CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP AND MISSION

Being a Human Person in Christ 4. 4. Love makes hope alive. (Theological

“madaling maging tao, pero mahirap magpakatao” virtues)
5. 5. If love is in the heart of everyone, then
What is it like to be like Christ? anger in this world will be gone. (Social
• This can mean living according to the justice)
principles of love, compassion, humility,
forgiveness, and selflessness. Love
• Many people aim to follow Christ's example 3 best ways to interpret the statement “nang dahil
not by being perfect, but by continuously sa pag-ibig, tayo’y naging tao”:
striving to grow in love, service, humility, Because of love …
and faith. 1. We came into existence.
• Tells us that God created human beings out of
The Creation of Human Beings His divine goodness and love, to share His
Then God said: Let us make human beings in goodness with others, not because of any
our image, after our likeness. Let them have need or imperfection.
dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the • Why did God create man?
air, the tame of animals, all the wild animals, and ▪ To Reflect God's Image
all the creatures that crawl on the earth. God ▪ To Steward the Earth
created mankind in his image: in the image of ▪ To Experience and Share Love
God, he created them: male and female he ▪ To Experience Free Will and Growth
created them. God looked at everything he had ▪ To Have a Relationship with God
made and found it very good. Evening came, and 2. We were born.
morning followed- the sixth day. • The main requirement of the Church in the
Gn 1:26-27, 31 Sacrament of Marriage is that both spouses
love each other.
• What does it mean when God said, “Let us 3. We become truly human.
make human beings in our image”? • Human beings are created because of love,
• What do you think is the image of God? humans are by nature loving persons.
(CFC 387)
Moral Agent: The Human Person
• Key to moral life = Human Person Dignity of the Human Person
• But just who or what is the human person Grounded on 5 reasons
according to reason and Christian faith? 1. Created by God in His image and likeness.
• It can be grounded on Jesus Christ himself. • According to International Theological
• In Christ and through Christ, we have Commission, human beings are created in the
acquired full awareness of our dignity. image and likeness of God called the doctrine
We believe all persons are … of Imago Dei (Image of God).
1. Created by God • Intellect and reason- the ability to think and
2. Redeemed by the blood of Christ understand.
3. Sanctified by the indwelling Holy Spirit • Freedom and freewill- freedom is a state of
4. Called to be children of God self- determination, not forced in choice or
5. Destined for eternal life action. Free will is the ability to choose.
-CFC 682-685 • Spiritual and immortal soul- the soul is a
spiritual reality. It is not a product of
Important Concepts about Love generation, but absolutely created by God.
1. Love can make us cry and laugh. God gave every human a soul that will not die.
(Sacrifice and happiness) (immortal)
2. Love can make us change. It can • “Imaging God” and “being an image of God”
transform us. (Conversion) • Imaging God = to image God means that our
3. Love makes the world colorful. (Social thoughts and actions reflect the goodness
life) and love of the Creator.

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 CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP AND MISSION

• Example: loving others • God dignified our body through the

• But if we do not love others for whatever Incarnation of Jesus.
reason we have, it does not mean that we are
no longer an image of God. Persons are historical realities.
2. Redeemed by Christ. • We have past, present, and future.
• For our salvation • We are journeying toward our common
• To reveal to us God’s unending love for us. destiny in God.
• To actually share His divine sonship with us. • In exercising freedom, we decide for ourselves
3. Sanctified by the Holy Spirit and form ourselves … in this sense we are our
• We received the Holy Spirit when we were own cause.
baptized.
• God dwells in each of us. Persons are unique, yet fundamentally equal.
4. Called to become children of God. • We are all equal despite differences as well as
differing intellectual and moral powers.
• by teaching us to call God our “Abba”, Christ
• Each of us called to “image” God in our
gives us a new way of relating to God – that of
unique way- no one can “take our place” as it
being His children.
were.
5. Destined to eternal life.
• Everlasting life with God, an everlasting
The Human person as new creation in Christ.
happiness.
• Through baptism, one becomes a new being,
a person in Christ.
What would it mean to act as an image of God for
all those you meet in your daily life?

