Last fall, I spent two weeks in Moldova. Most of the people speak Russian. Since I don’t, I often wondered what people were talking about. Translators helped, but I longed to understand and speak the language.
Christians have a unique language too. Theological words and “Christianize” pop-up constantly in church services, Bible studies, and conversations. For long-time church-goers, words like “saved,” “lost,” and “repentance” come naturally. But others often wonder what we’re talking about. And sometimes even Christians can’t explain them.
So, should we just toss them out? No, these words – which come straight from Scripture – richly express the truths of our faith. Instead, we must define them and help others to understand them too.
Here’s my list of the top ten “churchy” words you should know, complete with Scripture references and definitions:
- Born Again (John 3:3-8) – Jesus coined this phrase Himself referring to being spiritually reborn or born from above; this term is synonymous with “Christian.” The phrase “born again Christian” is redundant.
- Lost (Luke 19:10; Matt 10:6) – Jesus used this term to refer to those who are alienated or separated from God. The same Greek word is translated as “perish” in John 3:16! The Greek means “to destroy, kill, or to declare that one must be put to death.” Christians use “lost” to refer to those who are spiritually dead in their sin and separated from God.
- Salvation/Saved (Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-9) – Delivery from sin and its consequences; the present and eternal spiritual condition granted by God to those who believe in Jesus and His saving work.
- Repent/Repentance (Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38; 2 Cor 7:10) – The Greek noun and verb translated as “repentance” and “repent” means to “change one’s mind or purpose.” The Bible uses this word specifically to refer to changing one’s mind and behavior regarding sin and evil.
- Faith (Ephesians 2:8; James 2:14) – having a solid confidence, trust, hope and active reliance in God and His promises. This firm conviction produces full acknowledgment and personal surrender.
- Sin (Romans 3:23) – to “miss the mark” as an arrow missing a bull’s-eye; to deviate from the norm. The Bible uses “sin” to refer to anything that deviates from the perfect pattern God established for mankind. “Sin” refers to our wrong thinking actions, and corrupted nature.
- Justification (Romans 3:24; 4:25) – to make or declare one to be righteous. Our sin earned the guilty verdict, but Jesus paid our penalty and gave us His righteousness.
- Redemption (Romans 3:24) – a releasing or deliverance bought with a ransom. Christ bought our “redemption” from sin, spiritual death, and separation from God with His own life, given on the cross.
- Righteousness (Romans 3:25; 2 Cor 5:21) – the quality of being right or just; conformity to God’s perfect moral standard. Righteousness is impossible to accomplish on our own. But Jesus gives His righteousness to those who trust in His death for salvation.
- Sanctification/Holiness (Romans 6:19; 1 Thess 4:3; Hebrews 12:14) – separation of the believer from anything sinful. It requires conscious action and submissive obedience to God’s will and way. It is an ongoing process that begins at salvation and continues throughout this life.
Are you still with me or do you feel like you just got thrown into the deep end of the pool? Although these “churchy” words can be confusing, understanding them will deepen our understanding of our great salvation.
I’d love to know what “churchy” words you love and hate! What “churchy” word do you struggle to understand or use? What “churchy” word do you just love because it conveys so much meaning?
great list Kathy! Great resource to go back to! Funny story about #1…this wknd my 4 yr old kept asking when he would have to go back in my belly (since I’m pregnant a frequent topic of conversation). I didn’t know what he was talking about until he said…”to go to heaven don’t I have to go back in ur belly and be a baby again?” um yeah…great opportunity to define the term “born again”!
Heather, that is a great story! And a great opportunity to talk to him about God’s plan. Thanks for sharing that.
What a blessing! Thanks for sharing this! I have tried to be more descriptive when using terms lately, instead of saying “got saved” going into a more detailed explanation. This is due in large part to an inquisitive 4 year old ;)
Christie, I love how God uses our children to teach us more about Him and to increase our desire to learn even more.
The adjectives that people use that I dislike are church goer and religious. These words to not say anything about your relationshipwith God or your love for God. They mean nothing.
Melanie, you are right. The word “church-goer” – which I actually used in the post! – really only says that person goes to church. Lots of people go to church without having a saving relationship with Jesus. We also use the word “Christian” too loosely when it should be reserved for those who have a saving relationship with Jesus. Thanks for sharing!
This is great because so often when we hear a word at church we don’t know, we assume everyone else knows the meaning, and therefore are too embarrassed to ask someone “What does he mean by justification?” My favorite ways of remembering justification is “Just as if I never did it.” or “Just as if I never sinned.” Such an amazing display of God’s love for us, that he deliberately chooses to forget our sin, so the memories of our sin don’t create even the slightest wedge between Him and us. He loves us that much! What a great model for us to forget the offenses of others so a wedge can’t come between our relationship with our spouse, our parents, our friends, etc.
Brooke, you are so right! We’ve heard some of these words for so long that even if we don’t know what they mean we’re embarrassed to ask because we think we should know! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on “justification.” That’s a great way to remember it.
I remember when I first learned years ago that “sin” meant “missing the mark,” it just made so much sense, especially as to how we all sin.
I think “hope” is another good one. Our culture uses “hope” as a “I wish” statement, but the hope we have in God is a promised expectation.
I also LOVE “grace!” Undeserved merit/favor. Wow. The more I learn about grace, the more I see how ALL blessings are undeserved. And how much love is tied into all of it.
Great list and references, Kathy! Thanks for sharing!
Caroline, thanks for bringing up “hope.” You are so right about that one. It is a “confident expectation” in what God will do! No “maybe” about it!
Can I add “spoke to”??? People thrown around “God spoke to me” a lot in my region, and I always want to ask, “What do you mean by that?” We must really be confusing people who don’t know Christ when we say that.
Julie, yep that is one we need to clarify for sure!