Acceptance
Acceptance is God’s welcome of believers in Jesus Christ; because they stand in the Son He loves, the Father receives them — not because they have earned a place, but because Christ has brought them near.
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Biblical & Theological Glossary
Clear definitions for words that matter.
Many biblical and theological terms are used often but understood poorly. This glossary exists to define important words clearly, biblically, and usefully.
Built for the Church
Use these definitions to teach, preach, and disciple with clarity and confidence.
Access to God
Access to God is the privilege of coming near to the Father through Jesus Christ; forgiven and reconciled, believers may approach God freely and confidently by the Spirit.
Read full definition →Adam
Adam is the first man and representative beginning of the old humanity, whose rebellion established the world of self-rule, corruption, and death from which Christ creates a new humanity.
Read full definition →Adoption
Adoption is God's act of granting those in Christ the recognized standing, inheritance, and full rights of sons within His household.
Read full definition →Apostasy / Falling Away
Apostasy, or falling away, is a knowing and settled rejection of Christ after deep exposure to the gospel; it reveals that the Word never became rooted life, not that rooted life was lost.
Read full definition →Apostle
An apostle is one sent with delegated authority to represent and carry out the mission of the one who sent him.
Read full definition →Ascension and Exaltation
Ascension and exaltation are Christ’s bodily return to the Father’s presence and the Father’s vindication of the risen Son, seated at His right hand.
Read full definition →Assurance
Assurance is the settled confidence that one belongs to God through faith in Jesus Christ and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit.
Read full definition →Atonement
Atonement is the saving work of Jesus Christ by which sin is dealt with, justice is satisfied, and reconciliation with God is made possible.
Read full definition →Authority
Authority is the God-given right to rule, command, or act on behalf of another, delegated for the accomplishment of God's purposes.
Read full definition →Autonomy / Self-Rule
Autonomy, or self-rule, is the creature’s attempt to possess life, wisdom, moral judgment, and rule independently of God — the governing impulse of rebellion.
Read full definition →Baptism
Baptism is the Gospel sign by which a believer publicly identifies with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the once-for-all act of the exalted Christ in pouring out the Spirit to create and publicly establish His New Covenant church, incorporating Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles into one body.
Read full definition →Bishop
A bishop is an overseer of a local church.
Read full definition →Body of Christ
The Body of Christ is one of the primary biblical images for the church.
Read full definition →Born Again
Born again refers to the new life given by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Calling
Calling is God's summons by which He brings people to Himself and appoints them to walk in His purposes.
Read full definition →Church
The church is the gathered people of God called through the Gospel and ordered under Christ for worship, teaching, fellowship, discipline, and witness.
Read full definition →Church Discipline
Church discipline is the loving and ordered correction exercised by a local church to call the erring to repentance, protect the congregation, and restore fellowship where possible.
Read full definition →Church Membership
Church membership is the committed relationship between a believer and a local congregation.
Read full definition →Citizenship
Citizenship is the new identity believers receive through the new birth: though they remain citizens of earthly nations, they belong to Christ’s kingdom and live as citizens of Heaven.
Read full definition →Communion
Communion is the shared participation and fellowship of believers with Christ and with one another through the New Covenant.
Read full definition →Confession and Calling on the Lord
Confession is openly acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord; calling on the Lord is turning to Him in faith for mercy and salvation.
Read full definition →Conversion
Conversion is the decisive passage from self-ruled life in Adam into surrendered life in Christ, when the sinner turns to Christ in repentant faith and the Spirit joins him to the risen Son.
Read full definition →Conviction
Conviction is the Holy Spirit’s application of the gospel to the human will, exposing sin and pressing home the truth of Christ.
Read full definition →Covenant
Covenant is a binding relational order established by God through His promises, authority, and faithfulness.
Read full definition →Creation
Creation is God's act of bringing all things into existence by His word, and the ordered universe that resulted from that act.
Read full definition →The Cross
The cross is the obedient, self-giving death of the incarnate Son for sinners, by which He bears sin’s judgment and opens the way into resurrection life with God.
Read full definition →Death
Death is the condition and dominion of human life alienated from God — expressed in corruption, mortality, bodily dissolution, and judgment — and more than mere biological cessation.
Read full definition →Death of the Believer
The death of a believer is the death of his mortal body, but not the end or defeat of his life in Christ: at death he remains with Christ, and his body awaits the promised resurrection.
Read full definition →Depravity
Depravity is the corruption of human nature through sin, affecting every part of man and leaving him unable to restore himself to right standing before God.
Read full definition →Discipleship
Discipleship is the process of following Christ and helping others follow Him.
