God's Creatures

GOD'S CREATURES AND OUTCOMES

Mary

Foretold in OT	Is 7:14; Mic 5:2-3
Conceived without sin	Gen 3:15; Lk 1:28
A Virgin	Is 7:14; Mt 1:18-25; Lk 1:27; 34
Maintained her virginity	Typified in Ezek 44:2; Lk 1:34
Mother of God	Is 9:6; Mt 1:23; Lk 1:32; 35; 43; 2:11; Gal 4:4
Highly blessed	Lk 1:28; 48
Was to suffer many sorrow	Lam 1:12; Lk 2:34-35; 48; Jn 19:25
Meditated on Jesus' words	Lk 2:51
Pondered events in Jesus' life	Lk 2:19
Requested Jesus' first miracle	Jn 2:1-12
Given to us as our mother	Jn 19:25-27
Devoted herself to prayer	Acts 1:14
Enoch and Elijah taken (assumed) to heaven.	Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5; 2 Kings 2:1-13
Annunciation.	Lk 1:28
Blessed are you among women.	Lk 1:42-48

Man

Created by God	Gen 1:26-27; 2:7; Job 33:4; Ps 8:5; Eccles 12:7; Wis 2:23; 10:1; Sirach 17:1; 2Mac 7:28; Mt 19:4 Mk 10:6
Created man and woman	Gen 1:27; Mt 19:4; Mk 10:6; 1Cor 11:8
In exalted state	Gen 1:26; 2:8
Forfeited by sin	Gen 3; Wis 2:24; Sirach 25:24; Ezek 28:12-17; Rom 5:12; 1Cor 15:21; 1Tim 2:14
Prone to temptation	Rom 7:15-23; 1Cor 7:5; Eph 6:11; 1Thess 3:5; 2Tim 3:12; Jas 4:2; 1Pet 2:11; 5:8
Offends God by sin	2Sam 12:13; Ps 32:5; Is 1:2; Jer 2:29; Hos 7:13; Rom 1:18-32; 6:1; Gal 5:17; Eph 4:30; 5:3; Col 3:5
Subject to death	2Sam 14:14; Job 14:5; Wis 2:24; Sirach 25:24; Rom 5:12-14; 6:23; 1Cor 15:21-22; Heb 9:27
Raised to new dignity by Christ	Rom 5:8; 8:9-11; Eph 2:6; Col 2:12; 3:1
Will be judged on merits	Acts 17:31; Rom 2:6; 11; 14:10; 2Cor 5:10; 11:15 Col 3:25; Heb 11:6; 1Pet 1:17; Rev 20:13
Promised future resurrection	2Cor 4:13 -14; Phil 3:11; 1Thess 4:14; 2Tim 2:1; Jn 6:54
Heaven as reward for good	Mt 5:12; Col 1:5; Heb 10:34

Soul & Immortality

Soul created by God	Gen 2:7; Eccles 12:7; Is 57:16; Zech 12:1
Made in God's image	Gen 1:26-27; 1Cor 11:7; Col 3:10
Distinct from body	Mt 10:28; Acts 2:27; 1Thess 5:23; Heb 4:12
Soul departs body at death	Gen 35:18; Eccles 12:7; Lk 12:20
Soul survives death of body	Gen 35:18; 1Sam 28:19; 1 Kings 17:22; Mt 10:28; Lk 8:55
Committed to God's care at death	Ps 31:5; Acts 7:59; 1Pet 4:19
Souls of just in heaven	Wis 3:1; Rev 6:9; 8:3; 20:4
Soul subject to temptation	1Pet 2:11; 2 Pet 2:14
Nothing compensates for loss of soul	Mt 16:26; Mk 8:36
Saving our souls	Jas 1:21; 5:20; 1Pet 1:9

Children

Children are a blessing from God	Ps 115:14; 127:3-5; 128:3-6; 144:17; Prov 17:6
Childlessness considered a reproach	Gen 16:4; 30:1; 1 Sam 1:6; 11; Is 4:1; Lk 1:25
Children obliged to honor their parents	Ex 20:12; Lev 19:3; Deut 5:16; Sirach 3:1-16; Mt 15:4; Mk 7:10; 10:19; Lk 18:20; Eph 6:2-3
Jesus obeyed his parents	Lk 2:51
Children blessed by Jesus	Mt 19:13; Mk 10:13; 16; Lk 18:15
To welcome a child is to welcome Jesus	Mt 18:5; 10:40; 25-40; Mk 9:37; Lk 9:48
Scandal must not be given to children	Mt 18:6; Mk 9:42; Lk 17:2
Christians must be guiltless as children	Ps 131:1-2; Mt 18:3; Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17; 1Jn 2:1; 12; 4:4; 5-21
- but adult in thinking	1Cor 3:1-3; 13:11; Heb 5:11-14, 1Pet 2:2

Angels

Angels created by God	Nehemiah 9:6; Jn 1:3; Rom 11:36; Col 1:16; 1Cor 8:6
Angels are servants of God	Job 4:18; Ps 103:20
Angels are messengers sent by God	Gen 24:7; Num 20:16; 1Chron 21:15; 2Chron 32:21; Dan 3:28; 6:22; Lk 1:19; 26; Acts 12:11
Called sons of God	Deut 32:8; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Ps 29:1; 82:1; 89:6
Called holy ones of God,	Job 5:1; 15:15; Ps 89:7; Dan 4:13; 8:13
God manifests himself as Angel of the Lord	Gen 16:7; 13; 18:1-33; 21:17-18; 22:11; 31:11-13, Ex 3:2,Judg 2:1; 6:11-24; 13:21-22
Names of three angels	Raphael: Tobit 3:16-17; 5:4; 12:11-15; Gabriel: Dan 8:16; 9:21; Lk 1:19; 26; Michael: Dan 10:13; 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7
Angels are ministering spirits	Ps 91:11; Dan 7:10; Mt 4:11; Mk 1:13; Lk 22:43; Heb 1:14
Guardian angels	Tobit 12:12; Mt 18:10; Acts 12:11; 15
Angels gather elect at Christ's return	Mt 24:31; Mk 13:27; 1Cor 15:52
Angels will accompany Christ at his Parousia	Mt 16:27; 25:31; Mk 8:38; 1Thess 4:16
Man made a little lower than angels	Gen 1:26; 28; 3:5; Ps 8:5-6; Wis 2:23; Sirach 17:1-14