Acting as an image of God in your daily life means

Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the
living in a way that reflects His nature and
old things have passed away, behold, new
character. It’s not about perfection, but about
things have come. And all this is from
striving daily to align your actions, words, and
God, who has reconciled us to himself
heart with His love, justice, and humility.
through Christ… (2Cor 5:17)
Love
Christians are called to become loving
What is the effect of love on our lives and on the
persons, in the fullness of life with others
world?
in community before God, in imitation of
Jesus Christ.
Nature of the Human Person based on
Experience CFC 687-692
Freedom
There are plenty definitions of FREEDOM
Persons are open and relational by nature.
• Freedom of speech
• We realize being a person means being by
others (our conception, birth, upbringing), • Freedom of choice
being with others )our family, friends, • Rights
neighbors, business associates), and being • Liberty
for others (love, service). • Freewill
• We have been redeemed by Christ.
Freedom with Responsibility
Persons are conscious beings. ▪ Our freedom has the capacity to turn away
• We are aware of ourselves in our outgoing and even alienate us from God, ourselves,
acts. and others. This is what we call SIN.

Persons are embodied spirits.

• Every human has an immortal soul.

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Freedom Levels of Freedom

▪ Helps a human being become a moral agent. 1. Freedom of choice - to choose to act in
▪ Our free choices helps us: any way; to do good or evil.
1. To shape our lives 2. Fundamental freedom - consistently
2. To form who we are choosing to do the good.
3. To build character
4. To create our identity You should have “freedom from” fear or any force
5. To grow and mature (the interior and exterior obstacle) so that you will
▪ We are persons with dignity called for have the “freedom for” growing as a child of God.
freedom.
Freedom is
Human freedom + Doing what is good.
• The power rooted in reason and will, to act or + Freedom attains its perfection when
not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform directed towards God.
deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. + Freedom always entails obligation.
(CCC 1731) + True freedom makes a person a child of
• Freedom is Power God
➢ How do I use my freedom? Is it for my
good and of those around me?
➢ Do I tend to abuse it? What are the moral teachings of Jesus?
➢ Why can’t God stop it if it is abused? - Jesus' teachings are rich with moral and
• Freedom is rooted in reason and will ethical guidance for living a righteous and
➢ We do not act out of nothing. loving life.
➢ What will happen if we do whatever we
want regardless? Jesus’ Moral Teachings
• Freedom is Performing deliberate actions • Selflessly loving your neighbors
➢ Deliberate means intentional. • Loving your enemies
➢ Do we really intended it to happen or not? • Forgiving others
• Serving others
Authentic Human Freedom (True Freedom)
+ Is a shared capacity with others in the Moral - The term moral refers to principles or
community for choosing not anything at all- standards of behavior that distinguish between
but what is good in order to become our true what is right and wrong. It involves the concepts of
selves. (CFC 720). good conduct, ethical choices, and the values
Two aspects of authentic human freedom (CFC that guide human actions in terms of fairness,
720) kindness, honesty, and respect.
+ Freedom from- conditions, attitudes, and
acts that hinder us from following Christ. Moral actions are those that align with ethical
+ Freedom for- growing in Christ’s likeness standards, like telling the truth, helping others, or
acting with integrity.
What should we be “freed from” as children of Moral teachings refer to lessons about right and
God? wrong, such as those found in religious texts or
ethical philosophies.
Threats to Freedom
- interior obstacles like ignorance, or our Moral Law
disordered passions, fears, personality • Moral laws govern our relationship with
defects, bad habits, psychological God and with one another.
disturbances, and exterior forces, such as • The moral law is God’s way of teaching us
violent force, injustice, poverty or even the the ways and the rules that will lead us to
threat of violence.” (CFC 696) eternal happiness.

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His moral teachings can be traced back to the old

testament.

1. Covenant - A promise, agreement, or contract

between two parties.
a) God’s covenant with Abraham
b) God’s covenant with Israel through Moses
2. Decalogue - The word "Decalogue" comes
from the Greek word "dekalogos" (from
"deka" meaning "ten" and "logos" meaning
"word" or "saying").

God’s liberating covenant with Israel

Commandments. For their part of the Covenant,
the Israelites were called to keep the “Ten Words”
given to Moses at Mt. Sinai.
“Everything the Lord has said, we will do.”

1. am the Lord your God, you shall have no other

gods beside me.
2. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your
God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet anything else that belongs
to

Jesus’ moral teachings focus on LOVE.

Love - is both a command and a way of life that
leads to peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation,
shaping how we live and interact with the world.

The Law of Love (CFC 811)

The law of love refers to Christ’s new law which is
“you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”
and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt.
22:39)

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