Key Terms and Concepts: Know Your Story
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Atonement: the act of sinners being restored and reconciled to God through Jesus’ death on the cross
Body of Christ: a metaphor that the apostle Paul uses to describe the church in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Paul says that each member of the church is a different part of Christ’s body. Because we are Christ’s body, we must act as Christ’s eyes, ears, hands, feet, and heart in the world.
Christ: 1) literally means “anointed one”; 2) Jesus of Nazareth, who was fully human and fully God; 3) the person of the Trinity who redeems us and calls us brothers, sisters, and friends
Church: a community of Christian believers who gather in Jesus’ name to worship, learn about God, discern God’s will, and serve God’s people
Creation: God’s handiwork; the entire universe, from the smallest particle to the largest galaxy
God the Father: the person of the Trinity associated with Creation and acting as a divine parent
Holy Spirit: the person of the Trinity who guides us, sustains us, and comforts us; often described using the metaphors of wind and breath
Image of God (Imago Dei): the concept that humans reflect God’s likeness, as demonstrated by our abilities to love and to create (See Genesis 1:27.)
Kingdom of God: the vision of a world totally aligned to God’s will that is governed by God’s love and justice. Jesus often taught about God’s kingdom and described it in parables. Revelation 21:1–22:5 gives us a vision of this kingdom in its description of a new heaven and new earth.
Pneuma (NOO-muh): the Greek word for “Spirit,” “breath,” and “wind”
Reconciliation: working through conflicts and divisions and coming together in love and forgiveness
Redemption: being delivered from sin and brought into right relationship with God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Sin: anything that separates us from God or disrupts our relationship with God and with others. Sin involves both what we do (such as spreading nasty rumors about a peer) and what we don’t do (such as doing nothing to help a classmate who is being bullied).
Sin of Omission: failing to do something that we should do (such as helping a person in need or speaking out on Christ’s behalf)
Stewardship: faithfully managing and caring for that which God has entrusted to us
