Hi, my name is Miss Minton, and welcome to this "Christianity: Beliefs and teachings" lesson on God's nature.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain Christian beliefs about God's nature, the questions that these beliefs raise, and their importance and influence for Christians today.

Now, lots of our learning might be new to you, but please don't worry because I'm here to guide you through each step of this 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 evil, influence, just, omni-benevolent and omnipotent.

The word evil refers to the opposite of good, and it's a cause of suffering that goes against the will of God.

Influence refers to the ability to shape or change someone's thoughts, beliefs, or their actions.

Just refers to fair or equal treatment or a state of justice.

And within Christianity, it's the belief about the nature of God, that God treats all people justly.

Omni benevolent refers to the state of being all loving and infinitely good, and it's a characteristic that's attributed to God within Christianity.

And finally, omnipotent refers to the all-powerful, almighty, and unlimited nature of God.

Now, our lesson today will have three parts.

We'll start by looking at Christian beliefs about the nature of God.

We'll then look at the problem of evil and responses to this.

And then finally, we'll look at the importance and influence of these beliefs.

So let's get started and take a look at Christian beliefs about the nature of God.

Fiona is an Anglican Christian and she says, "As a Christian, I believe in one God.

And my belief in one God is shared by followers of the Abrahamic religions, but as a Christian, my beliefs about what God is like come from the Bible." Now, God's characteristics and qualities can be referred to as his nature.

So when we talk about the nature of God or God's nature, we are referring to what God is like.

Now, many Christians like Fiona have used the Bible to understand God and they've understood God as being just, omni-benevolent and omnipotent.

So we're going to take a look at these beliefs in a bit more detail now.

So to describe God as just, means that God is fair, and that God will bring about justice for all people.

Now, this belief is particularly relevant when it comes to looking at the afterlife, so what happens after death? And God is seen as being just in the gospel of Matthew, which is found in the New Testament, and this is seen in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

Now, Matthew chapter 25:31-33 says this, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.

All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate all the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." Now, when interpreting this passage, many Christians believe that the sheep represent people who have lived good lives and lived according to God's will.

And the goats represent people who have lived sinful lives and not lived according to God's will.

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 Christians might also interpret this passage to show that God is just, so to show that God is fair.

Off you go.

Now, many Christians interpret this passage as suggesting that at the end of time, God will judge people and that he will separate the good people who are the sheep from the sinful people who are the goats.

Now, this shows that God is fair because God is recognising good behaviour and sinful behaviour and rewarding and punishing people accordingly.

So let's check your understanding.

What is the meaning of the word just? A, God treats all people fairly.

B, God loves all people.

Or C, God has power and authority over all people.

Fantastic, the correct answer is A.

The meaning of the word just is that God treats people fairly.

Well done.

Let's now take a look at what it means to say that God is omni-benevolent.

So the word omni-benevolent begins with the Latin prefix, omni, which means all.

And the word benevolent comes from two Latin words, bene meaning well and velle meaning to wish.

Now, the word benevolent can actually be used by itself, and when it's used by itself without omni in front of it, it means well-wishing, or most commonly people use it to refer to good or loving.

When we put the prefix omni in front, the term omni-benevolent means all good or all loving.

Now, many Christians will use the term benevolent or omni-benevolent to describe the nature of God.

And for many Christians, the Bible contains many examples of how God demonstrates his love for humanity.

And just one example of this comes from the gospel of John 3:16 which says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." 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 Christians might interpret this passage to show that God is omni-benevolent.

So how does this passage show that God is all loving? Off you go.

So this passage can be interpreted to show that God is omni-benevolent in two ways.

Firstly, God was willing to sacrifice the life of his only Son.

And secondly, Jesus' life was sacrificed to allow humanity to have the possibility of eternal life.

Now, another example from the Bible where God is seen to be omni-benevolent is Psalm 86:15 which says this, "But you, Lord, are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself about how this passage shows God as being omni-benevolent? Off you go.

So this passage shows God as being omni-benevolent because it explicitly refers to God's love, but it also describes God as having qualities that we would associate with love, like being compassionate, having grace, and being faithful.

We're now going to look at a final example of how God's love is seen in the Bible.

And this is from the book of Romans 8:37-39 which says this, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord." So I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself about what this passage says about God's love.

Off you go.

So this passage says that there is nothing at all that can separate humans from the love of God.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video again, but this time, I'd like you to either have a think or talk to a partner about why this is important.

So why is it important that the Bible says that nothing can separate from God's love? Off you go.

So this is important because it shows that God is all loving.

And it shows that God's love for humanity is eternal and it can't be broken.

So that love that God has for humans is different from the love that humans can have for each other because that can be broken, whereas God's love can't.