Satan & Devils

Devils are fallen angels	Is 14:12; Lk 10:18; Jude 6; Rev 12:7-9
Caused man to fall	Gen 3; 1Kings 22:19-23; Job 1:6 ff; Wis 2:24; Zech 3:1-2
Permitted to tempt man	1Kings 22:22; Job 1:12; Mt 4:1; Mk 1:13; Lk 4:2; Jn 13:2; Acts 5:3; 1Cor 7:5; 2Cor 2:11
Can appear as angel of light	2Cor 11:14; Rev 2:2; 16:14
Can take possession of our bodies	Mt 8:28; 9:32; 12:43-45; 15:22; Mk 5:1-13; 9:14; Lk 4:33; 8:2; 11:24-26; Acts 8:7
Can be exorcised by God's power	Mt 8:29; 9:33; 10:1; Mk 1:25-26; 6:7; 13; Lk 8:2; 9:1; Acts 5:16; Mk 9:38; 16:17; Lk 9:49; Acts 10:38; Jas 2:19
Some exorcised only by prayer and fasting	Mt 17:21; Mk 9:29
Can tempt us away from God	Eph 4:27-6:11; 1Tim 5:15; Jas 4:7
Called the god of this world	Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 6:12; 1Jn 5:19
Goes around like a roaring lion	Ps 22:13; 1Pet 5:8
Power broken by Christ's sacrifice	Mt 12:28; Lk 8:31; 10:17; Jn 3:35; 12:31; Eph 6:11; Col 1:13; 1Jn 3:8; Rev 12:11
Devils afraid of Gospel	Mt 8:29; Jas 2:19
Is loosed during millennium	Rev 20:7
Will suffer eternal torment	Mt 25:41; Rev 14:10-11; 19:20; 20:10

Sin

"Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved. Some… in their almost to fastidious spirituality, admit divine sinlessness, which they cannot see even in their dreams. But they essentially deny human sin, which they can see in the street." G. K. Chesterton

Sin is rebellion against God	Num 15:30; Deut 32:5; 2Sam 12:9; Job 35:6; Is 1:2; 48:8; Bar 4:8
Sin is failure to attain God's glory	Rom 3:23; (Cf ) Rom 5:2
Sin alienates us from God	Rom 1:18-32; Eph 4:18; Col 1:21; 1Pet 1:18
Sin makes us slave of sin	Jn 8:34; Rom 6:16-19; 2Pet 2:19
Sin is cause of death	Gen 3:17-19; Wis 1:12; 2:24; Sirach 25:24; Rom 5:12; 6:11; 1Cor 15:21
Sin is from devil	Jn 8:44; Acts 13:10; 1Jn 3:8-10
Degrees of sin Mortal sin vs. Venial Sin)	1Jn 5:16-17
The unforgivable sin blasphemyBlaspemy against the spirit. (Attributing God's work to Satan.)	Mt 12:31-32; Lk 12:10
Sins that exclude us from God's kingdom	1Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:3-5; Col 3:5-10; Heb 13:4-5; Rev 21:8-9; 27
God desires sinner's return	Is 49:14-16; Jer 3:12; 31:20; Ezek 18:23; 33:11; Lk 15:20-24; 32; 18:13; 19:10; Jn 8:11; Rom 11:32; 2Pet 3:9
Only God can forgive sin	Mk 2:7; Lk 5:21
Christ forgives sins	Mt 9:2-6; Mk 2:10; Lk 5:24; 7:48; Jn 5:14
Delegated power to forgive to apostles	Jn 20:23; 2Cor 5:18

Thomas Aquinas on Mary's state of grace

"I answer that, God so prepares and endows those, whom He chooses for some particular office, that they are rendered capable of fulfilling it, according to 2 Cor. 3:6: '(Who) has made us fit ministers of the New Testament.' Now the Blessed Virgin was chosen by God to be His Mother. Therefore there can be no doubt that God, by His grace, made her worthy of that office, according to the words spoken to her by the angel (Lk. 1:30,31): 'Thou has found grace with God: behold thou shall conceive,' etc. But she would not have been worthy to be the Mother of God, if she had ever sinned. First, because the honor of the parents reflects on the child, according to Prov. 17:6: 'The glory of children are their fathers': and consequently, on the other hand, the Mother's shame would have reflected on her Son. Secondly, because of the singular affinity between her and Christ, who took flesh from her: and it is written (2 Cor. 6:15): 'What concord has Christ with Belial?' Thirdly, because of the singular manner in which the Son of God, who is the 'Divine Wisdom' (1 Cor. 1:24) dwelt in her, not only in her soul but in her womb. And it is written (Wis. 1:4): 'Wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins.'

"We must therefore confess simply that the Blessed Virgin committed no actual sin, neither mortal nor venial; so that what is written (Cant 4:7) is fulfilled: 'Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee,' etc. " (Summa Theologiae III:27:4)