Read full definition →Discipline
Discipline is placing oneself under rightful authority for the purpose of growth, correction, and development.
Read full definition →Divine Keeping
Divine keeping is God’s active protection and preservation of those who belong to Christ: He guards their faith through trial and will bring them to the inheritance He has promised.
Read full definition →Doctrine
Doctrine is the body of truth taught by Scripture concerning God, His works, and His will for His people.
Read full definition →Dominion
Dominion is the authority God entrusts to His image-bearers to order, cultivate, guard, and govern creation under His rule — received stewardship, not autonomous control.
Read full definition →Drawing
Drawing is God’s gracious action by which He brings a person toward Christ; it is real and necessary, and it can be resisted.
Read full definition →Elder
An elder is a spiritually mature man recognized by a local church for leadership, teaching, and oversight.
Read full definition →Election
Election is God's choosing of Christ as the appointed Redeemer, so that those in Him share in His chosen standing and purpose.
Read full definition →Embassy
Embassy is a biblical picture of the local church as Christ's authorized representative, displaying the life and authority of His kingdom in the midst of the world.
Read full definition →Enlightenment
Enlightenment is the Spirit’s work by which the gospel comes into clear intellectual view — a real understanding of the truth that is not yet saving surrender.
Read full definition →Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the last things and the fulfillment of God's purposes in history through Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Eternal Life
Eternal life is the life believers receive from God through Jesus Christ — not merely endless duration, but present and everlasting participation in the life of God.
Read full definition →Evangelism
Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel with the goal of calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Expiation
Expiation is the removal and cleansing of sin through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Faith
Faith is trusting reliance upon God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Fellowship
Fellowship is the shared participation of believers in Christ and in the life of His church.
Read full definition →Flock
The flock is a biblical image for God's people.
Read full definition →Foreknowledge
Foreknowledge is God's perfect knowledge of all things, including His relational knowledge and purpose concerning those who are in Christ.
Read full definition →Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the gracious release of the guilt and debt of sin, made possible through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Freedom
Freedom is the life God gives those in Christ to live as they were made to live — not independence from God, but release from sin, self-rule, condemnation, and death so they may willingly love and obey Him.
Read full definition →Fruit
Fruit is the visible expression of Christ’s life in a believer’s character, love, obedience, and service; it does not create life in Christ but grows from the rooted life He has given.
Read full definition →Gentiles
Gentiles are the nations outside the covenant nation of Israel, whom God has graciously brought near through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Glorification
Glorification is God’s final work of making believers fully like the risen Christ, completing the new life already given when their bodies are raised beyond death’s power.
Read full definition →Glory
Glory is the revealed worth, beauty, and visible display of who God truly is, most fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Good Works
Good works are the actions God prepares for those who belong to Christ; they do not earn salvation but grow from the new life He has given and make it visible.
Read full definition →Gospel
The gospel is God's authoritative good news concerning His Son, Jesus Christ: that Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and saves all who trust in Him.
Read full definition →Grace
Grace is unearned favor expressed in generous giving.
Read full definition →Hell
Hell is the final judgment and separation from God experienced by those who remain in rebellion against Him.
Read full definition →Holiness
Holiness is being set apart to God for His rightful use and brought into right order under His will.
Read full definition →Holy Nation
Holy Nation is God's description of His redeemed people, set apart to belong to Him, reflect His character, and proclaim His greatness.
Read full definition →Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, poured out by the exalted Christ at Pentecost to empower the church's witness, guide believers into truth, and apply the finished work of Christ.
Read full definition →Hope
Hope is the confident expectation that God will fulfill every promise He has made.
Read full definition →Humility
Humility is the right understanding of oneself before God, expressed in dependence upon Him and service toward others.
Read full definition →Image of God
The image of God is humanity’s created identity and calling to represent God within His world through delegated dominion under His rule.
Read full definition →Imputation
Imputation is the reckoning or counting of righteousness to believers through union with Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →In Adam
To be in Adam is to belong to the humanity born into the rebellious order Adam established — alienated from God, structured around self-rule, and subject to death.
Read full definition →In Christ
To be in Christ is to stand within the reality of the One in whom God's saving purpose is fulfilled.
Read full definition →Incarnation
The incarnation is the eternal Son becoming truly human in Jesus Christ, entering Adam’s mortal world to redeem humanity from within as the obedient last Adam.
Read full definition →Indwelling
Indwelling is the Holy Spirit living in every believer joined to Christ — His presence assuring the believer he belongs to God, bringing Christ’s life within, and pledging the inheritance still to come.
