Introduction
Key theological concepts might seem fragmented and unrelated to each other to a stranger; however, when considering them closer, one will realize that they share an intrinsic connection. Being admittedly complex, the concepts of the nature of God, Jesus, and humanity, as well as the notion of restoration as Christin foundations, are, in fact, interwoven into the framework of Christian philosophy. Despite being seemingly unrelated, the notions in question introduce the basis for the relationships between people and God, therefore, promoting essential Christian values and building a community.
Nature of God
From the theological perspective, the question of God’s nature is likely to appear to be the most complicated one, especially from an outsider’s perspective. Namely, the Triune nature of God suggests that he is comprised of three equally essential parts, i.e., the Father, the Son, and the holy ghost. Although the three elements in question are usually seen as separate entities, they, in fact, can be seen as the same concept viewed from different facets. Namely, the Father represents the creator Himself, the Son embodies the sacrifice made in order to salvage humanity, and the Holy Spirit is the ethereal representation of God that allows him to remain omnipresent and omnipotent simultaneously (Grand Canyon University, 2020). Herein lies one of the core causes for people that are not aware of the complexity of the issue to find the nature of the Christian god far too intricate and, thus, nearly unfathomable.
Nature of Humanity
In turn, the nature of humanity is also seen as a slightly complex concept within the Biblical narrative. Starting with the famous story of Adam and Eve, and their eventual exile from Paradise, the nature of humanity miraculously combines the inherent sin and the element of the Divine. Indeed, according to the Biblical story, the divine aspect of the human race is represented by the fact that Adam, as the first human being to ever exist, was created in the image of God: “So God created mankind in his own image” (“The Bible. New International Version,” 1974, 1:27). Therefore, human nature inherently contains the element of the Divine within its core. However, due to the fact that Adam and Eve committed a sin for which they were exiled from Heaven, the original sin is baked into the very core and every facet of every human being individually, as well as the entire human race in general. Herein lies the connection between the nature of humanity, the nature of God, and the opportunity for salvation. Specifically, according to Baylor (2015), God being triune implies that He embodies not only God of humankind but also God for humankind. Herein the opportunity for humanity to reconcile with God and be salvage lies.
Nature of Jesus
The nature of Jesus is another complex notion within the Christian discourse. As a rule, Jesus is viewed in the Bible as one of the essential parts of the Triune; in other words, Jesus is deemed as the Son of God, as well as His corporeal representation. In other words, Jesus is deemed as the representation of the link between humankind and the Divine (Grand Canyon University, 2015). The Bible provides several clarifications as far as the nature of Christ is concerned; typically, most of these explanations center on the idea of Jesus being the physical personification of God: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). However, the described way of interpreting Jesus’ nature needs to be combined with the perspective of Christ also being the Son of God: “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6). Finally, one must address the fact that Jesus embodies God’s sacrifice made for the sake of salvaging the humankind and absolving it of its sins. While Jesus’ suffering for the sins of humanity did not absolve people of their original sin, it provided the opportunity for people to seek redemption as a possibility and, therefore, be granted access to the Kingdom of God (Moore, 2020). Overall, Jesus represents the spiritual connection between people and God, thus, embodying hope for humanity and its ultimate salvation.
Restoration
The Divine Restoration is another Biblical concept that is central to the narrative and, therefore, shapes the perception of Christian values and philosophy to a significant extent. Implying that even with the original sin baked into the very nature of humankind, one can still be redeemed and, therefore, enter the Kingdom of God, restoration suggests that one should attain salvation by considering essential Christian practices. Namely, according to the Bible, the path to salvation implies repentance and acceptance of one’s sins (Grand Canyon University, 2020). God’s grace plays an instrumental role in the process as the basis for an individual to build a true connection with God and accept one’s fate.
However, the Bible also warns that true salvation is only possible by having unwavering faith in God and His power (Moore, 2020). Therefore, the very concept of restoration could be seen as the ultimate trial for a true Christian to prove allegiance to God and demonstrate one’s unwavering trust and faith in God. Remarkably, the specified perspective on salvation is quite different from the ones that other religions and philosophies hold. For example, in Buddhism, the notion of salvation is grounded on the premise of personal catharsis as the process of experiencing one’s true nature (Davies, 2018). The described idea is quite different from the Biblical one, which suggests trusting oneself in God fully and accepting His grace.
Christian Foundations
Although seemingly fragmented and detached from one another, the concepts listed above contribute to the understanding of the gospel and the relationship between God and an individual substantially. Specifically, the nature of God is linked directly to the nature of Jesus, who is part of the triune; in turn, the nature of humankind as the creation of God contains the elements of the Divine and the nature of sin combined. However, it would be wrong to believe that humankind is past the point of redemption, which is why the notion of salvation remains a central concept of Christian philosophy.
Therefore, the implications of the Christian worldview suggest that the ideas of grace and forgiveness, as well as other principal moral standards promoted by Jesus, should be applied to everyday interactions with others. In fact, the described philosophy suggests complying with the idea of Christlikeness and, therefore, promoting peace and acceptance as the foundation of interpersonal relationships. Thus, the process of reaching salvation entails not only building relationships with God but also maintaining healthy interactions based on empathy, collaboration, unity, and trust within a community.
Conclusion
Overall, the components of the Christian faith align with each other seamlessly, allowing one to structure the biblical narrative and understand its internal logic while also relating to it emotionally and spiritually. Moreover, the described perspective encourages Christian believers to engage in the act of continuous self-improvement and promote the ideas of kindness to others, community support, and other essential Christian values that contribute to the overall improvement in the relationship dynamics within the global community. Therefore, the specified Biblical principles lead both to the salvation of an individual and the betterment of the community.
References
Baylor, T. R. (2015). ‘With Him in Heavenly Realms’: Lombard and Calvin on MERIT and the exaltation of Christ. International Journal of Systematic Theology, 17(2), 152-175. Web.
Davies, D. J. (2018). Meaning and salvation in religious studies (Vol. 46). Brill Archive.
Grand Canyon University (Ed.). (2020). The beginning of wisdom: An introduction to Christian thought and life (3rd ed.). GCU Press.
Moore, M. E. (2020). Sacred, revolutionary teaching: Encountering sacred difference and honest hope. Religious Education, 115(3), 291-303. Web.
The Bible. (1973). New International Version. Zondervan.