So let's now check your understanding.

Which of the following are examples of God being omni-benevolent? A, God has power to do anything.

B, God will separate the good from the bad.

C, God sacrificed the life of his only Son.

Or D, God is compassionate, faithful, and slow to anger.

You can select two answers.

Fantastic, the two correct answers are C, God sacrificed the life of his only Son, and D, God is compassionate, faithful, and slow to anger, well done.

Now let's take a look at what it means to say that God is omnipotent.

So the word omnipotent begins with the Latin prefix, omni, which means all.

And the second part of this word is Latin for being powerful or able.

Now together as a whole, to describe God as omnipotent means that God is all powerful.

And for many Christians, this means that God can do anything and everything, even things that humans might not think are logically possible.

So with that in mind, I'd like you to pause the video now and see if you can think of any examples from the Bible where God is shown as omnipotent.

So where God is shown as all powerful.

You can either have a think to yourself or talk to a partner.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that God is seen as powerful in Genesis one and two, through the creation of the world and humans.

And he's seen as powerful in Exodus 7-11, where we see God send the Ten Plagues and help free the Israelites from slavery.

You may have also considered that in the Gospel of Luke, we hear that Jesus is born to the Virgin Mary and this again shows God's power because the birth of Jesus to a virgin is a miracle.

So let's look at an example of God's power from the Bible in a bit more detail.

Now this passage is from Exodus 14:21-22, and it says this, "Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.

The waters were divided and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left." Now this passage is from the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery.

And I'd like us to consider, how God intervenes in this situation and how does God show his power? So pause the video and either have a talk to a partner or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So in this passage we can see that God intervenes by parting the sea, which allows the Israelites to pass through the sea and escape.

Now I'd like you to pause the video again, but this time I'd like you to either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself about how this action shows that God is omnipotent? So how does God parting the sea show that God is all powerful? Off you go.

So this shows that God is all powerful because this is an act that only God is capable of.

And Moses would've been unable to lead the Israelites to freedom without God's power and intervention.

So let's check your understanding.

Which of the following best describes the word omnipotent? A, God is all loving.

B, God is all powerful.

C, God is fair.

Or D, God is all present.

Fantastic.

The correct answer is B, God is all powerful.

Best describes the word omnipotent.

Well done.

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

I would like you to describe Christian beliefs about the nature of God.

Now, some guidance when responding to this task that you might like to follow is the structure of point develop, point develop.

So this means that you would offer a point relating to God's nature and then you would develop that point by describing what it means.

You would then offer a second point about God's nature and then develop your second point as well.

Now for each part of your answer, you should try to include a range of religious or specialist terms. And then for at least one part of your answer, you should use a source of wisdom and authority.

Now, this could be an exact quote or it could be a paraphrased quote, or it could be a general teaching from a named source.

You should also accurately apply that source of wisdom and authority to the point that you've given about the nature of God.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to describe Christian beliefs about the nature of God and your response might be similar to this.

"One Christian belief about the nature of God is that God is omni-benevolent, which means that God is all good or all loving.

Many Christians believe that God shows love to humanity through sacrificing his only Son, Jesus.

Another Christian belief about the nature of God is that God is omnipotent, which means God is all powerful.

God's power is expressed in the book of Genesis which says that God created the world from nothing and highlights God's omnipotent nature." Now what you can see from my response is that I have chosen to use the source of wisdom and authority from Genesis.

Now, you may have chosen a different source of wisdom and authority that better supports the point that you've given, but as long as you've been able to accurately apply that to your point and the question, that is absolutely fine.

So well done again for your work on that task.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at the problem of evil and responses to this.

Now, Laura has a question regarding God's nature.

Laura says, "I don't understand how God can be fair, all loving and all powerful when there's so much evil and suffering in the world.

All of the bad things that happen in our world must mean that God is not just, omni-benevolent or omnipotent." Now, Laura has described what we call the problem of evil and suffering.

And the problem of evil and suffering refers to the questions about God's nature that the existence of evil in the world raises.

And an ancient Greek philosopher, Epicurus, said this about the problem of evil, "Is God willing to prevent evil, but is not able? Then he's not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing? Then he's malevolent, which means he wishes to do evil." Epicurus' ideas were later formulated into what we call the inconsistent triad.

Now, the inconsistent triad is a representation of three things.

God is omni-benevolent, God is omnipotent, and evil exists.

I would like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Why do you think this is known as the inconsistent triad? Off you go.

So this is known as the inconsistent triad because these three things are inconsistent with each other.

So that means they don't make sense together.

And that's because if God is omni-benevolent, he would want to stop evil because he loves us.

