Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Compassion Ministries, Student Workbook, SW16

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D O I N G J U S T I C E A N D L O V I N G M E R C Y : C O M P A S S I O N M I N I S T R I E S

Please take as much time as you have available to answer these and other questions that the video brought out. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the creator, the maker of all heaven and earth. He did not abandon his creation, even after the fall of humankind, but has through his own work of providence and salvation expressed his love and concern for the world and its inhabitants. As believers, we must understand the various positions Christian communities have taken throughout history regarding the Church’s relationship and responsibility to the world system. As Christian leaders, we must also grapple with our own views of both God and the world so we can know how best to represent the Kingdom of God in the world today. Review the questions below as they help to refresh your own memory regarding the Word of God we considered in our first segment. Be clear and concise in your answers, and where possible, support with Scripture! 1. Why is it important to develop a careful and clear understanding of God, the world, and the Church before we seek to understand the Christian’s responsibility to do justice and love mercy in the world? Explain your answer. 2. Why is it so significant that God, who is both creator and sustainer of the earth, also decided to save his creation ? What significance does God’s concern for the world play for us as believers in Christ today–what ought to be our attitude toward those who live in the world? 3. What is the meaning of the NT term referring to the world system, kosmos ? What is the difference between the kosmos and the physical earth itself? What are some of the NT meanings given to God’s understanding of and commitment to the kosmos ? 4. What are three of the traditional and historical models that Christian communities have taken in regard to the Church’s relations to the world? Which one is most convincing to you? Which is least valid? 5. What does the statement mean that says “the Church is both the locus and agent of the Kingdom of God in the world but not of it .” 6. How has the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ affected our understanding of the world and the Kingdom of God? In what ways is the Church called now to reflect Jesus’ rule in the world today. Be specific. 7. What does it mean to say that the Father is the God of all nature and the God of salvation? Why is this important for doing justice in the world today?

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Student Questions and Response

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