Definitions of Useful and
Important Doctrinal Words
for Christians
Note: Some of the definitions come from Webster's 1828, some a mixture of sources.
Just thinking these definitions through can cause growth and love for the Lord.
Combine understanding of these with reading the book of Romans.
salvation: The act of saving; preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity.
2. Appropriately in theology, the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness. This is the great salvation. Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. 2Cor. 7.
3. Deliverance from enemies; victory. Ex. 14.
justification: In theology, remission of sin and absolution from guilt and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ.
sanctification: The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 2Thess. 2. 1Peter 1.
consecration: The act of setting apart for a sacred purpose.
glorification: The act of giving glory or of ascribing honors to. Exaltation to honor and dignity; elevation to glory; as the glorification of Christ after his resurrection.
propitiation: The act of appeasing wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making propitious (favorable, kind). In theology, the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage his wrath and render him propitious to sinners. Christ is the propitiation for the sins of men. Rom.3. 1 John 2. PROPI'TIOUS: Disposed to be gracious or merciful; ready to forgive sins AND bestow blessings; applied to God (I will be merciful to their unrighteousness). No longer at enmity but rather reconciled--the worship and blessings flow.
reconciliation: 1. The act of reconciling parties at variance; renewal of friendship after disagreement or enmity. Reconciliation and friendship with God, really form the basis of all rational and true enjoyment.
2. In Scripture, the means by which sinners are reconciled and brought into a state of favor with God, after natural estrangement or enmity; the atonement; expiation.
redemption: Repurchase of captured goods or prisoners; the act of procuring the deliverance of persons or things from the possession and power of captors by the payment of an equivalent; ransom; release; as the redemption of prisoners taken in war; the redemption of a ship and cargo. In theology, the purchase of God's favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ. In whom we have redemption through his blood. Eph. 1. Col. 1.
imputation: To charge; to attribute; to ascribe. We impute crimes, sins, trespasses, faults, blame, &c., to the guilty persons. We impute wrong actions to bad motives, or to ignorance, or to folly and rashness. We impute misfortunes and miscarriages to imprudence. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Rom.4. To attribute; to ascribe.
abide: to be, or exist, to continue; to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for anytime indefinitely. To rest, or dwell. Gen. xxix 19. To continue permanently or in the same state; to be firm and immovable. Ps. cxix. 90. To remain, to continue. Acts, xxvii. 31. Eccles. viii. 15.
grace:
- Favorable influence of God; DIVINE INFLUENCE or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin. By the grace of God, I am what I am. (I Cor 15:10)
- Divine FAVOUR
- Virtuous or religious affection or disposition (e.g., faith, meekness, humility, patience) proceeding from DIVINE INFLUENCE. This comes down from on high, not earthy.
- Acquired excellence; ANY DIVINE ENDOWMENT that recommends the possessor to others
- Favor conferred. Favor, good will; kindness. Words seasoned with salt that they may minister grace to the hearers.
- The free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him.
- A state of reconciliation to God. Rom.5.2.
- Beauty...as the grace and fashion of a flower.
- To dignify or raise by act of favor; to honor.
righteousness: 1. Purity of heart and rectitude of life; conformity of heart and life to the divine law. Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it is chiefly used, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law. It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue, with holy affections; in short, it is true religion.
2. Applied to God, the perfection or holiness of his nature; exact rectitude (see definition below); faithfulness.
3. The active and passive obedience of Christ, by which the law of God is fulfilled. The law is shown to be good through the obedience of Christ, the perfect man, the righteous man.
rectitude: REC'TITUDE, n. [L. rectus, right, straight.]
In morality, rightness of principle or practice; uprightness of mind; exact conformity to truth, or to the rules prescribed for moral conduct, either by divine or human laws. Rectitude of mind is the disposition to act in conformity to any known standard of right, truth or justice; rectitude of conduct is the actual conformity to such standard. Perfect rectitude belongs only to the Supreme Being. *The more nearly the rectitude of men approaches to the standard of the divine law, the more exalted and dignified is their character. Want of rectitude is not only sinful, but debasing. *There is a sublimity in conscious rectitude - in comparison with which the treasures of earth are not worth naming. [sis. tracy's note: consciously bring yourself, your life, every activity in line with the divine precepts--only found in the word of God.]
holy: a life governed by the divine precepts; governed by the word.
1. Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions. We call a man holy, when his heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts. Hence, holy is used as nearly synonymous with good, pious, godly. Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 pet.1.
2. Hallowed; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service or worship of God; a sense frequent in Scripture; as the holy Sabbath; holy oil; holy vessels; a holy nation; the holy temple; a holy priesthood.
3. Proceeding from pious principles, or directed to pious purposes; as holy zeal.
4. Perfectly just and good; as the holy law of God.
5. Sacred; as a holy witness.
atonement:. Expiation; satisfaction or reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing or suffering that which is received in satisfaction for an offense or injury; with for. And Moses said to Aaron, go to the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make an atonement for thyself and for the people. Lev. 9.
In theology, the expiation of sin made by the obedience and personal sufferings of Christ.
sin: transgression of the law. Act in which a known divine law is VIOLATED, OR it is the voluntary NEGLECT TO OBEY a divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law. Our native depravity or alienation of affections from God and his law, is what the apostle calls the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, and is therefore denominated sin or sinfulness. To depart voluntarily from the path of duty prescribed by God man; to violate the divine law by actual transgression OR by the neglect or non-observance of its injunctions; to violate any known rule of duty.
prayer: Solemn address to the Lord consisting of adoration, confession, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving.
supplication: entreaty; petition; earnest request; humble and earnest prayer in worship.
intercession: mediation; solicitation to God for someone else with a review to reconcile them to God; to plead on behalf of another.
perfect: finished; complete; consummate; to end; to finish by completing what was intended.
