visible
incarnation of the one God. He is called the Son of God, the Word of God, or
the Image of God as a way of describing his divine origin and nature, and his
relationship with God the Father.
Out
of the many devotional and honorific titles given to Jesus, the best known is
Christ, meaning "anointed," a term that refers to a ceremony in which
a king or ruler is consecrated with oil. Christ is the Greek equivalent of the
Hebrew title Messiah, or ruler, an indication of the Christian belief that
Jesus was sent by God to rule humanity.
Through
the miracles he is said to have performed, Jesus revealed God's love, while his
teaching revealed God's will. His life and death as a human being were part of
God's plan to die voluntarily in order to atone for those who have wronged God.
Christianity
teaches that Jesus was raised, or resurrected, on the third day after his death
on the cross, and forty days later ascended to heaven, where he lives and
reigns alongside God. Christians worship Jesus and pray to him. He is not
physically visible now, but is still present wherever his followers gather.
Christians expect Jesus to return at some future date to judge humanity and
usher in a golden age.
There
is a third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. In both Jewish and Christian
thought, the Spirit is God's instrument for creating or bestowing life. The
Gospel of Matthew says that Mary became pregnant with Jesus through the power
of the Holy Spirit; Jesus' own life and ministry were carried out in
conjunction with and empowered by the Holy Spirit; and the Gospel of John
reports that Jesus assured his followers that although he had to leave, the
Spirit of God would come to strengthen them. The Book of Acts describes how, on
the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the assembled apostles like
powerful wind and flames, and when the Holy Spirit filled them, they were able
to speak in languages understood by the pilgrims visiting Jerusalem from far
away. Christians view the Holy Spirit as God's active presence in the world.
Although
the word Trinity does not appear in the New Testament, it was in use by the
early 3rd century. The Nicene Creed states that Jesus is "of one
substance" with God the Father. The Holy Spirit "proceeds from the
Father," and together with the God the Father and God the Son, "is
worshipped and glorified." The idea of the Trinity expresses the Christian
belief that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three persons in one
God. Affirming itself as a monotheistic faith, Christianity has taught that the
Trinity is a mystery, beyond the complete comprehension of humans.
Christianity
also teaches that there are invisible beings that can influence individuals and
events. Created by God, they can be either benevolent angels or malevolent
demons. Angels are often described in the Bible as messengers from God,
frequently delivering their messages to people in dreams. Demons are thought to
be rebellious angels, led by a fallen angel who was once called Lucifer,
meaning "bearer of light." Now he is called the Devil or Satan, meaning
"adversary."
For
Christians, all creatures, visible and invisible, are subject to God's will and
are to play a role in God's divine plan. While it may not be possible for
humans to fully understand or explain how God's plan is being worked out,
Christianity teaches that God is all-knowing and benevolent, and that all
things will ultimately work together for the good.
Study
Questions:
1. Why is God often referred to as “Father”?
2. What is the relationship between God and
Jesus? How does each reveal the other?
3. What do Christians believe happened to
Jesus after he was crucified?
4. What is the Trinity?
5. What do Christians believe about a divine
plan for creation?
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