Hi, my name is Ms. Minton and welcome to this "Christianity: Beliefs" lesson on "Sin." By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain Christian beliefs about sin and how these beliefs influence Christians today.

Now, lots of our learning today might be new to you, but please don't worry because I'm here to take you through each step of our lesson and I'm confident that by the end you will achieve this outcome.

So let's get started and take a look at our keywords for today.

We have free will, original sin, punishment, and sin.

Now free will refers to God's gift to humanity that allows them to make their own choices.

Original sin is the belief that human nature is flawed and that we all have a tendency to sin.

Traditionally, this is believed to come from Adam and Eve's disobedience.

A punishment is a penalty that's given to someone for a crime or a wrongdoing.

And finally, a sin is a behaviour that goes against God's laws or wishes and against the Christian principles of morality.

Now our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at "Christian beliefs and teachings about sin," and we'll then move on to look at "How these beliefs influence Christians today." So let's get started and take a look at "Christian beliefs and teachings about sin." Now to get started, I'd like you to pause the video, and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself about how people know right from wrong.

So as humans, how do we know what's right and how do we know what's wrong? Where do we get this knowledge from? Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that we get our knowledge of right and wrong from the law.

So the law tells us what we can do and what we can't do, and from that we gain an understanding of what's right and what's wrong.

You may have also considered that we get our beliefs about right and wrong from the people in our lives, like our parents or carers, or our teachers.

Or you might have considered that for people who are religious, they get their beliefs about right and wrong from their holy texts.

Now, this is the case for many Christians, and many Christians believe that what's right and wrong comes from the Bible.

But there are different interpretations about how the Bible should be read.

These interpretations can be categorised into two main approaches, a literal approach and a liberal approach.

Now the literal approach to the Bible is the belief that the Bible is the literal and exact word of God, and it should be read as a historical and factual account.

A liberal approach is the belief that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that the Bible was written by human authors.

This means that the Bible should be read in context rather than being read as a historical and factual account.

Now, regardless of whether a Christian takes a liberal or literal approach to reading the Bible, the Bible is still considered to be a source of authority that contains God's laws and guidance.

I'd now like you to pause the video again, but this time I'd like you to think of examples of laws that are found in the Bible.

So either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have thought of examples such as the 10 Commandments, like do not kill and do not steal, for example.

Or maybe you considered the Sermon on the Mount and when Jesus developed the Old Testament laws.

Or perhaps you considered some of Jesus' teachings, like, "Love your neighbour as yourself." Now following any of these examples or other examples of laws found in the Bible means that you are following God's laws and God's wishes.

When somebody doesn't follow these or they break them, they are committing a sin, so they're going against the laws and wishes of God.

Now as well as the Bible, many Christians believe that there are other ways of knowing what's right and wrong and other ways of knowing how to avoid sin.

And for many Christians, these include the revelation through Jesus Christ, so when God became human in the person of Jesus and showed people how to live.

Inspiration and guidance from the Holy Spirit here on earth.

And for some Christian denominations, this might include religious leaders as well.

So for example, in the Catholic Church, the Pope is someone who can give guidance on God's laws and wishes.

So let's check your understanding.

Which keyword refers to breaking the laws of God such as the 10 Commandments? A, salvation; B, sin; C, sacrifice; or D, sermon? Fantastic, the correct answer is B.

Sin is the word that describes breaking the laws of God, well done.

So we've seen that many Christians believe that God has laws and guidance that He wants humans to follow.

But many Christians believe that, actually, humans have a choice as to whether to follow those laws or not.

And this is because God gave humans free will during creation.

So when God created human beings, He gave them the ability to choose their own actions.

And we see this in Genesis 2 when God created Adam and Eve, and Genesis 2:16-17 says this.

"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for if you eat from it, you will certainly die.

'" Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself about how this passage can be interpreted to show that humans were given free will.

Off you go.

So in this passage it says that God gave Adam and Eve an instruction or a command, and that would imply that Adam and Eve had free choice as to whether they followed that command, so many Christians interpret this to show that God gave Adam and Eve free will.

So let's check your understanding.

Fill in the blanks.

"Genesis 2 can be interpreted to show that God gave humans blank blank." Fantastic, the missing words are free and will.

So, "Genesis 2 can be interpreted to show that God gave humans free will," well done.

Now following God giving humans free will in Genesis 2, Genesis 3 then goes on to describe how the first humans, Adam and Eve, used that free will.

And Genesis 3:6-7 says this.

"When the woman saw the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

According to this passage, how did Adam and Eve use their free will? Off you go.

So, according to this passage, Adam and Eve used their free will to disobey God, so they went against God's wishes, and they did this by eating the forbidden fruit.

