There are some terms that are essential to your growth and understanding of who you are in Christ and what eternity means to you. Although you may be familiar with them, meditate on each one in the light of your new found life.

Salvation

Salvation means deliverance from sin and its consequence.  Review and meditate on these truths until you can say with  confidence, “I know I am a Christian … I have been born into  God’s family as His child … I now have eternal life.” 

Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did  not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but  emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being  born in the likeness of men. And being found in human  form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the  point of death, even death on a cross. PHILIPPIANS 2:5–8 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still  sinners, Christ died for us. ROMANS 5:8 

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also  received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with  the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on  the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. 

1 CORINTHIANS 15:3–4 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this  is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of  works, so that no one may boast. EPHESIANS 2:8–9 

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his  name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh  nor of the will of man, but of God. JOHN 1:12–13 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that  whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal  life. JOHN 3:16 

Assurance

One of Satan’s tricks is to cause believers to doubt their salvation. Having assurance means being certain, with freedom  from doubt. Meditate on the following Scriptures to enable you  to have victory over your doubts. 

In him we have redemption through his blood, the  forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of  his grace.  

EPHESIANS 1:7 

I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you  will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. PHILIPPIANS 1:6 

I write these things to you who believe in the name  of the Son of God, that you may know that you have  eternal life. 1 JOHN 5:13 

Who by God’s power are being guarded through faith  for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 PETER 1:5 

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels  nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor  powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all  creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God  in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

ROMANS 8:38–39

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they  follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never  perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My  Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,  and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s  hand. JOHN 10:27–29

Prayer

Prayer is our lifeline to God. We need to form the habit of  starting each day with prayer and then praying throughout  the day. It is nothing more than dynamic conversations with God on an intimate level. Remember that a relationship of love needs to be nurtured and cultivated.

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and  you will receive, that your joy may be full. 

JOHN 16:24  

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;  knock, and it will be opened to you. 

MATTHEW 7:7  

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great  and hidden things that you have not known. 

JEREMIAH 33:3 

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all  that we ask or think, according to the power at work  within us. 

EPHESIANS 3:20 

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have  confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive  from him, because we keep his commandments and do  what pleases him.  

1 JOHN 3:21–22 

This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we  know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we  have the requests that we have asked of him. 

1 JOHN 5:14–15

The Holy Spirit

God has not left us alone in the world. His Holy Spirit lives in us  and daily ministers to our needs. He is the one that magnifies Jesus in us and draws us closer to the heart of God. He instructs us and protects us. He fills us with the power to overcome evil and to serve others through Christ. 

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound,  but you do not know where it comes from or where it  goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. JOHN 3:8  

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that  God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16 

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will  send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring  to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 

JOHN 14:2

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we  are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of  God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with  him in order that we may also be glorified with him. ROMANS 8:16–17 

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ROMANS 8:14 

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do  not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit  himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for  words. ROMANS 8:26

Faith

Faith means having trust, assurance or confidence in another person or that person’s words. Having  faith in God involves an exchange of trust from self to Him, from relying on one source of knowledge  to a higher source.  

All knowledge that comes to natural man comes to him through the five senses-seeing,  hearing, tasting, smelling and touching. This is limited knowledge, described as “man’s  wisdom”.  

Faith knowledge is not based on the five senses, nor on natural reasoning, but on an  alternative source – the truth of the word of God. This knowledge is received through man’s  spirit, and is described as “God’s wisdom”.  

“For we live by believing and not by seeing.” 2 Corinthians 5:7, NLT (see also 1  Corinthians 2:4-16). 

We are challenged by the word of God to advance beyond our five senses, beyond our past  experiences and beyond our past capacities. This is the life of faith which each one of us is called to  – where “nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37; Matt.17:20).  

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”. Romans  10:17, NLT (see also Joshua 1:8)  

For faith to operate in our situation, we must obey that word. Faith is active, not passive. Most of  God’s promises are conditional – He will do His part, if we do our part.  

“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and  useless”. James 2:17, NLT (see also James 1:22-25; Genesis 15:6; Matthew 7:24-27)  

Grace

The grace of God was very important in the life of the early Christians (read Acts 14:26; 15:40). The word “grace” has two meanings. We must understand both aspects in order to experience the fullness of grace in our lives.  Grace is God’s mercy at work. Even though we were sinners, deserving of judgment, God forgave  us and saved us in Christ.  

In salvation, the fullness of God’s grace is at work. Through God’s unmerited favor we receive  forgiveness and restored relationship with Him even though we don’t deserve it. But more than that,  God’s enabling power is also at work. It is only by God’s grace that we are transformed (Eph.3:20),  born again (John 3:3,6) and become a new creation (2 Cor.5:17). Grace simply means that God does  what we cannot do ourselves. We could not save ourselves, so God saved us by His grace. Neither  can we live the Christian life in our own strength, so God’s grace gives us the ability to do what we  cannot do ourselves. Both aspects of God’s grace – His unmerited favor and His enabling power – come to us because we are in Christ.  

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because  of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that  you have been saved!)…So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible  wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united  with Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-5,7, NLT 

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.  Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” Romans 6:14, NLT 

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case,  God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.” Romans 11:6, NLT 

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives  grace to the humble.” James 4:6, NLT 

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy,  and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16, NLT

As we walk with God each day, we constantly meet new trials of our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). Our  response to God is faith, which is believing what God’s word says despite what the circumstances  might indicate. God’s response to our faith is His grace.  

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you  need and plenty left over to share with others.” 2 Corinthians 9:8, NLT