The Doctrine Of God Theology Religion Essay

The Doctrine Of graven emblem Theology Religion EssayMany mess find the culture of the principals of messiahianity to be inte breatheing and even intriguing. For wholesome-nigh, however, the interest goes well beyond unaffixed curiosity. For this concourse of truth look forers, a hunger for acquaintance and truth drives them to intrust years of their lives to the pursuit of deeper and meaningful insight into what it exclusively(prenominal) means. They dive into their studies reading, analyzing, listening, discussing, and debating the get alongs border creation, divinity, and human kins with nature, one a nonher, and deity. Though their paths whitethorn be diverse, they sh be the world(a) hope that their efforts be fruitful that they atomic number 18 able to tell the storey of deli rattling boy the Nazarene, the history of the Christian per version building building, and percent the pass on of a good-natured causation in a way of intent that testamen t pee a positive imp flake on humanity and be pleasing to graven image. This is where my colleagues and I find ourselves today. We ar charged with explaining what we seduce read, hear, learned, and understand, and the magnificent task of doing so with clarity and authority. The greeatst altercate of communion this pass on of hope, that is two fire and ch in all in allenging, is to be able to t severally it (and live it) in a way that is not hypocritical or exclusive. While some be torrid and some are curious ab commence the gospel nub, thither is mute an entirely different classify of masses who are affected by it those who are ignorant of Christian teachings and those who provoke negative smellings toward them. It is perhaps the majority of society, whom we should be reaching prohibited to. Those mountain who are living external of religion and constitutionuality are doing so because someone failed to portion the message of theology with them, or because so meone failed to share it meatively. I gestate at that place is more danger in being ineffective in sharing the message than in not sharing it at all.I grew up a pseudo-Southern Baptist. I say pseudo because my familys at raceance at church was in truth inconsistent. We were faithful to attend church at least formerly a month, whitethornbe twice in some months. I was neer involved in youth activities, vacation discussion school, or bible study aggroups. I did not progress to a close group of friends deep d experience the church. My experience with pew sitting included hellfire and native sulphur sermons delivered by prophesyers who were well-versed in salvation pieceed in fear rather than faith. It is calorie-free to imagine that, for me, church was not a place where I matt-up mollification or grace. I eventually stopped attending church altogether during my teens. I had not felt any affirmation or nurture during my church experiences, so for a long age, all I felt I w as missing was the guilt and fear I associated with church membership. I stayed away for roughly fifteen years before I felt paragon employment me to a relationship. Shortly after merging Christi, who would investly be love my wife, we visited the joined Methodist Church with our daughters. It was and so that I became deeply involved in a bible study for the low time in my life, and so much of the gospel message from my hit-and-miss church attendance finally began to put to work sense. We began to introduce in several church activities with our children, volunteering in youth events, sunshine School activities, perpetration projects, and small group bible studies. It wasnt long before I was drafted into the church praise band, leading(a) worship on Wednesday nights and at the early service on Sunday mornings. I had have it awayn for a patch that I had a lust to serve more full, moreover it was done a truly unhoped event at church that I was rapidly introduced to f ull-time ministry. Stepping out on faith, I was hired as the youth minister and soon became a licensed local pastor. This served my purpose temporarily, scarce it did not fork out to the full for the kind of education I felt was necessary to preach and teach in pastoral ministry. The more that I learned during this time of rapid growth and awakening, the more I hungered for even more companionship. My sagacity of Christianity and church membership has since changed drastically from the narrow-minded perspective I had retained finishedout my childhood and well into adulthood. My perspective has shifted and my correspondence continues to evolve. thither are things which had no importance to me at all, that have be bob up priorities. I have grown passionate about social erectice and have gained a true appreciation for programs that promote the wellness and interests of women, children and others who are oppressed or marginalized. I have felt a calling to be a voice of support for women in ministry to support their ministries and ensure that they are fully enabled to accomplish all of the good that they behind, particularly in areas of ministry that they can be far more effective than a man could be. I feel strongly about the importance of encouraging inclusiveness in the church. I mean that it is important for all theologys people to have a place to participate in corporate worship. Church membership should not exclude members of the spanking and lesbian companionship, as we all are in desperate pauperization of feeling ever closer to immortal. There are several mainstream congregations within our communities that would not welcome gay or lesbian individuals into their churches. It is a great deal openly and overtly preached against such blatant sinners becoming church members. I believe that none of our own sins can fairly or accurately be judged. Inclusiveness must be an overriding theme in all areas of the mission field. We are called to go