Adoption– God’s act of receiving believers into His family as His children through faith in Jesus Christ.
Apostasy– A deliberate turning away from or abandonment of a professed faith in God and the truth of the gospel.
Assurance of Salvation– The confidence believers may have that they belong to Christ based on God’s promises, Christ’s finished work, and the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.
Atonement- The finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ in His sacrificial death on the cross to deal with the guilt and penalty of sin and reconcile sinners to God. Jesus bore the judgment sinners deserved so that those who trust in Him can be forgiven and restored to God.
Baptism– The outward act of being immersed in water as a public expression of repentance, faith in Jesus Christ, and identification with His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism does not earn salvation but is an act of obedience that follows genuine faith in Christ. (See baptism with the Holy Spirit)
Bible- The Bible is the source of the Gospel Truth and proclaims one great theme from beginning to end — redemption through Jesus Christ. Redemption restores the broken relationship with God caused by sin. It also points to the one true, sovereign and only living Creator God and offers all people one plan of salvation—only by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
The 66 books of the Bible (39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament) present an accurate historical account of the creation of the universe and all that is in it. It is the inerrant, inspired, and authoritative Word of God, presenting powerful proof that Christianity is the one true religion, that the triune God is the only God of the universe, and that God Himself—through His Son Jesus Christ—died to pay the penalty for your sins so you wouldn’t have to. He was raised from the dead to grant eternal life to all who put their faith and trust in Him.
Born Again- To be spiritually regenerated and given new spiritual life by the Holy Spirit. Because sinners are spiritually dead, salvation requires a supernatural work of God that makes a person spiritually alive in Christ and begins a new life of faith and obedience to Him.
Condemnation– God’s righteous declaration of guilt against sin. Those who remain outside of Christ remain under condemnation.
Conversion- The human response to God’s saving work in which a person turns from sin to God through genuine repentance and saving faith in Jesus Christ. Conversion involves both turning from the old life of sin and turning to Christ as Savior and Lord.
Conviction– The work of the Holy Spirit in exposing sin, revealing guilt, and convincing a person of the need for righteousness, judgment, and a Savior.
Crucifixion- The execution of Jesus Christ on a Roman cross, where He willingly suffered and died as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Through His death, He bore the penalty sinners deserved and accomplished the work necessary for salvation.
Dead in your sin- The natural spiritual condition of every person apart from Christ. Although physically alive, the sinner is spiritually separated from God, unable to restore that relationship through personal effort, and in desperate need of God’s saving grace and new spiritual life.
Demons- Evil spiritual beings who rebelled against God and now serve Satan in opposition to God and His purposes. They seek to deceive, tempt, oppress, and lead people away from the truth, but they remain completely subject to God’s authority and will ultimately face His judgment.
Eternal Life– Everlasting life with God, received through faith in Jesus Christ. It begins with salvation and continues forever in His presence.
Faith- Faith is the belief, trust, and complete confidence—with absolute certainty— about the facts of the gospel and who Jesus is and what He has done for us. It means turning to, trusting in, and relying on Christ alone— not temporary faith, where you believe for a while and then fall away, or intellectual faith, where your faith in Christ is in your head, but not in your heart or dead faith, where there are no actions to show the evidence of your faith — but real, “genuine” repentance and “saving” faith.
Saving faith is genuine trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, involving reliance on who He is and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection which leads to regeneration; being born again as a new creation in Christ.
Forgiveness — God’s gracious removal of the guilt of sin for those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ.
Fruit of the Spirit — The Christlike qualities and character produced by the Holy Spirit in the life of a genuine believer as he or she grows in faith and obedience to God. These qualities are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23)
Genuine Repentance- A sincere change of heart and mind about sin, produced in response to God’s truth, that includes godly sorrow over having sinned against God and results in turning from sin and turning to Him for salvation. Genuine repentance is more than regret over consequences; it involves repudiating the old life of sin and willingly turning to Jesus Christ in faith and submission.
Glorification- The final stage of salvation when God completely removes believers from the presence and effects of sin and makes them perfectly conformed to the likeness of Christ. At the resurrection, believers will receive glorified, incorruptible bodies and live forever with God in perfect holiness. (1 Corinthians 15:52–53)
All effects of sin will be erased. You will be perfected and wholly sanctified—made completely holy—never again able to sin, nor even desiring to. You and every redeemed believer will be as loving, pure, faithful, and good as Jesus Himself.
