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GOOD NEWS SERIES TERMS
SAVED/SALVATION/BORN AGAIN
Salvation is the term used in the Christian church when one converts to Christianity. If you accept that Jesus Christ died in your place for your sins, believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and verbally confess that he is the Lord of your life, you are a Christian. You’ve been converted from a sinner to a saint. It means that after conversion, we are “saved” from the punishment of hell. The following bible verses, all found in the New Testament book of Romans, have been labeled “The Romans Road” by the modern church and can help with explaining the concept of salvation more.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 5:8
But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man, (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9-11
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
FIRE INSURANCE SALVATION
The bible encourages us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12). The act of salvation is a one-time act but learning to live a “saved” life is a process. You aren’t going to get born again on Sunday and then be completely free and clear of your past on Monday morning. There are things you will need to learn to get rid of. There are also things you will need to learn to grow into. This is why it is so important to find a local church where you can grow in God’s grace and knowledge. (2 Peter 3:18)
When you hear the term fire insurance in regards to salvation, it usually indicates a person who accepted Jesus as Savior but has yet to submit to Christ as Lord (or boss) over his or her life.
WATCH NIGHT SERVICE
Watch Night Service is mentioned in EGN and is a cultural event in the African-American church. It occurs at the end of every year on December 31st. I grew up in a church where this was practiced, so I included it in the book. I found a great article on Watch Night Service at snopes.com and I’ve attached the link below:
https://www.snopes.com/holidays/newyears/watchnight.asp
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Spiritual gifts are mentioned in the bible in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. The apostle Paul begins this chapter with an admonition, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.” He then goes on to remind us that even though there are many and diverse gifts, there is only one Giver – the Holy Spirit. Paul gives a list of spiritual gifts starting in verse 8.
The best book I’ve read on the subject is by Lester Sumrall, called The Gifts and Ministries of The Holy Spirit. The author passed away several years ago, but he had a powerful ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the book, he gives a wonderful breakdown along with examples of each gift in action.
For those unfamiliar with spiritual gifts, I should mention that there is a faction of the church that believes that the gifts were only available for the early church and that they are no longer in operation today. I know for a fact that this is not true. I have personally experienced the gifts in my own life and seen them operate in the lives of others.
Because God can’t lie, and He does not favor one person over another, I know they’re also available to you. I’ve listed a quick breakdown below, but I urge you to do a more in-depth study on your own; if for nothing else, to discover what your own gift(s) is/are. This is not an exhaustive list (Also check out the 12th chapter of the book of Romans) but Wikipedia actually has a great overview if you’re interested.
POWER GIFTS
Faith – The ability to believe for the seemingly impossible.
Healing – The ability to pray for and see people healed from all manner of sickness and disease (physical, emotional and mental) through God’s power.
Miracles – The ability to do or receive the seemingly impossible.
WORD or SPEECH GIFTS
Tongues - The ability to speak in other languages, not known to the speaker.
Interpretation of Tongues - The ability to interpret other languages, not known to the hearer.
Prophecy – The ability to foretell future events.
KNOWLEDGE GIFTS
Words of Wisdom – The ability to know future events.
Words of Knowledge - The ability to know present events, previously unknown to the receiver.
Discernment of Spirits – The ability to discern whether or not a person is operating in God.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Spiritual Warfare is mentioned in the bible in several places but I will focus on the sixth chapter of the book of Ephesians. Starting in verse ten of that book, we are instructed to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Paul goes on to explain that we are not fighting flesh and blood, but rulers, principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness in high places.
God is real and so is the devil. Angels and demons are around us everyday but most people who call themselves Christians have no idea that we are at war.
There are several books on spiritual warfare out on the market today. The man I mentioned earlier, Lester Sumrall has a few out, as do Frank and Ida Hammond. I’ll add some more in the recommended reading section, but be aware that the information is available. You could continue to ignore this part of your Christian walk, but I wouldn’t advise it. You are in a battle whether you realize it or not. It would be best for you and your family if you learned how to fight the way the Bible instructs.
The following passages of scripture may give you more insight into spiritual warfare:
2 Kings 6:17
Daniel 10:12-13
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Mark 5:1-13
Luke 10:17-20
Ephesians 6:10-18