If he was omnipotent, he would have the ability to stop evil because he's all powerful, but evil still exists in the world.

Now, this leads some people to argue that the existence of evil means if God does exist, it's not possible to describe him as either omnipotent or omni-benevolent, or even both.

And some people might also question whether God is righteous and just for allowing evil and suffering to happen to people.

And this problem can even cause Christians to question and doubt their own faith, or even doubt God's existence.

So let's check your understanding.

Which characteristics of God does the problem of evil question? A, omnipotence.

B, omnipresence.

C, omniscience.

Or D, omni-benevolence.

Fantastic.

The correct answers are A, omnipotence and D, omni-benevolence, well done.

David is an Anglican Christian, and he shares his thoughts on the problem of evil.

David says, "I know that evil and suffering exist in the world, and I have experienced this in my own life.

However, this has not changed my beliefs about God.

Even though I have gone through difficult times, I still believe that God is omnipotent and omni-benevolent." Now, many Christians agree with David that the existence of evil and suffering does not mean that God is not all powerful and not all loving.

And many Christians will defend God's nature as being omni-benevolent and omnipotent through the following arguments.

Suffering is a result of human free will and therefore God cannot be blamed.

Suffering is part of God's plan and there's a bigger picture to this, that humans can't always see.

Or that suffering is allowed because it actually helps humans become better people.

And Christians might refer to one of these arguments or even all of these arguments when defending God's nature and the existence of God against the problem of evil.

Now, as well as these arguments, some Christians may also argue that evil and suffering is actually a test from God.

And this idea that suffering is a test is highlighted in the Book of Job in the Old Testament.

Now, in the story of Job, Job is a righteous man who is dedicated to God, but Satan claims that he's only dedicated to God because God has protected him and given him everything that he has.

And the Book of Job chapter one says this, "The Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him.

He is blameless and an upright man who fears God and shuns evil.

'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied.

'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything that he has? You have blessed the work of his hands so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has and he will surely curse you to your face.

' The Lord said to Satan, 'Very well then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself, do not lay a finger.

'" The story then continues with God testing Job and allowing job to experience many misfortunes.

And these include the loss of his money, death of his livestock, so his animals, and even the death of his own family members.

But finally, the story ends with Job declaring his faith in God and his faith that God can do all things and that he needs to trust in God's plan.

And we see this in the Book of Job chapter 42, which says this, "Then Job replied to the Lord, 'I know that you can do all things.

No purpose of yours can be sorted.

' You asked, who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things that I did not understand.

Things too wonderful for me to know.

You said, listen now and I will speak.

I will question you and you shall answer me.

My ears had heard you, but now my eyes have seen you.

Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." So let's now check your understanding of the story of Job.

How do many Christians interpret this story? A, that suffering is a test from God.

B, that suffering is a punishment for sin.

Or C, that suffering is out of God's control.

Fantastic.

The correct answer is A, many Christians interpret the story of Job as showing that suffering is a test from God, well done.

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

I would like you to complete the table to explain what the problem of evil is? And how Christians might respond to this problem.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to complete the table to explain what the problem of evil is? And how Christians might respond to this.

And your responses might be similar to this.

"The problem of evil refers to the questions about God's nature that are raised by the existence of evil and suffering in the world.

Some people might question whether God is just, omni-benevolent, or omnipotent when there are so many bad things in the world." Christian responses include that, "Christians may respond to the problem of evil by arguing that evil is a result of free will, part of God's plan, or a test from God which is highlighted in the Book of Job, or that evil actually helps humans grow into better people." So world in a game for your work during that task.

It's now time for the third and final part of our lesson, which is to look at the importance and influence of these beliefs.

Now, beliefs about the nature of God are important to Christians because they reaffirm other beliefs and these include the beliefs that God is responsible for creation, which we find in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament.

They're also important because they help Christians have a deeper understanding of God.

So for example, Psalm 86:15 highlights God's loving qualities such as compassion.

They're also important because they can actually influence Christian life.

Now influence is when something or someone has the ability to shape or change someone's thoughts, beliefs, or their actions.

And Sofia and Andeep are discussing some examples of influence.

Andeep says, "My friends often influence me.

For example, if I see my friends working hard in lesson, this might influence me to do the same." Sofia says, "I've been influenced by books that I've read.

Sometimes books have powerful messages that can change how I see things and impact my actions." As a Christian, Fiona believes that God is just, omnipotent and omni-benevolent.

Now I'd like you to have a think about how the belief that God is just, might influence Fiona.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

Fiona is now going to explain to you how her belief that God is just influences her.

And as she explains this, you can have a think about whether she mentions anything that you considered as part of your thinking time or your discussion.