Read full definition →Inheritance
Inheritance is the future God promises to His children in Christ: resurrection life, a place in God’s renewed creation, and a share in the blessings that belong to the Son.
Read full definition →Israel
Israel is the covenant nation descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chosen by God to receive His covenants, preserve His revelation, and bring the Messiah into the world.
Read full definition →Judgment
Judgment is God's righteous evaluation of every person, deed, and motive according to His perfect holiness and justice.
Read full definition →Justice
Justice is the righteous ordering of all things according to the truth, holiness, and character of God.
Read full definition →Justification
Justification is God's act of grace, bringing the sinner into right standing—placing him upon the level ground of Christ's righteousness in the presence of God—received by faith alone.
Read full definition →Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is the rightful reign of God established in Jesus Christ, present now wherever He is trusted and obeyed, and awaiting full visible completion at His return.
Read full definition →Last Adam
The last Adam is Jesus Christ, the risen and obedient head of the new humanity who fulfills what Adam abandoned and gives resurrection life to those united to Him.
Read full definition →Law
Law is the revealed order, command, and righteous standard of God governing His creation and human conduct.
Read full definition →Life
Life is the God-given reality of existence sustained by fellowship with its Creator; in its fullest sense it is participation in the life of God through Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Lord
Lord is a title of rightful authority; to confess Jesus as Lord is to own the risen Son whose authority no one grants, and to whom every person must finally answer.
Read full definition →Lordship
Lordship is the rightful authority and rule of Jesus Christ over all creation and over the lives of those who belong to Him.
Read full definition →Love
Love is the committed, self-giving pursuit of another's good according to the truth and character of God.
Read full definition →Mercy
Mercy is compassion shown to the guilty and the suffering, by which deserved judgment is withheld and needed help is given.
Read full definition →Mercy Seat
The mercy seat was the golden lid over the Ark of the Covenant where God met His people through blood; fulfilled in Christ, our true mercy seat.
Read full definition →Mission
Mission is the work God has given His people in the world.
Read full definition →Nation
Nation is a distinct people united by a common identity, history, and heritage under God's sovereign ordering.
Read full definition →Nations
Nations are the peoples of the earth collectively, through whom God displays both His righteous judgment and His redemptive purpose.
Read full definition →New Creation
New creation is the new order of human life inaugurated through Christ’s resurrection and entered through union with Him.
Read full definition →New Heavens and New Earth
The new heavens and new earth are the renewed creation God will bring when He completes His saving work — the home of His redeemed people, free from sin, death, curse, and separation from God.
Read full definition →New Humanity
The new humanity is the people created in the risen Christ — one body sharing His life by the Spirit, gathered from Israel and the nations.
Read full definition →New Jerusalem
The New Jerusalem is the holy city God brings down into the renewed creation as His permanent dwelling with His redeemed people, where curse, death, and exile are gone and life is received openly and for ever through the Lamb.
Read full definition →Obedience
Obedience is the willing submission of life and action to the truth, authority, and will of God.
Read full definition →Ordinance
An ordinance is a practice established by Christ for His church to observe.
Read full definition →Original Sin
Original sin is structural Adamic inheritance: humanity is born into the rebellious order Adam established, and each morally responsible person becomes guilty by personally confirming its self-rule.
Read full definition →Overseer
Overseer is another New Testament term for the office commonly called bishop.
Read full definition →Pastor
A pastor is a shepherd of God's people who teaches, leads, protects, and cares for the church under the authority of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Peace
Peace is the inward settledness that flows from being made right with God and yielding control to His wise rule.
Read full definition →Peace from God
Peace from God is the settled rest God gives His children as they live within the right relationship and purpose He restores through Christ. Its strength may vary with faith and circumstance.
Read full definition →Peace with God
Peace with God is restored relationship to the Creator through Jesus Christ. Those who are justified and reconciled in Christ are brought near to God and returned to the order for which they were made.
Read full definition →Pentecost
Pentecost was the Jewish feast day on which the risen and exalted Christ poured out the Holy Spirit upon His gathered disciples, publicly empowering and launching the church into its witness to Christ.
Read full definition →Perseverance
Perseverance is the continuing endurance of faith and obedience in those who truly belong to Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Prayer
Prayer is the privilege of communion with God, through which His people worship Him, confess their sins, give thanks, and present their requests in the name of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Predestination
Predestination is God's determination beforehand of what those in Christ are appointed to become and to do.
Read full definition →Promise
Promise is God's faithful commitment to accomplish what He has declared according to His character and purposes.
Read full definition →Propitiation
Propitiation is the satisfaction of God's righteous wrath against sin through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Rebellion
Rebellion is the willful rejection of God's rightful authority in pursuit of autonomy from Him.
