Key Terms Flashcards
Regeneration
The work of the Holy Spirit to bring new spiritual life to a person without which it is impossible to enter the Kingdom of God; to be “born again.”
Justification
An act of God’s free grace, in which he pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
Sanctification
The work of God’s free grace, by which we are renewed throughout in the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die to sin and live to righteousness.
Perseverance
Because of God’s preserving grace, all of his elect will remain in Christ all their days, will demonstrate His work in them by their fruitfulness, and will be glorified by him on the Last Day.
Union with Christ
The believer’s intimate relationship with Christ through faith which is the source of every spiritual blessing.
Covenant
A relationship that God established with us and guarantees by his Word.
The Fall
In unbelief and pride, Adam disobeyed the command of God and brought condemnation, corruption, and misery to the entire human race.
Messianic Expectation
God promised a redeemer, a seed, an anointed one, a king, a prophet, a priest who would reconcile the creation to Himself and restore the relationship lost through sin.
Hebrew Poetry
An emotive literary style employing parallelism, rhythm, and imagery that is used in teaching and worship.
Resurrection
God raised Jesus bodily from the dead on the third day proving his divine Sonship and the effectiveness of his sacrifice on our behalf. Christians will also be raised in Christ on the last day to enjoy eternal life with him forever.
Incarnation
The act whereby the divine Son of God took on full humanity so that he might save us from our sins. Jesus is fully God and fully human in one person.
Disciple-making Disciples
Followers of Jesus who invest themselves in others by sharing the Gospel and their lives with them so that when they trust in and mature in Christ they would do the same with others also. This is the expectation of every believer.
Love
Establishing a discipling/counseling relationship of understanding and trust that also imparts hope for godly change.
Know
Coming to understand a person at the level of the heart in order to see where change is needed. This includes the skill of asking and interpreting good ministry questions.
Do
Helping people apply relevant biblical wisdom to their daily lives in order to walk by “faith working through love.”
Speak
Bringing truth to bear on a person’s particular life situation in order to help him see where change is needed, embrace the promises of God, and commit to change.
Trinity
The doctrine that God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is uncreated, co-eternal, and equal in power, glory, and honor. They are rightly worshiped as the one true God, one in three and three in one.
Providence
God actively sustains and governs all created things according to his holy will, in such a way, that nothing happens in this world without his orderly arrangement.
Inerrancy
The Bible in the original manuscripts is perfectly reliable, completely true, and without error.
Inspiration
The words of Scripture are “breathed out” and spoken by God through human authors so that the words are exactly the words God intended.
Total Depravity
Every part of man’s nature is affected by sin, so that he cannot choose what is spiritually good apart from God’s grace.
Complementary Roles of Men and Women
While men and women are created equal in image, dignity, value, and glory, they are assigned different roles by God: men are to sacrificially lead in the home and church, and women are to voluntarily submit to this leadership by using their gifts to support it.
Imago Dei (Image of God)
God created human beings in his likeness and to be his representatives to the rest of creation in this world. We are created to know, enjoy, and reflect God’s glory to others.
Particular Atonement
The work of Christ in His life, death and resurrection to secure salvation for His chosen people. This doctrine affirms that He definitely saves those who are particularly His.
Faith
The gift of God that enables us to understand and trust in his Word and respond appropriately to it. Saving faith is directed toward Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Election and Reprobation
God’s decision from before the creation of the world to choose some of his fallen human creatures to be saved and by his grace to become holy and blameless in His sight. In His wisdom and for His glory He passed over others, holding them accountable for their sins.
Sacrament
A holy ordinance instituted by Christ that is both a sign of the new covenant and a seal that applies its benefits to the believer. There are two: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
The Millennium/amillennialism
The thousand year reign of Christ with the saints characterized by righteousness, peace, prosperity, and the defeat of Satan. Amillennialism is the belief that there is no literal millennium; that Christ reigns now in heaven and on earth through the church. Good and evil will both remain until Christ returns to destroy evil and bring in everlasting righteousness and joy.
