Reformed Perspective Vocabulary
Compiled from catechism mateirial written by Dr. Plantinga
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- Reformed
- to confess the common Chrstian Faith w/ a special accent
- covenant
- a solem agreement or pact. in a covenant their are promises on one side and obligations on the other. covenants are usually singed or sealed, sometimes by strange acts
- Common Grace
- God's way of partly stopping corruption so that human life can continue. Common grace explains why unbelievers often show good behavior - better than that of some Christians.
- The Kingdom of God
- God's reign over HId universal realm. Covenant, prophets, priests, human kings, and the church are all tools, or instruments, of the Kingdom of God. Like a mustard seed, the Kingdom starts out small but grows and grows. The things that Kingdom people cherish and value -- like humility, forgiveness, kindness __ seem "Upside - down to people who are not members of the Kingdom.
- The Fall
- The event in which our first parents disobeyed God and thus brought evil into the world
- satasfaction
- Giving someone what he has coming
- Goodness of God
- an attribute of God meaning that he satisfies the needs of all his creatures
- Original Sin
- The corruption and guilt that humans inherited from Adam and Eve
- Guilt
- What we have when we break Gods law and deserve the laws penalty Guilt not only includes what we have when we do wrong but also includes what we have when we fail to do right. then guilt is called debt.
- Estrangement
- A disorder in which persons or things that ought to be friends become strangers instead; for example, when people are estranged from God, they see God not only as a loving father, but as an embarrassment or even as an enemy.
- Law of god
- The statement of what God wants from us. The law of God is a training guide for the new life of liberty.
- Shame
- A sense of humiliation after sin. People who are ashamed feel as if they'd like to crawl under somthing and or have some covering hide them from view. The fall brings shame into The human race.
- Bible
- The book that contains writings or scriptures that Christians recognize as the written word of God
- Misery
- The pain and suffering that comes from sin. the fallout that comes from the fall. Among the fallen worlds miseries are are disorders estrangement and death.
- redemption
- To rescue someone by paying a ransom (Jesus Christ)
- Doctrine
- The churches teachings about God and our salvation, based on the Bible
- Grace
- a loving kindness to a person in misery , especially when the person is miserable because of his or her own sin.
- covenant obligations
- The duties God's people owe to God. The are especially obedience (because god is parent and King), trust (because God is Savior), and thanks (because od shows Grace).
- forgivness of sin
- the subtracting or putting away of sin that is no longer held against us.
- repentance
- the complete turning around of our lives. Being reborn
- Infallibility of scripture
- The quality of the Bible that means it will not fail. By the Bib;es unfailingness or infallibility we mean it does not deceive us, make mistakes in presenting God's word, or fail to reach its goal of helping people get saved and then lead thankful lives.
- freedom
- The removal of things that drag us down and the up to a joyful live w/ God
- Atonement
- The process by which jesus christ put right what sin made wrong
- Justification
- God's acceptance of unacceptable people
- Incarnation
- the event in which the eternal son of god took on human flesh, which we celebrate at Christmas
- disorder
- the loss of harmony and right relation in the universe, disorder shows up in relations between God and Humanity. Between one human and another. between humanity and nature, even in one human being.
- Sanctification
- The lifelong conversion by which Christians becoome gradually holier--that is, more like Jesus Christ. Sanctification is the solution to the problem od pollution. We want to live the life of holiness because of our desire for God, or gratitude to him, and our faith in him.
- Tragedy of the Fall
- The fact that the fall happens not to unimportant creatures (whose fall wouldn't matter so much), but to people made in God's image. The fall is also tragic because it includes trickery, foolishness, pride, and disastrous results.
- Corruption
- The seeping or flowing of sin. Sin seeps into every partn of human life, staining and spoiling thoughts, words, deeds, feelings and inclinations
- Authority of Scripture
- The power of the Bible to influence our believing and acting. Because the Bible is our authority, it can even give commands that we must obey. The Bible is authoritative because God is its author and because only in the Bible do we find Jesus Christ, our rescuer.
- Greatness of God
- an attribute of God meaning that God is awesome. God's greatness is the power behind his goodness
- Circumcision
- the Old testament sign and seal of the Covenant of grace
- Image of God
- The likeness of God in human beings. We see the image if God in us by our ruling over creation, by our fellowship with each other and by any right actions we do. The image of God means being like Christ
- Evil
- The combination of sin and misery that we see in the world around us. Evil originated in the angel world but comes to us through the fall of Adam and Eve.
- reconcilliation
- Restoeing peace and harmony to estranged parties
- attributes of God
- God's characteristics or qualities such as goodness and greatness. Describing God's attributes helps us understand, praise and imitate God.
- God's speaking
- God's communication to us. God speaks in his word (including the Bible), and by His son. God's speaking tells us that God is a personal, caring and saving God. So when God speaks we ought to respond.
- faith
- The bond to christ from our side.
- Providence
- The care God shows for all his creation. God preserves our world, rescues his people, works good and controls history. Providence lets us trust and thank God.
- Confessions
- Carefully organized, written statements of doctrine approved by the church
- Triune
- Being a triple and a unit at the same time. To say that God is triune is to say that God is three persons (Father,Holy Spirit and Son) but only one God. That is, God is a trinity.
- Creation
- The sovereign act of God by which He brought the whole universe into being from nothing. Creation shows God's sovereignty , Goodness , greatness and His image in us.
- God's Word
- What God says in his speaking. Some of what God says is written down is the Bible. That is why the Bible is sometimes called God's Word. Everything important about God is lived out by His son, Jesus Christ. That is why he is sometimes called the Word of God.
- Inspiration of Scripture
- The process by which God "breathed" into the biblical writers what He wanted them to write. God moved, influenced, and inspired them by the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit now inspires us to receive and believe in the Bible.
- Sovereignty of God
- The Attribute of God that means that he is supreme and in control.