Now this passage describes Adam and Eve committing the first ever sin, and many Christians believe that when Adam and Eve committed this first ever sin and disobeyed God, they upset the balance and the harmony that God had created and they introduced sin and evil into the world.

Many Christians also believe that because Adam and Eve were sinful, this means that humans are sinful by nature.

So, naturally, we are sinful creatures.

And traditionally within Christianity it's believed that all humans who have existed since Adam and Eve, so everybody, have inherited this tendency to sin.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself about what it means to inherit something.

Off you go.

So to inherit something means that you gain something from somebody else or something is passed on to you.

So for example, I might have inherited my blue eyes from my parents.

They've passed down that genetic trait to me.

Now linking this back to Adam and Eve, this means that for some Christians, humans have gained the urge to sin and disobey God from Adam and Eve.

They've inherited this sinful nature.

Now this concept is known as original sin.

So let's check your understanding.

Which keyword refers to the belief that humans have a sinful nature that is inherited from Adam and Eve? Is it A, first sin; B, original sin; C, biblical sin; or D, human sin? Fantastic, the correct answer is B, original sin is the keyword that describes the belief that humans inherited the sinful nature from Adam and Eve, well done.

I'd now like you to think back to the start of our lesson when I asked you how people know right from wrong.

I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself about what happens when these rules are broken, so what happens when we go against what we know to be right and wrong? Off you go.

So well done for identifying that when rules are broken, there is usually a punishment for this, so there's usually a consequence for our wrongdoings.

And within Christianity, most Christians believe that this is exactly the same for sin.

So when humans sin, there is a consequence and a punishment for those actions.

Now, when Adam and Eve sinned and they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, they were punished, and one of those punishments was a separation from God.

Now, many Christians believe that this is the same for humans today.

So when humans sin, they're separating themselves from God, so they're creating distance between themselves and God, and that can actually lead to the eternal punishment of hell or separation from God at the time of judgement.

And this means for many Christians that sin prevents salvation, so sin prevents the hope of having eternal life in heaven.

And this is because humans have actively used their free will to disobey God's commands, so to go against God's wishes.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false? Many Christians believe that sin can lead to a separation from God.

Fantastic, that statement is true.

But why is that statement true? How do we know that it's true? Well, it's because when somebody sins, that means that they've used their free will, so they've used their free choice to go against God, and many Christians believe that that creates a separation between humans and God.

So well done for identifying that that statement is true and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

I would like you to explain two Christian beliefs about sin, and I'd like you to refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.

Now, here's some guidance that might help you respond to this task.

For both parts of your answer, you should offer a point and then develop that point.

So you should give one Christian belief about sin and then explain what that belief means.

And then for just one part of your answer, you should also name a source of authority, this could be the Bible or it could be something that Jesus has said, and you should say what that source of authority teaches.

This might be a quote or it might be a general belief or teaching.

You should then apply that teaching to sin, so you should say what that means or what that shows.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task explaining two Christian beliefs about sin.

Now your response might be similar to this.

"One Christian belief about sin is that humans have a sinful nature which they have inherited from Adam and Eve.

This is supported by Genesis 2, which says that Adam and Eve used their free will to disobey God.

This means that from the very beginning humans have shown that they have a sinful nature, and humans today have inherited this nature.

Another Christian belief about sin is that sin leads to a separation from God.

Many Christians believe that when humans disobey God's law, they distance themselves from God, which can lead to eternal punishment during judgement ." Now what you can see here is that I have used a source of authority in my first paragraph.

You may have used one in your second paragraph, and that's absolutely fine.

I've chosen to use Genesis 2 and I have explained how in Genesis 2 Adam and Eve use their free will to disobey God, and that this shows that humans have inherited this sinful nature.

You may have chosen to use a different source, but hopefully you've also been able to apply that to sin and explain it in relation to your point.

So well done again for your work on that task.

Let's now move on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at how these beliefs influence Christians today.

Now Andeep and Jacob are discussing the influence of beliefs about sin and original sin for Christians today.

Andeep says, "I think that sin and original sin can influence how Christians behave.

I think many Christians would try to avoid sin because they know they will be punished like Adam and Eve." Jacob says, "I agree, but I also think that Christians would be influenced to avoid sin because they want to remain close to God, rather than avoiding sin because of a fear of punishment." Now, just like Andeep and Jacob have discussed how beliefs about sin and original sin might influence Christians today, I'd like you to pause the video and do the same.

So you can either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that the beliefs about sin influence Christians to carefully consider their moral decisions, so carefully consider their actions and how they use their free will.

These beliefs might also encourage Christians to seek forgiveness when they do sin.

So if they do make a mistake and go against God's laws, they can ask God for forgiveness through prayer.

You might have also considered that having an understanding of sin and original sin might give Christians a deeper understanding of the need for Jesus' sacrifice.