stupefy disciples and since we are all sinners, we would be in a bad way(predicate) to make disciples among those who are perfect(a). Our worship space and our church families should be places that are welcoming and inclusive, rather than rejecting and exclusive. If we are to model ourselves after delivery boy, the Christ, we must think that our savior ate with sinners. In those examples of love and forgiveness, Christ aimed us the perfect model. If we are to be care Him, we must remember all those on the fringes not just those who are victimized, entirely withal those who are marginalized of their own poor choices. I believe that savior is my example and I am to model myself after Him. This is my calling.Prolegomena-The central theme of the ledger is divinity fudge calling us, immortals people, back into a relationship with beau ideal. If we believe this, then we can all accomplish this restored relationship by ensuring that all of gods people have not sole(prenomin al) the jeopardize, but the understanding of what that relationship means. But, for many, the Bible is a inappropriate writing. It is filled with stories and situations and run-in that are not easily understood. In fact, for many, it is like a foreign language. In addition, as I have come to experience in the world of theological education, there are so many terms that are indecipherable to the common person. We take our kat onceledge of the Bible and continue to turn it into terms that are still not user friendly. I believe that as theologians and faithful followers of messiah Christ, we have a responsibility to humanity to give our best efforts to share matinee idols message with others. We are called by divinity fudge and by the scripture in Matthew to go out and spread the gospel in order that all people may have the Bible accessible to them and to bring the message of scripture interpreted to them in a language that they might understand. When I use the phrase for the fringes, I am referring to those who are international the church. For whatsoever reason, they do not have any affiliation with a church- maybe from a bad experience, never having been exposed, or disbelief. I believe that this is partly what we are being told in the passage from Matthew 25, the least of these. These children of divinity fudge may be in the far corners of the earth, or in our back yards. They may be from the poorest of society, or they may be in the wealthiest ten percent. They may be pre-teen children, or they may be in the eve of their lives. In any case, I feel as though it is the responsibility of those who know the truth of scripture, the Christian community, to educate in common terms. More specifically, I believe that it is my responsibility, as a response to divinitys amazing grace, to make it a priority to share savior with everyone that I can, in a language that everyone can understand. Dr. Rieger referenced our divinity fudge as a fairly primitiv e graven image.1This god of creation and liberation is the radical God that can address to the masses of those who are believed to be on the fringes, those just outside the church. whatsoever believe that God is altogether available to those who gather in community and in relationships found within the fellowship and experiences of like-minded persons. We characterize those outside established congregations with terms like unchurched, or underchurched, or lost. The fact that they are not incorporated into an organized luggage compartment of believers does not make them wrong. excessively often the Christian community carries within itself, perhaps even in its doctrines, the belief that God can only be found privileged the church. There are some who may even believe that they are the only ones who do church right. As theologians, we are faced with the challenge of defending good God-talk, rather than bad. Unfortunately, many people experience theology as nothing more than an others unlearned opinion or agenda, which could be limiting, damaging, or acquit destruction. It is the responsibility of every person to seek knowledge and to share that knowledge.The Doctrine of God-Theology begins and ends with God. In an effort to firm our theological stance, we seek resources to support what we have learned and understand of God. The Bible and other historic documents are not written to provide proof of God, but to show what God has done, what God is doing, and what God is yet to do. They are, in fact, a software documentation of Gods origination throughout history. Of these resources, there is no place better to start than with the Bible. In Genesis, we see that God created the nirvanas and the earth. and God sweep over the face of the waters.2We see evidence of Gods reality at the commence of time. However, Gods populace in the lives of the individuals is measured not by the accounts of others, but in the relationships and experiences of the individua ls.The book of Deuteronomy, chapter 26 carries a hidden creed showing that the God of mercy and love delivered the writer from captivity and bondage. We cried to the Lord..the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt.with a terrifying display of power.3Throughout the text, a merciful image of God is unembellished as God helped liberate a people from their captors. The say shows that while being a God of great mercy and faithfulness, and love, that there is the existence of a God who can be terrifying. Both characteristics are contained within the same account. But, the testimony would not channel the same effect had it not been in a relational setting. The oppression and captivity were very real and very personal to the writer as well as the action of God was also very personal. It is through these kinds of stories that the God of our Christian faith can be better understood.God has been presented to us with many a ttributes. These include Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, omniscient, omnipotent, Blessed, love and forgiving, to name a a couple of(prenominal). Perhaps the best defining uttern communication for God would be self-existent. The fact that Gods existence does not rely on anything but God is somewhat overwhelming. The challenge is not only to gain a personal understanding of who and what God is, but to be able to effectively articulate God to others. This is the mystery of God. God can be draw as everywhere, yet among us. God is said to be the Alpha and Omega, the offshoot and the last, the beginning and the end.4These terms provoke call into questions within those who do not have a relationship with God. God has been said to be all things to all people. It is through these examples that we begin to gain an understanding of the enormity of God. God is inestimable through our human understanding. We cannot possibly have a be intimate understanding of God. To simply say that God is Christ leaves God somewhat boxed-in(a) and then not the true God.Origen said that God is incomprehensible, transcending being itself. God is known only by inference from the created order.5We see the presence and existence of God through the world around us. God is seen in the actions of neighbors and strangers. The God of creation is seen through the beauty of nature and in the faces of our fellow gentleman. God said in Genesis 126, let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.6It is clearly seen that God is intentional in Gods communion with humankind. biblically chating, the image of God can be seen in each and every person. John Wesley referenced in his Sermon 111, the scripture found in Jeremiah 2324, Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? Says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth?7Both John Wesley and biblical scholars agree that we see through this scripture that God is both immanent and transcendent. God exists entirely in this w orld and beyond. But the way that God is going to be seen in each persons perspective is going to depend on where this person is in his or her life. God allow meet us where we are at. The heap that surround a persons life will shadow how God is positioninged. A person who is suffering from loss, or poverty, or oppression might view God as uncaring, or distant. Whereas a person who is experiencing success- either socially, financially, sumually, and relationally, may see God as very involved in their lives. It is those propagation where it is easier to see and acknowledge the existence of God. It is much harder to give God credit entry when times are hard. But the bridge to a better understanding of God is putting the deuce together and showing where God is present throughout. Trying to completely describe God would be failure. We cannot accurately speak of Gods greatness. Too many facets would be left out, and that would illustrate a God who fell short of the God that we have in our midst.Explaining the one-third is as difficult. As theologians, we are to be able to put into words that the three- God the Father, rescuer Christ the Son, and the hallowed purpose are all one. In our limited ability to understand, we seek to make sense not only to ourselves, but others. The Trinity may be likened to a full consort on a guitar. Each note, or string, has contact responsibility and equal worth. Each has its own tone and depth. But when all the notes are contend simultaneously, the chord makes a complete and beautiful sound- a harmony, a relationship. This is how the Trinity works. As previously discussed, God the Father, Creator is with us ceaselessly, from the beginning of time. As Christians, we understand that each point of the Trinity is equal to the other devil. There is no subordination. If subordination were the case, the idea of the Trinity would be pointless. A fantastic example of the Trinity in modern writing would be illustrated in the boo k The Shack. The main character has suffered loss and brokenness and experiences all three facets while dealing with his circumstances. Though based on a fictional account, the lesson of each point of the Trinity, being in harmony with each other peal true. Each point of the Trinity was able to help the character in a different way.Understanding God and the Trinity has and will be a continuous journey. As we move and study and live, the presence and knowledge of God will move within. Our understanding will change daily, as will our maturity in explaining. By helping others to identify God in their own personal experiences and relationships, we have a greater chance of helping them to understand scripture and the greatness of God.The Doctrine of saviour Christ- deliveryman Christ the Son, born of a virgin, is both fully divine and fully human. Jesus came and lived among sinners and died for our sins. This is the general idea of what Jesus Christ is to the world. But, there is so mu ch more to the idea of the Son of God. The Christian faith says that the approximately significant way in which it has been able to see God present within the world is through the life, work, and legacy of Jesus Christ. It is claimed that Jesus Christ is the physical embodiment of God in the world. Jesus himself is not all there is to God, but He is God as God has chosen to physically manifest Godself in the midst of Gods creation. The historical Jesus is the Jesus of today, acting in history. In Mark 829, Jesus asks, Who do you say that I am?8It seems that the world has been trying to answer the question since it was asked. The problem is that many different people have many differing answers. Or is that a problem. For some, He is simply a man who lived over two thousand years ago. To others, He was a prophet, much like Elijah. To some He was a politician, or a public figure that was well known and killed for His views. And yet to many of us, He was a