Glory (of God) – The magnificent display and revelation of who God is—His holiness, power, majesty, goodness, beauty, truth, and absolute perfection. God’s glory is revealed in creation, His works, His Word, and most fully in His Son, Jesus Christ.
In the Bible, glory carries the idea of weight, majesty, splendor, honor, and magnificence. God possesses glory because of who He eternally is; creation does not give Him glory in the sense of adding something He lacks. Rather, creation recognizes, displays, and praises the glory that already belongs to Him.
This connects directly to John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation of God’s glory. In Him, people could see the character and nature of the invisible God revealed in human flesh (John 1:18; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).
God- The Creator of the universe and everything in it, the one true, sovereign, living God, and before Him there is no other God. He is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, perfectly holy, righteous, just, loving, merciful, pure, and gracious. He exists eternally as one God in three distinct Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Salvation was purposed by God the Father, by His grace, through His divine and perfect plan of redemption before the foundation of the world. He alone is worthy of worship, obedience, and glory.
Good News- The Good News of the person and finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes who He is and what has done, genuinely repents and puts their faith and trust in Him.
Gospel- the message about the saving grace, the Good News of Jesus Christ, who He is and what He did for us and the salvation of souls the one true God offers by His grace through faith in Christ. Romans 10:17 teaches that saving faith comes as people hear and receive the truth of the gospel concerning Christ.
Grace- God’s undeserved favor and kindness toward sinners. By grace, God provides salvation as a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ, not because of anything a person has earned or deserves. By His grace, God gives us what we don’t deserve.
Great White Throne Judgment- The final judgment of the unsaved dead according to their works before the Lord Jesus Christ. All who stand there are judged according to their works, and anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire, the second death. Condemnation. Revelation 20:11–15; John 5:28–29; Matthew 25:41, 46 (See Judgment Seat of Christ)
“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Revelation 20:14)
“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)
Heaven– The dwelling place of God and the present destination of believers who die in Christ. It is a place of conscious fellowship with God, free from the suffering and sin of this present world, as believers await the resurrection and the final restoration of all things. (See the New Heaven and the New Earth)
Hell- The place of final punishment and separation from God for Satan, his angels, and those who die unreconciled to God.
Holy Spirit- The third Person of the triune God, fully God and equal with the Father and the Son. He convicts people of sin, regenerates believers, indwells them, guides them into truth, empowers them for godly living, and sanctifies them.
Immanent- Present and actively involved within His creation. Although God is transcendent above all things, He is also near, sustaining the universe, working within history, and personally relating to His people.
Incarnation- The act by which the eternal Son of God took on human nature and became truly man without ceasing to be truly God. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.
Jesus Christ– The eternal Son of God, the second Person of the triune God, who was born of a virgin and became God incarnate; God in human form, fully man while remaining fully God. The visible image of the invisible God. He lived a perfectly sinless life, died on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for sin, rose bodily from the dead on the third day, ascended to heaven, and now reigns as Lord, Savior, King, and the only Mediator between God and mankind. He will come again in power and glory to judge the world, defeat evil, and bring God’s redemptive plan to its appointed conclusion. Salvation and eternal life are found in Him alone by faith alone. Jesus is God.
Judgment- God’s righteous evaluation and final decision concerning every person. Because God is perfectly holy and just, He will judge everyone rightly. At the final judgment, those whose names are written in the Book of Life will receive eternal life with God, while those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire, the place of eternal punishment and separation from God. We will declared righteous only through the righteousness of Jesus.
The Bible teaches that every person will ultimately stand before Jesus Christ, the holy and righteous Judge. However, Scripture distinguishes between the judgment of the saved and the judgment of the lost.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is for those who have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. This judgment is not to determine whether they are saved, because believers are already justified through Christ and are no longer under condemnation. Instead, their lives, works, motives, faithfulness, and service will be evaluated by Christ. Believers may receive reward or suffer loss of reward, but their eternal salvation is secure in Him. Paul writes, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), and 1 Corinthians 3:13–15 explains that each believer’s work will be tested. Those who belong to Christ will spend eternity with God in the New Jerusalem, in the new heaven and new earth. (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 3:11–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 21:1–4)
The Great White Throne Judgment, by contrast, is the final judgment of the lost. Revelation 20 describes the dead standing before God while the books are opened, and they are judged according to their works. Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire. This is called the second death. It is the final and eternal judgment of those who die apart from salvation in Jesus Christ. (Revelation 20:11–15)
The distinction is therefore clear: the saved appear before Christ for evaluation and reward; the lost appear before Christ for final judgment and condemnation. Salvation is not earned at either judgment. The only hope of escaping condemnation is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ before death. Jesus said that whoever hears His word and believes in Him “has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24) Read: Judgment
Judgment Seat of Christ- The saved—believers in Christ. The evaluation of the believer’s life, works, faithfulness, and service; reward or loss of reward—not condemnation. 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10–12; 1 Corinthians 3:11–15 (See Great White Throne Judgment)
Justification- God’s legal declaration that a sinner is righteous in His sight through faith in Jesus Christ. The believer is forgiven of sin and credited with Christ’s righteousness, not because of personal works or merit, but because of Christ’s finished work.