Or you may have considered that the beliefs about sin might encourage Christians to bring their children up following Christian teachings.

We're now going to hear from some Christians and they're going to explain to you how their beliefs about sin influence them.

So first of all we have Asher, and Asher explains how his beliefs about sin influence him to carefully consider his moral decisions.

He says, "I believe that humans have been born with a tendency to sin.

This makes me more aware of my day-to-day decisions, especially when deciding between right and wrong.

I use the Bible to inform my decisions because I believe that the Bible is God's Word and can help me avoid misusing my free will and committing sins." So what we can see here from Asher is that his beliefs about sin influence his daily life and the choices that he makes.

We now have Danielle, and Danielle explains how her beliefs about sin influence her to seek forgiveness.

Danielle says, "Although I know that disobeying God is wrong, I also acknowledge that I'm not perfect and there are times in my life when I may sin.

For this reason, I believe that it's important to confess my sins and seek forgiveness, so that I can become closer to God again.

I do this through the sacrament of reconciliation where I confess my sins to my priest and ask for forgiveness from God.

This is a common practise within the Catholic Church." So what we can see from Danielle is she's also influenced by her beliefs about sin, but her beliefs about sin influence her in a slightly different way and she has a focus on seeking forgiveness.

We can also see that this belief doesn't just influence Danielle as an individual, but actually it might influence many members of the Catholic Church, because she's told us that reconciliation is a common practise within the Catholic Church.

So let's check your understanding, true or false? Beliefs about sin influence Christians to make sure that they never disobey God because they will not be forgiven.

Fantastic, that statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because beliefs about sin influence Christians to try and avoid sin by following the guidance of the Bible and carefully considering their moral decisions.

But nobody is perfect, so if a Christian does sin, they can seek forgiveness from God.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

We're now going to hear from Grace who's going to explain how her beliefs about sin influence her beliefs about Jesus' sacrifice.

Grace says, "Sin helps me to understand the importance and need for Jesus' sacrifice.

I believe that sin separates humans from God, so therefore I understand that God needed to sacrifice His one and only Son to pay the price for the sins of humanity.

This understanding also allows me to have a deeper relationship with God based on the appreciation of Jesus' sacrifice." Now, what we can see from Grace's explanation is that her beliefs about sin actually influence other beliefs that she has.

Now finally we're going to hear from Fiona.

Now Fiona explains how her beliefs about sin influenced her to bring up her children to be aware of and follow Christian teaching.

Fiona says, "I believe that God has given humans very clear guidance on how to behave and avoid sin.

When I had children, I wanted to pass this knowledge onto them so that they could learn how to follow God and avoid sin.

I read the Bible with my children and took them to church, and I hope that they do the same with their children in the future." So from Fiona's explanation, what we can see is that beliefs about sin can actually influence family life as well as individual practises and beliefs.

So let's check your understanding.

Which of the following is not an example of how Christian beliefs about sin might influence Christians? A, bringing up children to follow Christian teachings.

B, disobedience towards God's laws.

C, confessing sins and seeking forgiveness.

Or D, carefully considering moral decisions.

Fantastic, the correct answer is B.

Disobedience towards God's laws is not an example of how beliefs about sin might influence Christians, well done.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

This table contains points that are relevant to the following task.

Explain two ways beliefs about sin influence Christians today.

The points are "Beliefs about sin can influence Christians to avoid sinful behaviour," and "Beliefs about sin might influence Christians to confess their sins." I would like you to complete the table by developing each of the points, so pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you were asked to explain two ways beliefs about sin influence Christians today by completing the table and developing each of the points.

Now your response might look like this.

For the point that beliefs about sin can influence Christians to avoid sinful behaviour, you may have said that this is because many Christians believe that sin separates a person from God.

And because Christians don't want to be separated from God, they will try to avoid committing sins.

And for the point that beliefs about sin might influence Christians to confess their sins, you may have said that this is because confessing your sins is an opportunity to ask for forgiveness and bring a person closer to God after they've committed a sin.

So well done again for your work on that task and developing each of the points.

We've now reached the end of our lesson on sin.

But before we finish up, let's recap some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that a sin is an action that goes against God's laws or wishes, and that all humans have the ability to choose whether or not they follow God's laws, which is known as free will.

We've seen how the belief in free will comes from Genesis 2 where God creates Adam and Eve as having free choice over following His commands, but they choose to disobey Him.

We've also seen how traditionally within Christianity it's believed that all humans who have existed since Adam and Eve have inherited this tendency to sin, and that's known as original sin.

We've also looked at how many Christians believe that the punishment for sin is separation from God, and that the belief in sin and original sin can influence Christians' moral decisions, how they raise their children, and encourage practises such as confession.

So a huge well done for all of your work today.

It's been wonderful learning with you.