implications of teachings abt god

will of god

• Humans are aware of God and the way he wants them to behave. They also possess free will, a level of rationality that allows them to reflect on their actions and to avoid anything that would offend God 

• Christians believe that the will of God can be discovered from a variety of sources: 

• Primarily, God’s will can be discovered in the teachings of the bible 

• Many also believe it can be discerned through natural law. For example, human beings tend naturally to live in 

• family units and in doing so they believe they are following the plan God set out in creation 

• Christians also believe that, because human beings were created with an element of the divine in them, they are able to know in conscience when what they are doing is wrong, and this acts as a powerful influence on their behaviour 

• The first purpose of human life is to come to know God, and to live our lives according to his plan and his commands 

ultimate destiny

• The second aspect of the purpose of human life is, one day, to live eternally with God in heaven 

• Death brings an end to earthly duties of human beings. At the point of death, they will be judged according to how well they completed the purpose for which they were created, loving God and living by his will 

• An implication of the belief in God as supremely good is a belief in ultimate justice 

• Christians believe in a place both of reward (called heaven) and of punishment (hell), because justice can only be achieved where goodness triumphs over evil, and that the destiny of human beings must be affected by their behaviour on Earth 

literalism

• Morris is a creationist 

• In Genesis, the word ‘Yom’ can be interpreted as meaning either day or era. Morris argues that ‘Yom’ always means a 24 hour period and there is no uncertainty whatsoever that God created the world in six days 

• He argues that the creation account must have been written by either: 

• God himself 

• On a tablet of stone recorded by Adam (who was given the gift of the stability to write by God). Once Adam was created he would then be in a position to share this knowledge with the rest of creation 

• For Morris this accounts for the two biblical versions of Genesis. The first written by God, and the second from Adam’s perspective as he discovered it 

accommodation of science

• Other christians, including many Anglican and Roman Catholics, have preferred an accommodation with science, accepting the biblical account of creation 

• They continue to believe in the two fundamental truths, that God is the creator and a personal God, but argue they can still accept the scientific evidence for the big bang and evolution. 

• The theory of the big bang, for example, still leaves open the question of the origin of matter. 

effects on christian life

• Christians believe that God is worthy of worship, that he is to be adored and respected because of his supreme perfection. 

• Worship of God, giving thanks and praise, is thus a key feature of Christian life 

• Because creation belongs to God, Christians believe that they do not have dominion over it, but rather are given the role of stewards. 

• This can affect the way they treat the planet, seeking not to over exploit its resources but rather preserve it and protect its fruitfulness 

• Because God is invested in creating a natural order of things, many Christians believe that to act against the natural order is to disobey God 

personal relationships w god

• Christians believe that the personal relationship with God is a loving one, like that of a father to his children, and so they seek to enter into a loving and attentive relationship with God 

• This is seen through their life of prayer, talking with God, and trusting in God’s grace and help 

• Because people are loved by God, Christians believe that human beings are like a family, and that each person shares a responsibility for the welfare of all 

• This often leads Christians to be committed to actions that give support to those who are in need