A Quick Guide to Christian Terms

Whether you are young or old, there is no doubt that understanding Christian terms can be a bit difficult. Many of these terms aren’t unique to Christianity but have a unique Biblical definition that can clarify a message.

These terms and their definitions are meant to equip you with a better understanding of what you believe. This post is meant to give you a broad overlook and understanding, so I encourage you to dig deeper as the Holy Spirit leads you. Even as I am writing this, I am learning. I like to think that we won’t ever achieve a status in which we know it all. Instead, we chose to grow, every day, learning and relearning what the Bible has to offer.

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Faith: In a biblical sense, faith is believing in God and what Jesus Christ has done for us. Most importantly, faith is a confident belief and assurance in the Lord even though we cannot see Him. It goes a step further than believing, faith also means fully dedicating our lives to those beliefs.

Verses About Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” - Ephesians 2:8

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. - James 2:26

the Gospel: Literally, the gospel means “good news.” When we hear the term the gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s referring to the good news of Jesus Christ (who he was, what he did, etc…).

If you’re wondering, Is the gospel the Bible? Then the answer is yes… kind of… see, the gospel refers to the Bible. Depending on the context, the gospel can be used in a broad sense talking about the New Testament and how the Old Testament prophecies and promises were fulfilled, or it can be used in a specific sense, speaking specifically about who Jesus is and what he did.

*If you’re interested in learning more about the big picture of the Bible, check out the Seamless Bible Study by Angie Smith.

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Grace: In the simplest definition, God’s grace is getting something we don’t deserve. Grace is how God’s love was displayed. Grace is God sending His son to die so sinners could be saved.

Verses About Grace

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, - 2 Timothy 1:9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

Justification: Justification is the act of God of making someone “right” or “just” with Him.

Verses About Justification

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21

the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, - Romans 3:22-24

the Law: Depending on the context, the law can refer to a few things. In general, the law focuses on the commands and regulations God gave the people of Israel. A perfect example of the law is the Ten Commandments. The law also refers specifically to the commands found in the first five books of the Bible (aka The Torah).

Verses About the Law

We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. - 1 Timothy 1: 9-10

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. - Galatians 3:24

And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. - Deuteronomy 4:13

Mercy: Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve. As sinners, we deserve His wrath, and instead, we are forgiven and offered salvation.

Verses About Mercy

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, - Ephesians 2:4

he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, - Titus 3:5

Repentance: From a Greek word that means to change one's mind, repentance is changing your mind about the previous ways we lived prior to salvation. Although it includes sorrow and regret, it is much more than feeling sorry about sin. Repentance leads to a change of heart and surrender to Jesus Christ.

Verses About Repentance

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. - Matthew 3:8

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? - Romans 2:4

Righteousness: The quality of being “right” in the eyes of God. Righteousness also is typically defined as an action or behavior that is morally right or just.

Verses About Righteousness

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:20-24

None is righteous, no, not one; - Romans 3:10

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:1-2

Salvation: salvation is what God provides because of His love. We are saved by the gift of faith given to us as a gift, by hearing the "good news" of the gospel of salvation and believing it.

Verses About Salvation

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

Trinity: Refers to the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one. God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Part of faith is accepting the mystery that He is all 3 yet separate entities. The Father acts as the protector of the Jews, the Son acts as the savior of mankind, and the Holy Spirit is the preserver of the church. Fun Fact - this term doesn’t actually appear in the Bible.

Verses About the Trinity

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? - 1 Corinthians 3:16

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.- Matthew 3:16

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . . . - Matthew 28:19

If you’ve made it this far, kudos to you! It can be hard and sometimes boring reading through biblical terms, but understanding them and having confidence in our understanding is really important to our faith.

As my daughter gets older, she’s starting to ask me hard questions, and I want to be able to explain to her why I have faith, and that very much entails understanding what the Bible says. When I struggle to explain a concept, it’s usually an indication that I don’t fully understand it.

So, could you explain these terms to your child? How would you explain these terms? Share your ideas below!