Crucifixion

An agonizing method of execution that the Romans performed by nailing a prisoner to a cross. Death took several hours or even days, because the person died from suffocation. The person was also usually stripped naked to add to the humiliation of the execution.

devotional: A devotional is a book filled with daily readings that Christians often use as a supplement to Bible reading, aiding in meditation and reflection on some aspect of God’s truth.

devotions: See quiet time.

disciple: Follower of Jesus Christ. During Jesus’ three-year ministry on earth, he had 12 disciples. However, Christians still commonly use the term disciple to describe a dedicated follower of Christ.

“dive into the Word”: Refers to studying the Bible and applying its truths to one’s life.

“dying to self”: Jesus Christ said that those people who want to follow him must give up their own wants, concerns, and rights and be totally loyal and obedient to him. Dying to self doesn’t mean dying physically, but giving up what you hold dear. Jesus wants 100 percent of his disciples, not the leftovers. See also take up my cross.

End Times: Events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ.

evangelical: In short, a Christian who believes that people are saved by grace through faith alone (and not by good deeds) and believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God. A detailed definition, provided by Barna Research, is a Christian with the following beliefs: Being born again is necessary to be saved; faith is top priority in everyday life; Christians have a personal responsibility to share their beliefs with non-Christians; Satan really exists; salvation is possible only through grace, not by being a good person; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is an all-knowing (omniscient), all-powerful (omnipotent), perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.

evangelism: Sharing with others the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Evil One: Another name for Satan.

Fall of man: The original sin of Adam and Eve.

fellowship: Sharing together with other Christians in worship, communicating concerns with each other, and sometimes simply being together as a collective church body.

“filled with the Spirit”: Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit living in their lives. This expression describes the completeness that Christians have when they have the Holy Spirit inside of them. Paul contrasted being controlled by alcohol with being controlled by the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18: “And don’t be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.” Also note that some charismatics believe that being filled with the Spirit is synonymous with speaking in tongues.

flesh, the: A term that many Christians and some versions of the Bible use to refer to humans’ tendency to sin. See also sinful nature.

free will: The ability that God gave humans to choose whether to follow him and have a relationship with him or to go their own separate ways.

“freedom from bondage”: Refers to the freedom that Christians have from sin. Paul says in Romans 6:17 that apart from Christ, humans are slaves to sin, but with Christ, they’re freed from this bondage.

“Give it to God”: See laying it on the altar of God.

“Give the glory to God”: Christians believe that God is in control and engineers circumstances in this world. Therefore, they use this expression to give credit to God for something good that happens, because he either allowed or engineered it, rather than taking credit for it themselves. The Bible also calls Christians to give glory to God even when something bad happens, because he shows his grace and mercy through those times as well.

God bumps: A term that some Christians use to describe the sensations (like goose bumps) that they feel when they experience the Lord’s presence. Other Christians consider it a rather tacky term.

God incarnate: God taking on the form of a human. Christians believe that Jesus Christ was God incarnate, fully God and fully human.

“God laid it on my heart”: God speaks to Christians, not in an audible voice, but by planting thoughts in their minds, usually so quickly that they may wonder where the thoughts came from. Oftentimes, when the message is really from God, it impacts their hearts as well when they begin to focus on it. However, this doesn’t mean that every message that a Christian believes is from God, in fact, is. A Christian should always examine something he or she has heard with what the Bible says and pray about it. See also God told me.

“God told me”: The idea that God communicates directly with an individual about a particular issue. However, if someone tells you this, be discerning. God usually speaks nowadays through the Bible and the Holy Spirit, not in an audible manner. Unfortunately, many people misuse this phrase, causing others to become sceptical about the idea of hearing God. See also God laid it on my heart.

God’s will: What God wants. God’s will is formally called his deliberate will, which reveals who God is and what he wants to happen. On the other hand, God’s permissive will is what he allows to happen. God doesn’t want disease, sin, suffering, or death, but he does permit them to happen as a natural consequence of the freedom that he gives all people. Many things that happen today aren’t part of God’s deliberate will, but all things that happen, be they good or bad, are part of his permissive will.