Benchmark Gospel Essentials

CWV 101

Benchmark – Gospel Essentials

God: God is sovereign and all powerful and wisdom. He is merciful and He is jealous. It was summed up best in Exodus and he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). He is unchanging, eternal, all-knowing, and all-present. God has a few attributes that proves that he is personable such as God being good, loving, just, jealous, faithful, and holy (Diffey, 2016). God created everything that sustains life for humanity from the universe to the stars and the earth, the sun and the moon, the animals and the plants and trees and humans.

Humanity: Human nature is the psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans (Merriam-Webster, 2016). This all translates into the human purpose which explains –“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth (Genesis 1:26)”. The passage goes further to explain the human purpose – And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth (Genesis 1:28). Humanity was meant to rule over the land of God and to reproduce and then teach those about humanities purpose. The fall was what halted God’s plan for humanity. If it was not for the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve into sin then humanity would have been on the right path with God (Diffey, 2016)

Jesus: Jesus’ true identity is as the son of God. The second mentioned of the Holy Trinity. Jesus did what He was sent to do which was to be a servant to God on humanities behalf. He was a servant of God and a teacher/ messiah to man. Jesus led a life of dutiful service to God and a representation of humanity should aspire to within their worship. Jesus was then sacrificed on the cross for our sins. Who Jesus is and His works are significant to the Christian worldview because it was important for God to remain faithful to the agreement to humanity. If not God would have had to terminate His relationship with humanity. This would mean an abandonment of the purpose of humanity and the image God had for His creation. If God had set aside His covenant and Law, then He would appear to humanity to be very fickle and His covenants would seem subjective and God’s word would be untrustworthy. Jesus was the bridge to fill the gap that was made between humanity and God. He was the personification of Gods laws and wants for and from humanity. Jesus was Gods greatest hope to reunite His creation to the idea of the world that He created.

Restoration: The solution to humanities problems according to the Christian worldview is simply following the word of God. Loving each other and doing good by on another. The role that grace and faith play in the Christian salvation comes from when Jesus says in response to the question of how will others know that we are Christians “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). The transformation of self and society happens by being intercessors for the Lord. The way to change is to continue to worship and teach others about the word of God. One must first find the truth in God within themselves and then can they speak the truth to others. This ongoing redemption of humanity, which is essentially the building of God’s kingdom (the ministry of Christ’s Church), will one day come to completion at the Second Coming of Christ (Matt. 24) (Grand Canyon University, 2016).

Analysis: As with anything there is good and bad in any aspect and in analyzing the Christian worldview one can find opposing views. There are the benefits or strengths that are bond with the Christian belief. Things like gaining eternal life in heaven for doing good here on earth to those we come in contact with is great motivation to spread love in the world. Christianity holds some trouble and or confusion as well. Creation and evolution are the two things that are the most confusing and or troublesome about Christianity. There is the belief that God created everything then there is science that proves otherwise in some sorts. The debate of design and chance are ongoing with many feeling that design or God wins out and makes more sense in the end. “Waiving values stemming from unknown calculations but aiming to prove that life or DNA could never have occurred by chance (BISSEN, 2014). Chance leaves too many variables while design, well that comes from planning. Christianity can be a great influence on a person’s thinking and behavior. Having morals and a feeling of purpose are just two factors. Morals are something that we are all born into but not all of us have an innate need to continue to nurture those morals. The knowledge of God and the sacrifice of Jesus help to put things into perspective and good morals will seem like a small price to pay.

Reflection: As a Christian, I live out my beliefs of the Christian worldview by firstly teaching my children about the Bible and the word of God. I have taught my children the Lord’s Prayer and they all know about Christmas as being a celebration of the birth of Christ. I pray daily in keeping with the pray without ceasing to live a prayer full life. I find myself with others that follow God which helps to keep me grounded and following the lord even in my everyday life. I believe in the second coming and that Jesus is the messiah that will come for the good. Through God I am a servant and do unto others as I would want them to do unto me. I encourage my children to never lie and to always tell the truth even if it will get them in trouble. I also try to do the same for them. I love and honor my mother and father and husband. I put no other God before our Lord creator.

Conclusion: All in all the world would not be what it is if it was not for God. There would be no sin if God did not create humanity. God knew that Adam and Eve would eat the apple and gain full knowledge of the word. God created humanity with free will and choice. Some choose to follow and others do not and God I know would forgive them if they asked for it before death. What is greater than a people who choose a God that they cannot see or feel but just believe is there watching over them. “Although belief in God remains strong among Americans, this belief is declining. A 2013 Harris poll revealed that 74 percent of Americans expressed a belief in God in 2013”(García, 2015).

References

Bible, New International Version

BISSEN, D. (2014). Is evolution truly random? chance as an ideological weapon in the ‘evolution-creation’ debate. Science & Christian Belief, 26(2), 120-142. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=99355029&site=eds-live&scope=site

García, J. D., PhD. (2015). God. Salem Press Encyclopedia, Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=87995564&site=eds-live&scope=site

Grand Canyon University. (2016).  
CWV-101 lecture  (Topic 5 ed.)

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Human Nature