christian beliefs

Omnipotent

All-powerful attribute of God, possessing limitless authority and strength.

Omniscient

All-knowing attribute of God, having complete awareness of past, present, and future.

Omnibenevolent

All-loving and wholly good nature attributed to God.

Transcendent

Existing completely outside, above, and independent of the physical universe.

Immanent

Present and actively involved within the created physical world and human lives.

The Trinity

Christian belief that God is one divine being consisting of three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Incarnation

Belief that God became human in the person of Jesus, possessing both complete humanity and complete divinity.

The Crucifixion

Execution of Jesus on a wooden cross as a sacrificial act to deal with human wrongdoing.

The Resurrection

Event where Jesus rose from the dead three days after dying, demonstrating victory over death.

The Ascension

Event where Jesus returned bodily to heaven after rising from the dead.

Salvation

Deliverance from sin and its eternal consequences, restoring human relationship with God.

Atonement

Reconciliation between humanity and God brought about through the sacrificial death of Jesus.

Original Sin

Universal human tendency toward moral failure inherited from Adam and Eve's first disobedience.

Moral Evil

Suffering and harm caused directly by human choices, cruelty, and deliberate wrongdoing.

Natural Evil

Suffering and devastation caused by environmental events and natural disasters without human intent.

Soul-Making

Theological response stating that suffering exists as a necessary challenge to develop virtue and spiritual growth.

Grace

Freely given, undeserved divine love and forgiveness granted to humanity by God.

1 John 4:8

"God is love." Used to demonstrate God's loving nature and omnibenevolence.

Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Used to evidence God's supreme power and creation of the universe.

Genesis 1:2

"The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Used to demonstrate the Holy Spirit's active involvement in creation.

John 1:14

"The Word became flesh." Used to evidence the divine becoming human through Jesus.

Matthew 28:19

"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Used in baptism to express the three persons of God.

1 Peter 2:24

"He himself bore our sins." Used to explain the sacrificial purpose of Jesus' death.

Luke 24:6

"He is not here; he has risen!" Used to support victory over the grave and the promise of life after death.

Acts 1:9

"He was taken up before their very eyes." Used to affirm Jesus returning to heaven.

Ephesians 2:8

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith." Used to show that deliverance is an unearned gift received through belief.

John 11:25

"I am the resurrection and the life." Used to affirm that belief in Jesus leads to eternal life with God.

Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Used to explain the universal presence of human wrongdoing.

1 John 2:2

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins." Used to show that Jesus' death repaired the bond between humanity and God.