Glorification is vital for the Christian to understand because this concept is tied to our hope for the future. Glorification is the final state for believers, in that we are no longer sinful, no longer sick, no longer in our human form, and no longer subject to the attacks of the evil one. Glorification is a promise from God that if we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, we will have experienced justification, salvation, sanctification, and then glorification. This is the realization of every blessing and treasure that Christ has laid up for us in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5).

The doctrine of adoption helps a Christian understand that they are a genuine part of the family of God. Many believers experience fatherlessness here on earth, or strained relationships with their earthly family. The doctrine of adoption provides comfort, strength, hope, peace, and assurance that God is our truest Father and He has chosen to enter into relationship with us.

When you think of “eisegesis” you should think of “isolation.” Because eisegesis takes a specific passage from the Bible and isolates it from its original meaning, the author’s original intention, and God’s original purpose.

When you think of “exegesis” you should think of “excavation.” Like an archeologist will dig into the ground and carefully search for clues in order to uncover truths about the past, a Christian (and especially our pastors) should dig into Scripture and carefully search for clues in order to uncover truths that change the world.

God’s aseity is one of the most unknown and underappreciated of His attributes. This attribute marks the difference between the Creator and His creation. It is linked to eternality in that He is an eternal being, and that before all things He was. God was not created by anything and is not dependent on anything.

Ecclesiology is the study of the church and deals with all aspects of the church including its purpose, structure, ordinances, and more. While some aspects of ecclesiology do not directly impact salvation, the way we honor God’s instructions as His church could make all the difference in the world — and in eternity.

Hamartiology is the theological study of sin and it comes from the New Testament Greek word hamartia which means to “miss the mark.” This is where we get the idea that sin is “missing the mark” of God’s standard (Romans 3:23) and the truth that without a solution for our sin we are damned to eternity in hell.

In its theological sense, justification is a forensic, or purely legal, term. It describes what God declares about the believer, not what He does to change the believer. Justification is about your position as a believer. You will still sin, but you are justified.

Sanctification is being set apart and made holy. It is both immediate when we believe the gospel, and ongoing as we are convicted of our sin, confess our sin, and are cleansed of sin. To be sanctified is to be set part for sacredness.

Illumination is what happens when you learn spiritual truths that suddenly make sense and move you to action. Just like a bright light that lights up a dark room when turned on, illumination is when the light bulb goes on in your mind after reading a passage of Scripture or listening to the Word of God be preached.

What is soteriology? In this forth installment of the Theology Terms Explained blog series, Costi Hinn defines one of the most important understandings of the Christian faith.

Greek word for “repent” is metanoia and it means “a change of mind.” Repentance is not just regret for being caught in sin or having to suffer consequences from your own sin, repentance is a change of mind about your decisions and the sin those decisions led to.

Hermeneutics is the practice and discipline of interpreting the Bible. It is incredibly important to have good (or “sound”) hermeneutics so that you can hear from God accurately through the Bible.

Legalism treats moral behaviors and obedience to God’s Law as to how you achieve salvation. This leads to a primary emphasis on behavior modification and rarely focuses on heart transformation.

People who are antinomian believe that there is no need to obey the Law of God because we are under grace. Antinomianism is the extreme opposite of works-based salvation (which insists that obeying God’s Law is what saves you).