So Fiona says, "My belief that God is just influences me to behave in a way that is consistent with the teachings of the Bible.

This is because I know that God will judge me and bring about justice based on my actions, so if I can ensure that I behave in a way that God wants me to, I can have the hope that God will judge me as someone who has been faithful." So let's check your understanding.

Give one way the belief that God is just might influence a Christian.

A, not being concerned about the consequences.

B, behaving in a way that's consistent with the Bible.

Or C, holding others accountable for their actions.

Fantastic.

The correct answer is B.

Behaving in a way that is consistent with the Bible is one way that the belief that God is just can influence a Christian.

I'd now like us to think about how the belief that God is omni-benevolent might influence Christians.

And I'd like us to consider thoughts and actions.

So pause the video and either have a think to yourself or talk to a partner.

Off you go.

So as part of your thoughts or your discussion, you may have considered that the belief that God is omni benevolent might influence Christians to believe that God will show them forgiveness, so in turn, they show other people forgiveness.

It might also influence Christians to act with kindness and compassion, particularly during times of need for other people.

Or it might influence Christians to say prayers and these prayers might focus on thanks, so saying thank you to God for his love towards them, or adoration, so showing that they love God in return.

Now Grace is a Roman Catholic Christian, and she explains how her belief that God is omni-benevolent influences her.

She says, "My belief that God is all loving inspires me to show love and kindness to everyone.

For me, this involves carefully considering any moral decisions.

When faced with a difficult decision, I will consider how God shows love to me and how I can reflect this through my response to difficult situations." So let's check your understanding.

Which Christian belief might influence a Christian to show compassion, kindness, and forgiveness? A, omnipotence.

B, omnipresence.

C, omni-benevolence.

Or D, omniscience.

Fantastic.

The correct answer is omni-benevolence.

So omni-benevolence is the belief that might influence Christians to show compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, well done.

Finally, we're going to have a look at how the belief that God is omnipotent might influence Christians.

Asher and Danielle are discussing this.

Asher says, "My belief that God is omnipotent influences me to trust in God's plan and pray to God because I know that he has the power to act, answer my prayers and perform miracles." Danielle responds and she says, "I agree with you, but my belief that God is omnipotent also influences me to care for God's creation.

This is because one of the most significant examples of God's power was creation and I want to make sure that I respect and care for this creation." So let's now check your understanding.

True or false? The belief that God is omnipotent only influences Christians trust in God's plan.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because although many Christians will be influenced to trust in God's plan, the belief that God is omnipotent can also influence Christians in other ways, for example, through taking care of the environment.

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

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

Alex and Aisha have been working on the task.

Explain why beliefs about God's nature are important for Christians.

I would like you to expand on their explanations by filling in the missing parts.

So far, Alex has given a point and a source of wisdom and authority.

For his point, Alex has said that, "Beliefs about the nature of God are important for Christians because they influence behaviour." And for his source of wisdom and authority, he said that, "Genesis states that God is responsible for the creation of the world and all living things." Aisha has given a point and developed this point.

Aisha's point is that, "Beliefs about the nature of God are important because they help Christians have a deeper understanding of God." And she's developed this by saying that, "This is important because having a deeper understanding of God allows Christians to relate more closely to God, and these qualities can also act as an example and guidance for human behaviour." So pause the video and have a go at expanding on their explanations by completing the missing parts.

Off you go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So Aisha and Alex had been explaining why beliefs about God's nature are important for Christians.

And you were asked to expand on their explanations by filling in the missing parts.

Alex had already given a point and a source of wisdom, and you may have developed this by saying that, "This is important because for many Christians, the belief that God is responsible for creation has the power to influence their attitudes and behaviour towards the environment.

For example, many Christians recycle because of this belief." Aisha had given a point and developed this point.

And you may have expanded on her explanation by using a source of authority like this.

"For example, God's loving nature can be understood through Psalm 86:15, which describes God as compassionate." So again, a well done for your work on that task, helping Alex and Aisha expand on their explanations.

We've now reached the end of our lesson on God's nature.

But before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that God's nature refers to God's and characteristics.

And that Christians believe in one God who is just, omni-benevolent and omnipotent.

And that there's evidence in the Bible to support these Christian beliefs about the nature of God.

We've also looked at the problem of evil and how the problem of evil refers to questions raised by the beliefs about God's nature.

We've also seen that many Christians defend God's nature by arguing that evil is a result of free will, a test from God or part of God's plan.

We've also seen how beliefs about the nature of God are important because they confirm wider beliefs and help Christians have a deeper understanding of God.

And the beliefs about the nature of God may influence the way that Christians think and act.

So well done for all of your work this lesson.

It's been wonderful learning with you today.