man, who lived over two thou sand years ago, who was able to tell us things that were of another dimension, who was governmental and stood for a cause greater than we could humanly imagine. And then, just as He said, He would be betrayed by a close friend, arrested for upsetting the high political figures, and murdered- all the while, changing the course of history and the future of the world.Jesus only had a short ministry, but the magnitude of things done in that time would shape a faith that give millions hope and peace all over the world. He began by assembling a group of men who were not in the upper crust of society. He never promised wealth or position, something that the average person might aspire to achieve, but instead offered life, unlike they had ever experienced before. These young men would have been the blue collar workers of our times. They understood what it was like to work long hours for very little pay. Most of them were barely educated. But Jesus saw something in them and He chose them t o help Him carry the message- His message. Much of the time, they did not understand the words or actions of this man. He spoke unlike anyone had ever spoken. He apply parables to teach them how to live and how to love. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, ate with sinners, and basically drew outside all the lines of societal normalcy. Jesus spoke of a kingdom not of this world where we would go to be with the Father. Jesus spoke about loving their neighbor and forgiving them of their wrongdoings. He challenged them to carry His teachings to the world. And this message was for the multitudes of people who believed, and followed. We are the disciples of Christ who are called to take this message now.The Doctrine of the beatified Spirit-In the overaged Testament, we see the Spirit machine-accessible with deep experiences, through which its power might overcome an individual, it may rest upon an individual, or might be poured out over m any people.9In the New Testament, this heart is identified with Jesus Christ and is the bringer of justice, mercy, and the complete knowledge of God to the Jews and Gentiles alike. The idea that the spirit will be poured on the many- ie, male person and female, old and young, slave or free, as well as people of other nations, languages and cultures was radical considering the context of the time. The Spirit was granting knowledge to the outcasts. Not only were the wealthy and privileged receiving it, but so were the common folks.10We are told in scripture, beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the liven to see whether they are from God.11In fact, considerable time and study has been washed-out in exploration of this topic. The subject of spiritual warfare comes to mind. There are spirits that work daily in our lives. Theses spirits are not for the good of us, rather the opposite. The set apart Spirit is that presence that is carried within us every minute of the day. It is often the guidance that we seek when making a difficult decision. This Holy Spirit lives in contrast to the negative spirits. It is the spirit of both our God and Creator, as well as the spirit of Jesus Christ the Son. And this Holy Spirit will not act always the same way. Our individual leads and context will cause the spirit to respond in Its necessary capacity. Wisdom scripture say that the spirit has filled the world and holds all things together.12It is through our personal experiences that we see the Holy Spirit at work. It is often masked as the nudging to participate or to not participate in any given performance. It is the feeling or calling of reaching out to those who are in need. We see the holy Spirit at work in the actions of others who show grace and mildness when their situations would not ordinarily warrant it. The Holy Spirit is the third broker of the trinity, and is God and Jesus both active within our everyday lives. The Bible is a collection of all that God has said and done, as seen and enter through the words of persons who were inspired to write by the Holy Spirit. It is a good example of how the Spirit works and speaks in their time and situation. The image of the spirit, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament is that of device or breath.13In the Book of John, Jesus promises the spirit as encourager to come after He is returned to God. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truthhe abides in you and he will be in you.14The Holy Spirit is God living in us. And the Spirit helps us in our weakness.15The work of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, just like in the lives of the Old Testament and New Testament people, helps to offer guidance even in our darkest hours. The battle that goes on within- should I or shouldnt I? is the direct activity of the Spirit, working against the evil and sin in our lives. It may be very complex and often difficult to ex plain, but the fact is that the Holy Spirit is simply our God, the Creator of all things, living inside, present at all times.The Doctrines of Creation and Providence-The doctrine of creation tells us that God is the source and the Creator of all things. God is the Creator of the universe as well as individual human existence. All life comes from God and all life returns to God. We are told in Genesis 1 that God created and saw that everything was good. We have no doubt that God was pleased with creation.16Creation, however, is not simply a process that was. Creation is a continuous, ongoing process in which God is actively involved- a relationship between God and the world. Throughout Biblical history, we have seen the apply of God at work, primarily in the acts of creation. For example, this is evident in the story of the flood, through the imagery of the olive leaf returned to the hand of Noah by the dove. We saw God establish the covenant afterwards, the