Lake of Fire– The place of final and eternal punishment described in Revelation. Satan, death, Hades, and all whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will ultimately be cast into the Lake of Fire, which Scripture calls the second death.
Lord- One who has supreme authority, rule, and rightful ownership—a master, ruler, or sovereign. In the Bible, when Jesus is called “Lord,” it means far more than simply a respectful title. It recognizes Him as:
- God and divine ruler
- Sovereign King
- Master who has rightful authority over our lives
- The One to whom we owe obedience, worship, and allegiance
Lucifer- A high-ranking holy angel (meaning “Morning Star”), who through self-generated pride, rebelled against God. Because of his unrighteousness, he was banished from Heaven along with his army of rebel angels—possibly one third of all angels—now called demons, who joined his rebellion (Revelation 12:4). They were thrown down to Earth and have been wreaking havoc ever since; now called Satan, the devil.
Mediator– One who stands between two parties to bring reconciliation. Jesus Christ is the one Mediator between God and mankind.
Mercy- God’s compassion toward sinners in which He withholds the judgment they deserve and offers forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ. Because of His mercy, God does not give us what we deserve.
New Covenant– God’s promised covenant established through the blood of Jesus Christ, providing forgiveness of sins, a new heart, and a restored relationship with God.
Omnipotent- All-powerful. God possesses unlimited power and is able to accomplish everything consistent with His holy nature and perfect will.
Omnipresent- Present everywhere at all times. God is not limited by space or location; His presence extends throughout all creation.
Omniscient- All-knowing. God perfectly knows everything—past, present, and future—including every thought, motive, event, and possibility.
Propitiation- The sacrificial work of Jesus Christ that satisfies God’s righteous judgment against sin. By bearing the penalty of sin on the cross, Jesus makes it possible for guilty sinners to be forgiven and reconciled to God.
Reconciliation- The restoration of a broken relationship between sinful humanity and God. Through the death of Jesus Christ, the hostility caused by sin is removed so that those who trust in Him are brought into peace and fellowship with God.
Redemption- The act of being rescued or set free through the payment of a price. Jesus Christ redeemed sinners from the guilt, penalty, and bondage of sin by giving His life and shedding His blood for them. In simple terms, redemption means being bought out of slavery or bondage by the payment of a price.
So, “the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” means that freedom from the guilt, penalty, and ultimately the power of sin is found only in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us.
Regeneration- The supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which a spiritually dead sinner is born again and given new spiritual life. Regeneration makes a person alive in Christ and begins a new life of faith and obedience to God.
Repentance– See Genuine Repentance.
Resurrection- The act of being raised from the dead. Jesus Christ was bodily raised on the third day, conquering sin and death, and His resurrection guarantees the future bodily resurrection of all people—believers to eternal life and the lost to judgment.
If the resurrection of Jesus Christ really happened, which it did, then Christianity is true. If Christianity is true, everything else is false.
Christianity has the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Game. Set. Match.
The resurrection of Christ is the most important event in the history of the world.
It is God’s declaration that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be and that His sacrifice was fully accepted. He ascended into heaven and now reigns as Lord and King. One day He will return in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. Every person will stand before Him and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Those who reject Him remain under condemnation, but those who belong to Him receive eternal life, complete forgiveness, reconciliation to God, and the promise of everlasting joy in His presence. (Romans 8:1)
Only Christianity proclaims a risen Savior who conquered death and lives forever.
Righteousness- Moral perfection and complete conformity to God’s holy character and standards. No sinner possesses sufficient righteousness of his own; the righteousness required for salvation is provided by God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Rightful Judgment- God’s perfectly just and holy judgment against sin. Because God is righteous, He must judge evil, and every person who remains unforgiven and unreconciled to Him will face the consequences of sin.
Salvation- God’s gracious work of rescuing sinners from the guilt, penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin through Jesus Christ. Salvation is received by grace through faith in Christ and includes justification, regeneration, sanctification, and glorification.
