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God’s Relationship with Humans

God’s Relationship with Humans. Activity 1 - . If God knows everything there is to know about you, what are you currently most happy with about yourself? What are you most ashamed about?.

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God’s Relationship with Humans

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  1. God’s Relationship with Humans

  2. Activity 1 - • If God knows everything there is to know about you, what are you currently most happy with about yourself? • What are you most ashamed about?

  3. Human beings have been given a special place within the world by God and have been given the ability to think, make decisions and form relationships. • Genesis 1:27 tells us that humanity is created in the image of God and placed at the head of God’s creations. • The image of God is often referred to by the ‘Imago Dei’. This idea has importance in the Christian understanding of the human condition

  4. Activity 2 - In what ways are humans like gods / not like gods?

  5. What does being made in God’s image mean? 1. Humanity shares characteristics with God. The image of God is found in humanity's mind, intellect and will. Aquinas also saw the image of God in thought and reason and the ability to use language and appreciate art. 2.Human beings form relationships. Moral decision making and consciousness are all needed for relationships.

  6. 3. Human Beings are appointed as stewards • The Genesis story presents God creating and placing human beings in a perfect garden. The fruits of the garden supply all the human needs. God also appoints humans as stewards, to rule over the other types of living creatures.

  7. Humanity as Stewards of Creation Stewardship reminds humanity that Creation does not belong to them, but God, humanity is responsible for the environment, care and wellbeing of all created things. Humans are responsible for creation because they are made in God’s image. They possess characteristics not shared by other beings in Creation. Stewardship is often contrasted with the idea of ownership. If the world is seen to belong to and exist for humanity’s use alone, there is no reason why humanity should not ‘use and abuse’ creation as it wishes. However Stewardship reminds Christians that they are caretakers of one of God’s most valuable possessions.

  8. 4. Human beings possess a moral conscience and freedom to choose good and evil • God formed humanity out of the dust of the earth. The Hebrew word for man ADAM, is also the same word for ground. • Humanity is low in comparison with God and should worship God because of this. Our intelligence and our unique position make us aware of God and his power. • The ‘imago dei’ idea is often used to defend the original perfection of humanity. At the start in Eden, God and humanity enjoyed a perfect relationship.

  9. Human beings were granted intelligence and decision making capabilities by God. Humans possess a moral conscience and have free will to choose between good and evil.Genesis 2:17 features a request from God to the human, ‘But from the tree of knowledge you shall not eat for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”God allows humans to make their own decisions, and they have free will to obey or disobey. God knew that love and relationships do not exist without free will. One needs to be free to choose to be in a relationship with one another.

  10. “created in the image of God” means…. • Imago Dei – like God, but not physically, for God is spirit • We have the spark of the divine – a soul • Our personalities are godlike • We are able to reason, love, think, understand, reflect • We are able to form relationships with others and with God • We have power and responsibilities • We have free will

  11. Free Will • Humans have a moral conscience and are free to pursue whatever course of action they wish. • Although Augustine also believed that God knew everything, including future events, humanity still had the freedom to choose what path to take. Humans are not robots, programmed in a certain way but free persons able to make their own decisions.

  12. Was God giving humans free will a mistake? Mistake….because… ·humans messed up, leading to suffering, evil, death, disease, etc ·world would have been perfect otherwise No mistake…because…. ·world would still have been perfect if we had made right choices ·God, by definition, doesn’t make mistakes ·if we’re made in image of God, we must have free will (because he has) ·without free will there would be no love, trust, individuality, etc

  13. To Do... • Answer qs 1-23 • Missing out question 13

  14. Homework For Wed– Letter to God Dear God… Will it be a letter of thanks?.... Or a letter of complaint? Or both?...

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