CHRISTIAN JARGON: Biblical Meanings of Frequently Used Terms

We, as Christians, have developed a language, a jargon, all our own. We use words and phrases frequently assuming that everyone knows what they mean. The truth is that while it sounds righteous, spiritual, and holy (note the jargon!) often many would like to have a better understanding as to their real biblical meaning. For example, how often have you heard someone speak of God’s grace as if it was some “thing” which God hands out or sprinkles on us like “fairy dust”?

In this and, from time to time, in subsequent posts, we will present some of this Christian jargon and provide a definition that fits scripture. If there are any terms you would like included please let us know!

1. Accept Jesus - In repentance, casting one’s self by faith totally upon Christ.

2. Atonement - To make right or to make up for the wrong which man has done to God. The very nature of man’s wrong and the very nature of who God is make it impossible for atonement to be accomplished by man. Only God can make right what man has made wrong.

3. Bless, blessing - Of God to man: The intervening of God in the life and character of a person to bring about the result desired by God. Also, for God to speak well of one.
Of man to God: To speak of, describe, sing and speak well of God, and the greatness of His attributes, actions and accomplishments.

4. Born again - In redemption, one is given spiritual life and a new nature by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus used the term "born from above" with Nicodemas.

5. Confess - To agree with or to “say along with God” that God’s assessment of some-thing is the correct assessment.

6. Faith, belief, trust - To accept totally as true and as a result to order ones life, attitudes, behaviors, and relationships thereby.

7. Glorify, glory -
Of God: The highlighting, making known, or spotlighting the moral perfection and total worthiness of God.
Of man: The highlighting of and making known the working of God in man that produces a reflection of God’s moral attributes and worthiness to rule.

8. Grace - God’s attitudinal disposition toward us from which He acts on our behalf for redemption and morally acceptable living.

9. Holy, saint, sanctified - Set apart. When applied to us, it means set apart to God, belonging to Him and exclusively for His use. When applied to God, it means set apart from all others, pure, without imperfection.
10. Justice - Receiving exactly, to the letter, what one deserves or has earned.

11. Justify, justification - To be made or declared right in one’s relationship and standing with God, lacking nothing for perfection and correctness.

12. Knowledge, wisdom - To know intellectually the content of God’s revelation and to discern by the work of the Holy Spirit what that information means in one’s life.

13. Leading of the Spirit - Subjective feeling that one ought to do a certain thing because God is saying so. Note: There is a deafening silence in scripture that this is a normal pattern for God’s working.

14. Mercy - acting toward one favorably. Touched with strong feeling and desire to help.