10 Words All Christians Should Understand

Can you explain these 10 words?  You should, we all should.  As Christians we should all be able to use, understand, and explain these 10 words.  As Karl Barth said in his famous quote, “The church of Jesus Christ can, and should, not have any non-theologians.”  We need to all be theologians!  We need to all be committed to the study and understanding of God.  As such, it is imperative that we learn these definitions and use these words as they are meant. 

1. Faith: not referring to “blind faith”, but referring to “saving faith”
   1. Faith indicates a knowledge of Christ, and His work in salvation
   2. Faith finds agreement that the claims of Christianity are true
   3. Faith is complete trust in Christ alone for our salvation
   4. Faith is the instrument through which Christ’s perfect atoning sacrifice is credited to us. 
2. Grace: Grace is an attribute of God.
   1. “Grace is God’s free, sovereign, undeserved favor to mankind, given to him while still in a state of sin, which manifests itself in the forgiveness of sin and the deliverance from justice.”- Louis Berkhoff
   2. Grace cannot me earned in anyway.  We receive it solely as a sovereign and unmerited choice from God.
3. Peace: the state of order and equilibrium, of “shalom”
   1. Christians are declared at peace with God through Jesus Christ.  That means that we have peace with God regardless of how we feel or how we keep His commandments at any given time.
   2. Even when we feel anxious, knowing we have this peace should spur us on to trust God even more, to repent of our sins, and to live in a manner that honors our Lord.  That is where we will find peace.
4. The cross: the instrument of Christ’s atoning death
   1. We cannot separate God’s love from His holiness, mercy, or justice
   2. “God would not be God if he did not possess all His attributes in the perfection of His essence.”- Michael Horton
   3. Jesus was born in the flesh so that he could fulfill the whole law, and be the perfect sacrifice on behalf of all those who place their faith in Him.
   4. At the cross, Jesus offered up His life as a once-for-all, perfect sacrifice for all who trust in Him for salvation.
5. The Law: The Old Testament
   1. “The law is like a mirror.  It can show us our sin, but it cannot save us.”- RC Sproul
   2. Jesus was born in the flesh to be the perfect Son whom God had promised since the fall of Adam in Genesis 3:15.
   3. Jesus kept the law perfectly on behalf of all those who trust in Him for salvation, and we are then counted righteous in God’s sight through faith alone, by grace alone in Him.
   4. The law also serves the purpose of restraining evil and showing us what is pleasing to God. 
       
6. The Gospel: The Good News of Jesus Christ
   1. The Gospel is the Good News of what Jesus did to redeem His people (His birth, life, death, and resurrection), and to inaugurate the Kingdom of God and the new creation.
   2. It is Good News because without Jesus we were unable to save ourselves because everything we do is tainted by sin.
   3. Without Christ, there could not have been a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for our sin.  That is the Good news.  That is why there is salvation in no other name.
7. Justification: Just-as-if-I’d-never sinned
   1. The Bible says that we are declared righteous in Christ.
   2. Christ has taken upon himself the punishment that we deserve, and has earned life for us through His perfect obedience.
   3. We believers will never have to face the JUST sentence of our sins, or spend eternal life in hell because we have been justified in Christ.
   4. Actually, not only are we spared punishment, we are made co-heirs to the Kingdom through Jesus.
8. Sanctification:
   1. Here the Holy Spirit indwells in justified believers, working to conform them to the image of Christ.
   2. We are daily dying to the “old self”, and then living unto God.  We should be diligent as believers to seek to live Godly lives
9. Imputation (of Righteousness):
   1. This may be the most under-taught, neglected doctrine in the church today, and we all need to know it!
   2. Imputation means that God “credits” to us the righteousness of Christ, though faith alone.
   3. Additionally, our sin is “credited” to Jesus Christ who knew no sin, and was punished on behalf of all who trust in Him for salvation.
   4. Martin Luther referred to this as “The Great Exchange”: Christ’s righteousness counted to us, in exchange for our sin counted to Christ.
10. Resurrection:
    1. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is our greatest hope.
    2. It proved that Jesus conquered death.
    3. Christ’s death proved that He was a man, and His resurrection proved that He is God
    4. It gives us comfort knowing that one day we too will have resurrected bodies.
    5. One day all suffering and pain will be gone, and we believers will behold the beauty and splendor of our Savior.