Defining the Terms

"The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130

Most of the arguments and disagreements we experience can be avoided if we would define the meaning of the words we use. The Gospel, forgiveness, and love are three of the most popular subjects in Christianity. They are also three of the most debated topics within the faith. We could avoid many of the disagreements if we asked one question. We could ask, "What do you mean by that?" The answer given to this question helps us define the terms. If we define the terms and agree with them, then we can have a discussion on level ground. 

The Gospel

The Gospel is sin, death, forgiveness, and the restoration of the life of God. However, my experience is that Christians will say that the Gospel is Jesus died for my sins, so I can go to heaven when I die. This is an incomplete description and causes problems when believers discuss the topic. There is an assumption made when the word Gospel is used that everybody understands it in the same way. The problem is that the differences, although they may seem minor, can lead to big problems. The bad news of the Gospel is sin and death. Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and died spiritually when God removed the Holy Spirit from Adam that God gave him at his creation in Genesis 2:7. 

Most Christians do not even discuss this aspect of the Gospel. To them, the focus is entirely on the sin of Adam, not his spiritual death. This leads to confusion about people being in the "image of God" and barely discussing what is meant by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, aside from it being proof of the Lord's deity and victory over death. Those are two critical factors, but their connection to the Gospel is lost. Salvation is the restoration of the life of God. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no salvation. If you ask your average Christian about the reality of the resurrection, I doubt they could tell you its connection to spiritual death. The focus is mainly on the cross. The death of Jesus Christ is essential and necessary to salvation, but it does not save anybody. A key verse to study is 1 Corinthians 15:7. It reads, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." 

Forgiveness

Speaking of the death of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins may be the most debated subject in Christianity. In short, the confusion on the matter boils down to we are forgiven of all our sins or just those committed before salvation. If our sins are still an issue between God and us, what do we do to obtain forgiveness? I believe that God is no longer counting the sins of the world against us. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19)." God had to do this to give Christians eternal life. Otherwise, God would remove the Holy Spirit from a believer every time they sin, and we would not have eternal life. When I sin, I thank God for the forgiveness I have and then ask Him to show me why I was not trusting Him when I did sin. If God is still counting our sins against us, what can we do that Jesus Christ didn't already do for us to get forgiven? 

The author of Hebrews said three things regarding forgiveness. Hebrews 9:12 says, "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." The death of Jesus Christ was a "once for all" sacrifice that obtained "eternal redemption." Later in the same chapter, we read, "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22)." Whose blood are we going to shed that is equal to the blood of Jesus Christ? Lastly, in the next chapter, it says, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary (Hebrews 10:17:18)." What sacrifice can we perform that God will accept if He says they are no longer required, and He does not remember our sins? To keep the sin issue alive, we have to violate everything God has said and done for us, in Christ, to remind Him of our sins.

Love

When it comes to the topic of love, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a passage that describes God's love for us. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." All we have to ask ourselves is, "Are we always" and then insert each description of love given. It won't be long before we concede that we are not always living up to these attributes of God's love. Some Christians give the impression that love is defined by the world or the people we are trying to express the love of God. 

Love becomes a feeling instead of an action. As long as a person feels good about our interaction with them, it is deemed loving. Unfortunately, this often leaves a person stuck in destructive lifestyles, without the motivation to change or investigate the truths of God. Fear of coming across as judging or dogmatic prevents the truth from coming out. Jesus Christ is the most loving person to ever walk the earth. However, He was falsely accused, abused, abandoned, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered for His actions. Risking condemnation by ruffling a few feathers is the least we can do if it means that we have expressed the truths of God, in love, to someone who needs to experience it. 

Conclusion

The Psalmist reminds us that the teaching of God's word gives light to the point that even the simple can understand it. God is the one who teaches us the meaning of what He has written so we can understand the message He wants to convey. A wise man once said, "If we cannot have agreement, then we can at least have clarity." In other words, as long as we have defined the terms, we can decide on how to proceed with any conversation we engage in even if we are not in agreement. Not all words mean the same thing to everybody. Therefore, we risk not being able to communicate with each other because we didn't take time to define the terms we are going to use. You cannot play a game without first knowing its rules. It is the same way when we wish to discuss any subject in life, including the Word of God.