Christian Worldview CWV-301 GCU
Evil is described as
"Goodness spoiled and is the result of free will.
According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, man's primary purpose
"glorify God and enjoy him forever."
Gospels are reliable historically and spiritually valuable because:
- Fully God/fully human. -His message was, "Repent and believe for the Kingdom of God is at hand. -His purpose/mission was to save humanity -He showed his authority as God by performing miracles: healing, casting out demons, and had dominion of over nature. -His three closest disciples were Peter, James, and John. -He used parables to teach. List three of them and explain. -The title Jesus most often used when referring to himself was "Son of Man." -The two key identities of Jesus were, "Son of God" and "Messiah." -The champion of justification by faith. -The life of wisdom is described, taught, and explained in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount".
Three intellectual obstacles to wisdom:
- Jesus is the one, and only true way to salvation. -Faith and what is perceived or misunderstood about what faith really is. -Doubt, can one have faith and still have some doubts?
What are the four Acts
-Act one: creation -Act two:temptation and the Fall -Act three: redemption, Jesus -Act four: Restoration
Important attributes for the Trinity is the fact that:
-God is complete in and of himself, did not need to create the world - God has perfect joy and love amongst the three persons God invites humanity into his perfect joy and love relationship, John 17:20-26. Jesus' prayer. God is just, loving and relational. This motivates his redemptive and restorative work through Jesus Christ the Son of God. Because of God's initiative and incarnation, humanity can again realize its true and rightful place and purpose. First order points of doctrine are: the essential beliefs that create the central attributes of a worldview. For CWV it is: God as sovereign creator The Gospel, authority of the Bible Jesus Christ and his cross and resurrection. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit
ex nihilo
-Hebrew -created from nothing
Emotional Obstacles of Faith: Negative/ how they manifest themselves and explain from the Christian perspective.
-Loneliness - feelings of isolation -Meaninglessness - lacking purpose or direction -Depression - overwhelming sense of sadness -Guilt - remorse over an action or even thought -Shame - sense of worthless ness; self-inflicted judgment of being unredeemable.
What are the four Gospels?
-Matthew, Mark and Luke, sypnotic Gospels -John
old testament
-Written in Hebrew -39 books
the three persons trinity
-father -son -holy spirit
Analogies for a worldview
-foundation of a building -lenses -box top of a jigsaw puzzle -story
wisdom
-is knowledge of life in the sense that it connects understandings and the application of the understandings in ways that enable people to live life well -Jesus teachings are considered foundational to wisdom in the Christian Worldview
two distinctive senses of "the fear of the Lord" Psalm 111:10
-to actually be afraid because of his immensity, power and omniscience -reverence, respect and awe
new testament
-written in Greek -27 books
According to the video there are Five absolute truths.
1. God exists 2. God is all-powerful 3. God is all knowing 4. God is loving 5. Human beings suffer
Five Core Beliefs from the video on suffering.
1. God exists. 2. God is all good. 3. God is all knowing. 4. God is all powerful. 5. There is evil in the world.
The Problem of evil and suffering: 11 ways Christianity addresses it.
1. Suffering is a result of the fall and... 2. - increases our compassion and equips us to comfort others who suffer 3. - strengthens our character 4. - sometimes is a direct result of sin, and therefore teaches us obedience 5. - sometimes is a tool of God's discipline 6. - draws us closer to God, compelling us to repent of our sins 7. - keeps us humble and dependent on Christ 8. - compels us to look up, and long for heavenly redemption 9. - joins us closer to Christ and His sufferings, especially persecution 10. - even in the midst of suffering God is aiming for our ultimate good 11. - especially in the midst of suffering God wants us to experience His amazing love
Purpose deals with two questions:
1. Why am I living? 2. How am I living?
The ten commandments
1. must not have any other Gods 2. Must not idolize anyone else but God 3. do not speak the name of the Lord in vain 4. respect the day of the Sabbath 5.do not lie 6.do not commit adultery 7.do not kill 8.do not steal 9. respect your mother and father 10. do not covet your neighbor (out of order, wrote them from memory)
nihilism
A view that suggests that, ultimately, there is no truth or meaning behind what people value as meaningful, only individual interpretations of situations, events, and emotions based on personal motives for self-benefit.
Summarize Romans 3: 20-26
A. No one is justified before God through the works of the Law or through obeying God's commands. B. There is a way to righteousness before God; it is through faith in Jesus who fulfilled God's Law or commands on humanity's behalf. C. The way of salvation is the same for every person, both Jews and Gentiles alike. D. Through Christ's death and resurrection, God is both just and the Justifier of those who trust in Jesus.
Explain what is meant by the Kingdom of God being both already and not yet.
According to the textbook, humanity finds its best purpose in the mission of God; the mission of coming to and rescuing humanity from its broken state of sin and separation from God.
empiricism
An epistemological theory that knowledge comes through only sensory experience.
How does the Christian view of salvation differ most from other religions?
Christianity not just proclaims Jesus as the only way to salvation, but it is the only faith that is offering salvation
societal ethic
Each culture or society's unique understandings and convictions about what is right and wrong
personal ethic
Each person's unique understandings and convictions about what is right and wrong. Personal morality recognizes what is right and wrong for a person individually.
what is the original sin and how did it happen according to a CWV?
Fall of Adam
universal principles
Foundational truths that can be universally applied to all persons and all times regardless of context that especially relate to moral thought and understanding of reality
what are the two basic natures of humans, according to a CWV?
