Year: 2014

Bible Term: Sanctify

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

To sanctify (the verb form of sanctification) is to set apart, to refine, or to make holy.

As we follow Jesus, we sanctify ourselves—with his help—to show our gratitude and gratefulness for what he did, and does, for us.

Sanctify is a synonym for consecrate.

Key verse about Sanctify: May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Sanctification

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

Sanctification is to be set apart, refined, or made holy.

Whereas consecration is something that God commands his people to do, sanctification is something that God does in us. He sets us apart and makes us holy. We can’t sanctify ourselves; God does.

Sanctification is a process that is set in motion when we follow Jesus.

See sanctify, which is a synonym for consecrate.

Key verse about sanctification: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3, NKJV).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Salvation

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

In general terms, salvation is being rescued (or saved) from a difficult or desperate situation.

From a Christian perspective, salvation, or rescue, occurs through Jesus.

The purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth was to die in place of all of us for the wrongs we have done. In essence, he paid our fine and did our time, so that we won’t have to.

If we accept this gift or act of Jesus’, it makes us right with God the Father, who is perfect, thereby allowing us to be with him for all eternity.

It’s easy to accept this gift (it’s free) and start on a journey with Jesus. Jesus simply said, “Come, follow me,” (Mark 1:17).

Key verse about Salvation: Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!(Psalm 14 :7, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Sadducee

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

The Sadducees were a Jewish sect that did not believe in the resurrection (Acts 23:8). They were often in opposition to the more prevalent Pharisees; both were often criticized by Jesus (Matthew 16:6).

(A humorous and clever childhood memory aid is that the Sadducee did not believe in resurrection, that is why they were “sad, you see.”)

Compare to Pharisee.

Key verse about Sadducee: The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven (Matthew 16:1, NIV).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Sacrament

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

A sacrament is a religious rite or Christian ceremony. The two common, and universally recognized, sacraments are baptism and communion (also called the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or the Eucharist).

Some Christians have defined a total of seven sacraments: baptism, communion, confirmation, marriage, reconciliation, the anointing, and holy orders.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Sacrifice

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

A sacrifice is giving up something to God, often the killing of an animal.

In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were repeatedly made to cleanse or purify men of their sins, that is, the things they did wrong.

In the New Testament, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, dying once for the sins, or wrong doing, of all people.

The sacrifice of Jesus is covered in all four Gospels: Matthew 27:32-55, Mark 15, Luke 22:63 through 23:55, and John 19. After Jesus died and was buried, he rose from the dead, proving his mastery over death and verifying that through him we can live anew with him in heaven.

The book of Hebrews (chapters 7 through 10, especially Hebrews 10:1-18) connects the Old Testament sacrifices with the sacrifice of Jesus.

Key verse about Sacrifice: Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it (Genesis 8:20, NIV).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Sacred

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

Sacred is an attribute of a place or thing that is holy.

It can also refer to the condition of items that have been set apart or consecrated for use in the worship of God.

Key verse about Sacred: On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do (Exodus 12:16, NIV).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Sabbath

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

The literal meaning of Sabbath is to rest from work. Typically we think of that rest occurring on a weekly basis.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, that rest occurred on the seventh day (which equates to Saturday on the modern calendar). This was exemplified in the creation account (Genesis 2:2) when God rested on the seventh day. Later, it was reiterated to Moses (Exodus 16:23 and Exodus 20:11).

For most Christians, the Sabbath day of rest is on the first day of the week, or Sunday.

This change of day is seen implicitly through Jesus, who is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5), when he rose from the dead (Luke 24:6) and later when he appeared to his followers (Luke 24), both on the first day of the week.

Pentecost (Acts 2:1), when the Holy Spirit was given, also occurred on the first day of the week.

In the Old Testament, there are also Sabbaths prescribed at various times for different lengths, although the typical usage refers to one day each week.

Key verse about Sabbath: He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning’” (Exodus 16:23, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Righteous

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

In its simplest form, righteous is“right living” or “living rightly.”

Today’s society encourages us to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. Therefore, each person has his or her own definition of what it is to be righteous. This view is not biblically supported.

The Bible‘s view of righteous is more defined. In a literal sense, no one is truly and completely righteous. Jesus is the exception, as he was the personification of righteousness (1 John 2:1). When we follow Jesus, we, however, are viewed by God as being righteous (1 Corinthians 1:30).

The Amplified Bible explains righteousness as “upright and in right standing with God.”

Compare to holy.

Key verse about Righteous: The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation (Genesis 7:1, NIV).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Resurrection

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 3, 2014

Resurrection is a dead person returning to life. This can be a physical resurrection, as is the case with Jesus, as well as the result of miracles.

There is also a resurrection for all of Jesus’s followers, where we will rise from the dead to spend eternity with him.

Key verse about Resurrection: They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people (Matthew 27:53, NIV)

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