Read full definition →Receiving Christ
Receiving Christ is entrusting oneself to Jesus as He is revealed in the gospel — taking Him as Saviour and Lord rather than merely seeking His gifts.
Read full definition →Reconciliation
Reconciliation is the restoration of peace and right relationship between God and man through Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Redemption
Redemption is God's act of reclaiming and delivering sinners through Jesus Christ, establishing them as His own through the cost of His Son's blood.
Read full definition →Regeneration / New Birth
Regeneration, or the new birth, is the beginning of new life produced by God through His Word and Spirit.
Read full definition →Repentance
Repentance is the turning from sin and self-rule to God that is inseparable from trusting surrender to Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Resurrection
Resurrection is God's act of raising the dead to life, most fully revealed in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Resistance and Hardening
Resistance is the will’s refusal of the light and grace God offers; hardening is the settled condition such refusal produces.
Read full definition →Rest
Rest is the condition that exists when the work upon which obligation depends has been completed.
Read full definition →Restoration
Restoration is God's work of repairing what has been damaged by sin.
Read full definition →Revelation
Revelation is God's act of making Himself and His truth known to His creation.
Read full definition →Righteousness
Righteousness is conformity to the character, will, and standard of God.
Read full definition →Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the once-for-all self-offering of the obedient Son, who is both Priest and offering, to bring sinners into lasting access to God.
Read full definition →Salvation
Salvation is God's work of delivering sinners from sin, death, and judgment through Jesus Christ and bringing them into eternal life under His rule.
Read full definition →Sanctification
Sanctification is the ongoing work of God the Spirit, by which the new life He has given increasingly overtakes the old patterns of sin.
Read full definition →Scripture
Scripture is the inspired written revelation of God, given through human authors to make Him known and to equip His people for every good work.
Read full definition →Seal of the Spirit
The seal of the Spirit is God’s mark upon those who belong to Christ: by giving them His Spirit, God identifies them as His own and guarantees the inheritance He will complete in them.
Read full definition →Shepherd
A shepherd is one who cares for, protects, guides, and feeds God's people.
Read full definition →Sin
Sin is placing one's own will above the will of God.
Read full definition →Sonship
Sonship is the family identity God gives to those in Christ: through the new birth and adoption, believers become God’s children and share the life and inheritance of the Son.
Read full definition →Sovereignty
Sovereignty is God's absolute authority, power, and freedom to accomplish His will over all creation according to His wisdom and character.
Read full definition →Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are abilities given by the Holy Spirit for the service, growth, and edification of the church.
Read full definition →Substitution
Substitution is Christ, the Just One, standing in the place of the unjust so that He may bring them to God.
Read full definition →Surrender
Surrender is giving oneself to Jesus Christ and giving up the right to rule oneself — the yielding side of saving faith.
Read full definition →Temple
Temple is the dwelling place of God among His people, where His presence is revealed and He is worshiped according to His purpose.
Read full definition →Temporary Belief
Temporary belief is a real but unrooted reception of the gospel that springs up for a time and is then choked or scorched away, never becoming rooted life in Christ.
Read full definition →Transformation and Renewal
Transformation and renewal are the Spirit’s ongoing work of changing believers into the likeness of Christ, renewing their minds, desires, and lives as His new life takes visible form.
Read full definition →Truth
Truth is reality as it is, revealed by the God who cannot lie.
Read full definition →Unconditional
Unconditional means not based on prior merit, worthiness, or achievement; describes God's grace, love, and promises as originating in His own character.
Read full definition →Union with Christ
Union with Christ is the goal of salvation: the Spirit joins the believer to the risen Son so that Christ’s life becomes his, and every saving blessing is his in Christ.
Read full definition →Unity
Unity is the God-given oneness of His people in Jesus Christ, expressed through a shared faith, a common life, and mutual love.
Read full definition →The Unpardonable Sin
The unpardonable sin, or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, is the knowing, hardened, final repudiation of the Spirit’s recognized testimony to Christ.
Read full definition →Victory
Victory is Christ’s decisive triumph over sin, death, Satan, condemnation, and every hostile power through His obedient death and bodily resurrection.
Read full definition →Witness
Witness is the truthful testimony of God's people to the person and work of Jesus Christ, proclaimed by both word and life.
Read full definition →Worship
Worship is the response of heart, mind, and life to God as He truly is, giving Him honor, trust, gratitude, and obedience.
Read full definition →Wrath
Wrath is God's righteous and holy opposition to sin, evil, and all that destroys His creation and glory.
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