Genesis 1-3
incarnation
God came to us, became one of us, lived just like a human
How are human beings different from animals in terms of purpose and soul?
Humans have the ability to not sin
relativism
In epistemology, the belief that no statements or constructs are true at all times, for all eras, and for all persons other than mathematics.
What is meant in the textbook, when it says that being a disciple of Jesus is costly?
Jesus first lays out two of the costs of discipleship (14:26-27); then, He gives two parables (14:28-32) that make the same overall point, namely, that a person must give careful consideration to the cost before he rashly jumps into it. Then He states a third cost of discipleship (14:33). He then (14:34-35) gives an illustration about salt to illustrate the cost of not truly following Him. He concludes by warning, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
atonement
Jesus shed his own blood, willingly went to the Cross as the spotless Lam of God to reconcile and restore humanity
Understand and explain: Omnipotence Omnipresence Omniscience Omni-benevolence
Omnipotence: all-powerful Omniscience: all-knowing Omnipresence: all-present Omnibenevolence: all goodness
personal truth
Related to relative truth, personal truth is the idea that truth is defined by the individual and does not extend beyond that person
naturalistic philosophy
System of belief that everything can be explained through natural causes and effects involving only natural matter, energy, and forces. Supernatural explanations, causes, and effects are excluded.
special revelation
The Lord reveals himself through the Bible
Syncretism
The blending together of diverse and sometimes opposing or contradictory beliefs into one system of thought or practice. This was common mistake of the Israelites.
universal ethics
The idea that some actions with certain intent are always right or always wrong for all humans
relative ethics
The view that all morality, right and wrong, is individually or culturally created. This view believes there is no universal or objective right and wrong. Instead, individuals or cultures create their own morals, which are not considered better or worse than any other.
absolute truth
Unalterable facts that are true at all times for all persons regardless of context.
justification
a legal term that means Christs payment for sin, is credited to our account, resulting in our now being justified in God's sight
Define convenant
a solemn agreement between two parties in which both parties swear an oath to keep or abide by the agreement
Moral failures in Christianity,
according to the textbook, are largely due to faith that is only based on what God can do for you now, not on a trust in God himself. This leads to dissatisfaction, discontentment, and disillusionment even though one has a Christian faith
atheism
belief based only on the natural and physical realm with no spiritual or supernatural
deism
belief in a god who created all things but is not relational or involved in the world
theism
belief in a personal and relational God who created and sustains all that exists
pantheism
belief that "all is god" and a strong sense of spiritualism but not in a personal God
coherence test
checks the internal consistency of a worldview to see if one's specific values and beliefs contradict any to her beliefs within the worldview
Christian exclusivism
concept only one way to God or to pleasing God, Aka restrictivist/essentialist view
Religious Pluralism
concept there are many ways to God
private worldview
describes one's personal convictions about reality
shared worldview
describes the shared convictions of a community
practical test
evaluates worldview's livability. Does the worldview bring satisfaction as one faces lifes challenges, or is it found to be lacking
correspondance test
examines how well a worldview corresponds to reality It evaluates and experiences to see if the worldview matches with what one perceives in the real world
universals
in philosophy truth or principles that are true at all times. for all eras for all personss
worship
it is the act if ascribing ultimate worth or value to something, within CWV, worship is dedicated to God alone.
Another name for the four-act story of God in history is called a
metnarrative It explains God's work and forms the basis for the Christian World View.
Truth is:
oTranscultural o Not based on one's beliefs or passions. o Is Discovered not invented. o Absolute truth does exist. o To know something is false or counterfeit you have to know the truth or the authentic. o It may be discerned through evidence, reason and experience. o conformity to fact, reality, or actuality o what is real not imaginary o objective and therefore absolute o discerned by faith and reason. o an accurate representation of reality o statements or constructs that agree with facts.
Christian inclusivism
one could be saved my grace while never knowing that Jesus is the means of grace through his sacrifice for sins, his crucifixion and his resurrection
redemption
remaining the value of something that was originally lost. The standing of humanity with God was redeemed(reinstated) by Jesus. The relationship is still in the process of being full restored and will culminate with the inauguration of Christ's return to establish the new heaven and the new earth and the New Jerusalem, the Holy city of God. This is a time when we will experience the full weight and presence of God and his glory
define worldview
set of assumptions or beliefs about that affects how we think and how we live
Define theodicy and explain:
taken from the Greek words for God and justice; is a defense of God's goodness and power despite the presence of evil and suffering in the world.
resurrection
the belief that Jesus rose from the dead to claim victory over sin and death. The basis of CWV hope
secularism
the reduction or elimination of spiritual influence or thought in different aspects of life such as education, morality, politics, business, marriage, family and entertainment.
Define faith
the transfer of trust from one entity to another. Hope and expectation based on substance and evidence but transcends limited physical evidence alone
which worldview families use both faith and reason
theism
redepmtion
through Christ the separation and broken relationship between humanity and God is healed, redeemed.
rescue
we are uable to save ourselves
We determine our worldview by answering six basic questions
what is ultimate reality ? what is the nature of the universe? what is human nature? what is knowledge? what is our basis of ethics? what is our purpose?
Renewal
when one receives Christ as Lord and Savior and confesses one's state of sin, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within the believer and brings renewal and empowers the transformation of the believer
CWV has three ways of viewing the nature and age of the Earth
young earth: This view believes God created the universe in 6 literal 24-hour days. old earth: This view agrees with mainstream science that the universe and earth are billions of years old. The theistic evolution view: by definition God used evolution to create