Sanctification- Sanctification is the lifelong process of being transformed into Christlikeness in everything you think, say and do; thoughts, attitudes and actions.
It begins at salvation and continues until believers are ultimately perfected in glorification and called home.
Satan- A created spiritual being, an angel called Lucifer, who rebelled against God and became His adversary and the enemy of mankind. Also called the devil, he deceives, tempts, accuses, and opposes God’s purposes, but remains under God’s sovereign authority and will ultimately face eternal judgment.
Second Coming– The future, visible return of Jesus Christ in power and glory to judge, defeat evil, and complete God’s redemptive plan.
Sin- Any thought, attitude, word, action, or failure to act that violates God’s holy character, commands, and will. Sin separates people from God, brings guilt and judgment, and creates humanity’s need for salvation through Jesus Christ.
Sin Nature– The inherited sinful condition of humanity resulting from Adam’s fall, inclining people toward sin and leaving them spiritually dead apart from God’s grace.
Soul – the eternal, immaterial part of you—the real “you” apart from your physical body until you receive your glorified, heavenly body.
Sovereignty of God– God’s supreme authority and rule over all creation. Nothing lies outside His ultimate control and purposes.
Spiritual Warfare- The ongoing conflict between God’s truth and the spiritual forces of evil led by Satan. Believers engage in spiritual warfare by standing firm in Christ, resisting temptation and deception, relying on the Holy Spirit, praying, and using the truth of God’s Word.
Substitutionary Atonement– The truth that Jesus Christ died in the place of sinners, bearing the judgment they deserved.
The Church– The body of all true believers in Jesus Christ, called out by God and united to Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Church exists to worship God, proclaim the gospel, make disciples, encourage believers, and live as Christ’s people in the world.
The Grace Period- The present period between the first coming of Jesus Christ and His return, during which God graciously extends the gospel and the opportunity for salvation to the world. For each person, the Grace Period extends from birth until death or until Christ returns. It is the God-given opportunity to be reconciled to Him by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Only God knows when this period will end, making the call to repent and believe the gospel urgent.
The Kingdom of God– God’s sovereign rule and reign, already present through Christ but awaiting its full and final fulfillment.
The New Heaven and New Earth– The final, eternal creation God will establish after the present heavens and earth undergo His judgment by fire and pass away in their present fallen form. Scripture describes the heavens as passing away and the elements being destroyed with intense heat as God brings judgment upon the present creation. God will then make all things new, removing sin, death, suffering, and the curse forever. The New Jerusalem, the holy city described in Revelation, will come down out of heaven from God, and He will dwell with His redeemed people forever in a perfect creation where righteousness dwells.
Transcendent- Existing above and beyond creation. God is not part of the universe He created and is infinitely greater than everything in it, yet He remains sovereign over all of it.
Trinity- The Triune God; one God in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Truth- That which is completely consistent with reality as established and revealed by God. God is true, His Word is truth, and Jesus Christ declared Himself to be “the truth”; therefore, God is the ultimate standard by which all claims about spiritual reality are measured.
Unrighteousness- Anything contrary to the holy, righteous character and standards of God. It includes sinful thoughts, attitudes, motives, words, and actions and describes the moral condition of humanity apart from the righteousness provided through Jesus Christ.
Wages of Sin- The consequence earned by sin; the price that sin pays: death. Sin results in physical death and spiritual separation from God, and without salvation through Jesus Christ ultimately results in eternal punishment.
Word (the) – In John 1, “the Word” means Jesus Christ.
John uses the Greek word Logos, meaning “word,” “message,” or “expression.” The idea is that Jesus is God’s perfect self-revelation—God making Himself known personally and visibly.
So when John says, “In the beginning was the Word,” he is saying that Jesus existed before creation. When he says, “the Word was with God,” he distinguishes Jesus from the Father. And when he says, “the Word was God,” he affirms that Jesus is fully divine.
Then John 1:14 makes it unmistakable: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The eternal Son of God took on human nature and came into the world as Jesus Christ. He is the visible image of the invisible God.
The Word — Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who perfectly reveals God to humanity. He existed before creation, is fully God, created all things, and became flesh to live among us.
The Word is Jesus Christ—the living, personal revelation of God and the embodiment of divine truth — absolute, unchanging and indisputable.
Read: The Word
Works- Human actions, deeds, or efforts. Good works cannot earn salvation or make a sinner righteous before God. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Good works are instead the result and evidence of genuine saving faith, as believers live in obedience to God.
Wrath- The powerful and just anger of the Holy God over sin and evil.
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