Mercy

Not receiving punishment that’s deserved. Because of Christ’s sacrificial death, God shows mercy to Christians by not punishing them for their sins.

minister: Generic term that often refers to the leader of a church.

“narrow road”: Refers to the difficult path of being a Christian. Jesus, in Matthew 7:13-14, said, “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life!”

“new creature in Christ”: References the Apostle Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”

New Testament: Part of the Bible that starts with the birth of Jesus Christ, provides teachings of the early Church, and ends with a description of what’s going to happen in the future. See also Old Testament.

New Testament Church: The Christian Church from the period after the resurrection of Jesus through the death of John, the last living apostle (roughly between A.D. 33 and A.D. 100).

nonbeliever: See non-Christian.

Non-Christian: Anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ as being the Savior from sin.

Old Testament: Part of the Bible that begins at the creation of the world and chronicles the history of Israel, God’s chosen people. See also New Testament.

“on fire for the Lord”: Being excited about your relationship with God and obediently living out your faith, no matter the cost.

original sin: The first sin that Adam and Eve committed (see Genesis 3) and the consequences of this sin that affect every generation of humans.

Orthodox and orthodox: Orthodox with a capital O refers to Eastern Orthodox Christians, a division of the Christian Church, whereas lowercase orthodox is a term that refers to traditional, historical Christian beliefs.

pastor: Common name for the leader of a church, often a Protestant term.

penance: The sacramental act of confessing sins to a clergyperson for assurance of forgiveness. Catholic, Orthodox, and even Anglican Christians commonly practice penance.

personal relationship with Christ: An expression Christians use to describe the intimate relationship that they have with Jesus Christ. With a focus on a personal relationship, no person, minister, or institution should come between an individual Christian and Jesus.

“Praise the Lord”: Common expression that says, in effect: “God, you are great!”

prayer: Simply, communicating with God. Christian prayer is more than just telling God your list of requests; it’s also a way to get to know God and what he wants to do in your life and in the world.

prayer closet: A private place to pray and get away from the busyness of the world. The term comes from Matthew 6:6: “When you pray, enter into your closet, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” A prayer closet doesn’t have to be a literal closet, but the idea is to find a place free from outside distractions.

prayer warrior: A term that describes someone who’s especially diligent in prayer.

priest: Common name for the leader of a church, usually a Catholic term.

propitiation: In effect, a substitute. Jesus died on the cross (taking our place) as the payment required by God for the sins of humans.

quiet time: Dedicated time with God each day in prayer and Bible reading. Typically ranges anywhere from five minutes to two hours, but, of course, you can spend as much quiet time as you like!

rapture: The Bible says that when Jesus Christ returns to the earth (see Second Coming of Jesus Christ), Christians will be raptured, or taken from earth, and will go directly to heaven without dying first.

“redeemed by the blood of the Lamb”: To redeem is to exchange one thing for another. Christians exchange their sin for eternal life because of the sacrificial death of Jesus. See also Blood of Christ.

regeneration: The act of being born again. Regeneration is the event that happens when a person becomes a Christian in which God gives him or her a new nature (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

resurrection: To come back to life after you’re dead. Christians believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead three days after he was crucified (see Luke 24) and that he still lives.

reverend: Another title for the leader of a church.