creation of Israel, and then the creation of a new community of faith through Jesus Christ. These are just a few examples of the love that God has move to show for Gods creation. We have to be able to share that creation did not create itself. It is the gift of a God who is love, and through this gift, we are shown the prolificacy of God.But why did God create the earth and everything in it? about have pondered that God was lonesome, so God created. We believe that God is complete in Godself. We have already established that God is self-existent and ultimately that Gods existence does not rely on anything but God. with that in mind, it does not make sense, even to or limited understanding of this all-loving God, that God would become lonely and subsequently create. Karl Barth believed that God was radically separate from this world. Barth said that the star who loves in emancipation was acting out of no external necessity but freely creating simply because love seeks to share its goodness.17This lov ing God that we worship, and often fear, is seeking to share Gods greatness. Through creation, God begins the relationship with humanity, not out of need, but out of love.John Calvin said, Gods providence is not that by which God idly observes from heaven what takes place on earth, but that by which, as keeper of the keys, he governs all events.18According to Wood, in the Oxford Handbook of organized Theology, we are not to believe that we are tied to our situations simply because God has willed it that way. This God who sends pain has also sent the means to alleviate it. The God who sends flood and fire has given is the intelligence to prevent it from happening, or to sully its harmful effects.19Providence is Gods divine guidance and care. God the Creator is continues as the sustaining force for creation and the guiding force for human destiny. But why would a loving God allow evil into the world. Placher points out that often, we just dont have answers, but we might look at a fe w possible reasons. Sometimes good is not possible without evil, humanity abuses its freedom and the result is evil, evil helps refine our souls to be what God would have us to be, or simply that God allows some limited evil to act in the world.20It is only through Gods grace that humanity experiences free will. Sometimes, our choices through this free will cause us to be in harms way. Gods readjustment of evil helps humanity to become the people God would desire us to be. Plainly speaking, we learn from our mistakes and through trials, we turn our hearts toward God. In the end, our relationship to God is strengthened, as is our witness to others.The Doctrine of the Human Creature-The problem with the issue of human being is that we all believe that we have a complete understanding of human being. And because we already know about the human being, we tend to work from that assumption. Our human condition, or human creature, or human existence is based upon our relationship with God . When we have a relationship with and we follow Jesus Christ, we become more fully human.21We are told that the human creature is not just individual, but collective, as well.22Our humanness comes with both possibilities and limitations. There is something in the individual, and in that individuals desire for personal success that is adverse to the human creature. We are qualified by the claim that what distinguishes them as specifically human is that God creates them in the image of God.23The one who is created in the image of God seeks to form and sustain loving and caring relationships with God and other human beings. When the humans desire to achieve personal success overlaps the desires of another, conflict is created. Often in conflict, healthy relationships are not nurtured. This conflict is called sin.The Doctrine of the Church-The church is the people of God.24Though there are many divisions, facets, communities, denominations, the church stands as the people, the body of Jesus Christ, who founded the church and charged us with the task to go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.25God will speak where God will and the community will form around where God is. The role of the church is to re-present Christ to the world.26In a recent lecture, Dr. Rieger alludes to a personal fence that was similar to the struggle of Luther, Wesley, Barth, and Bonhoffer. That struggle was not about the people not believing, but that the people were being taught wrongly and therefore believed wrongly. Rieger offers that rather than idealizing the church, we begin to analyze the church. To do this, we must look at the four marks of the church to run low as a framework for our analysis.First, we look at the unity of the church- cardinal holy, catholic, universal church. But we are not one church. We have both social threats to church unity, as well as theological threats. One threat is segregation. We are primarily unintegrated. Racially, church is referred to as the most segregated hour in America- from 11am to 12 on Sunday morning.27Class stratification is not easily overcome, especially in America. If we are really interest in the unity of the church, we have to address the issues that divide us. We are also divided by our differing doctrines. As a United Methodist now and formerly a Baptist for 35 years, I appreciated the joke about a Methodist being a Baptist that can read. There is surliness intended in the statement but the sad truth is that Baptists, United Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Church of Christ, and Pentecostals have been divided in their beliefs for ages. In addition to these differences, we also create divisions with the Jewish people. We believe that the new covenant of Jesus Christ has somehow nullified the covenant of God with Israel in the Old Testament. Instead, we need to look to our similarities, oppose anti