Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church (USA), Columbia SC

Buzzwords

Here is a brief set of definitions of commonly used Christian “jargon” and “buzzwords” to help you become more familiar with our beliefs at Seven Oaks. If you want to study these terms in more detail, there is a wealth of help on the Internet. Try clicking here for some additional information and terms that are part of the Presbyterian tradition.

After each definition, a set of Bible references is included which includes the term. You can click on the chapter and verse to read it. We at Seven Oaks are dedicated to learning more about Jesus and the Bible, and have a variety of educational opportunities available, which are detailed on our Education page in the main menu on your left.

Holy Spirit--The third person of the Trinity. When Jesus was resurrected, He promised to send us an invisible Counselor, one who would stand beside us and guide us, one who would speak the Truth of God to us and give us wisdom. We are like a sailor who puts up the sails in his boat to catch the wind. If we are receptive to the Holy Spirit (put up our sails), the wind of the Holy Spirit will guide us where we should go.
Romans 8:26, Gal. 5:22-23, John 14:26, John 3:8, Acts 2:2-4, Mark 13:11, Romans 5:5

Trinity—Also known as the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons in one. We Christians don’t fully understand the mystery of the Trinity, but we nevertheless believe in three persons-in-one God because the Church has experienced these three persons uniquely in its life: the Father who created the world and is sovereign over it, the Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth as a human to reveal the Father’s will and bring the Good News of salvation to us, and the Holy Spirit, who invisibly guides us to the Truth of God.
2 Cor. 13:14, Matt. 28:19

Resurrection—Raised up from the dead. Jesus Christ was killed--crucified on a cross, even though He was blameless and didn’t deserve to die. As predicted in the Old Testament of the Bible, there would be One without sin who would sacrifice his life for us, so that we would no longer have to bear the eternal consequences of sin ourselves—he would bear the burden of sin for us. Jesus Christ was that person. The third day after his death, again as predicted in the Bible, Jesus rose up in bodily form: the resurrection. Many persons saw Jesus after he was resurrected and before he ascended into heaven, and wrote down their testimony in the New Testament of the Bible. Jesus promised that those who believed in Him will also be resurrected and live eternally with Him.
John 11:25, Acts 4:33, Romans 6:5, 1Cor 15:42-44, 1Peter 1:3

Salvation—The promise of eternal life in heaven after we die. Christians believe that salvation is a gift of God through Jesus Christ. (God’s grace.) There is nothing we need to do to earn our salvation—God has already chosen us.
Eph 1:13, Eph 2:8, 1Thess 5:9, Titus 2:11

Sin—Wrongdoing. Christians believe that all people sin—they can’t help it. It is something they are born with. But if we confess our sins and repent (try not to do them again because we love God), God forgives us. In fact, he sent Jesus into the world to tell us the Good News: that Jesus is Lord and has forgiven our sins, and Christians will join God in heaven and live eternally with him after we die.
Romans 6:22-23, 2 Cor 5:21, Rom 6:13-14, Matt 6:14-15

Sovereign—All powerful/ all knowing. God is sovereign. God created the universe and all that is in it, sustains it, and guides it. God knows everything about His creation and pronounced it good. He loves everything He created.
Dan. 4:17

Crucifixion—A method of execution in the time of the Roman Empire where a person had his arms and legs affixed to a vertical cross until he died. Jesus Christ was crucified, even though He was blameless, but he was raised up again on the third day after His crucifixion.
Matt. 27:31, John 19:6-7, Gal. 2:20

Confess—Recognizing our sins before God. Christians confess their sins both privately in prayer and corporately in worship. We believe that God forgives us of our sins if we confess them and repent and have faith that Jesus Christ is Lord.
1John 1:9, James 5:16, Romans 10:10

Repent—Deciding to change our ways and try not to sin again. God loves us just as we are, and we love him. God hates sin, and because we love God, even though we are sinners, we repent and try to obey his laws and serve Him.
Luke 17:3-4, Luke 15:7, Rev. 3:19

Faith—Believing in God. Faith is a cornerstone of our religion. Despite all of the difficulties in our lives, Christians have faith that God loves them unconditionally and works for their good; that he sent Jesus Christ to bring the good news of salvation and to bear our sins on the cross; that he sent the Holy Spirit to be along side us every day and guide us; that we are part of His Kingdom now and forever.
Heb. 11:1-6, Matt 9:22, Mark 11:22-24, Luke 17:6, John 14:12-14, Romans 3:22-24, Romans 5:1, Romans 10:17, 2Cor 5:7, Gal 2:16, Eph 3:12, Heb 4: 14, James 2:17.

Kingdom—The domain of God. Christians believe that they live in God’s Kingdom here and now. Throughout their lives, they grow in their understanding of the magnificence of the Kingdom. Even though they may suffer in this life, they know that God loves them and has a plan for them, and that when they die, they will understand God’s will perfectly and live in harmony with Him forever, free of pain and suffering.
Matt. 6:33, Dan. 2:44, Matt. 4:17, Matt. 11:12.

Baptism—One of the church’s sacraments, where an ordained pastor sprinkles a person’s head with water, signifying cleansing from sin and that person’s union with Jesus Christ and with the Church. Presbyterians baptize infants, but a person can be baptized at any age, and only once in his lifetime. When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened up and the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove. We regard baptism as a similar holy moment in the life of every Christian. It is a wonderful mystery and a blessed moment. At the baptism, all Presbyterian Church members pledge to help the newly baptized person to grow in faith and in the knowledge of the Lord.
1 Peter 3:21, Eph 4:4-6

Communion, also known as the “Eucharist”—A sacrament of the church in which a Christian partakes of a piece of bread, signifying Christ’s broken body on the Cross, and a cup of wine, signifying Christ’s blood poured out for all. It is a reminder of Christ’s death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. We encounter Jesus Christ in the Sacrament and we have the opportunity to reflect about what he did for us and about his promise to return again in glory. At Seven Oaks, communion is partaken at the beginning of every month and on special occasions during the church year. Communion is a deeply moving and spiritual event for us, because it reminds us of how much God loves us—enough to sacrifice his only Son on a cross for us—and we are filled with hope that he will return for us just as he promised.
Matt. 26:26-29

Sacrament—Presbyterians believe in two sacraments, baptism and communion. They are holy moments, presided over by an ordained minister, which are a vital part of the life of the church and show the love of God in bringing people into the love of the church (baptism) and sustaining them through Christ’s sacrifice, presence, and promise to return (communion).

Grace—Unmerited favor. God loves us without any strings attached. He bestows untold blessings on us. God is pleased when we thank him for our blessings and recognize the gifts he has freely given to us. God’s most precious gift to us was his son Jesus Christ, who brings us the gift of salvation.
John 1:16,17, 2 Tim 1: 8-9, Titus 2:11, Romans 5: 20-21, Romans 6:14, 1Cor 1:4, 2Cor 8:9, 2Cor 12:9

Do you have any questions or comments about our “buzzwords” and “jargon” page? If so, you can click on the “Contact Us” link to the left or top of this page and we will be happy to respond.”

Special Thanks To

Ed Keelen
Member--Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church