A PROPIATIATION FOR OUR SINS

This is not a word we use everyday. Used four times in the New Testament. Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

Hebrews 2:17, “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation (propitiation) for the sins of the people.”

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:2). “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn. 4:10).

Propitiation Defined Propitiation is a big word that means satisfaction. Because God is a holy God, His anger and justice burns against sin. And He has sworn that sin will be punished. There must be a satisfactory payment for sin.

“The word propitiation carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction, specifically towards God. Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of an offended person and being reconciled to them."

I. APPEASING THE WRATH OF GOD

The Penalty of Sin Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Two Facts In Understanding Our Relationship With God:

1. God Is Jealous Over Man When it comes to jealousy, there is a jealousy that is unhealthy and one that is not.

“For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exd. 34:14). “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God” (Deut. 4:24).

2. God Gets Angry When Man Rebels “Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?” (Num. 16:1-3).

God destroys these rebellious men along with the 250 leaders. “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them:

and they perished from among the congregation  and they perished from among the congregation.  And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense” (vs. 32-35).

People Still Murmured “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord” (vs. 41). God sends a plague (vs. 46, 47). Over 14,700 people die from the plague (vs. 49).

Man & His condition did not change! The Lord’s disciples murmured (Jn. 6:61). The Pharisees murmured (Jn. 7:32). The Jews murmured (Jn. 6:41). We are all but a generation of sinners!

God is still jealous over His creation. God still gets angry over our disobedience!

II. APPLAUDING THE JUSTICE OF GOD

In order to appease, because God was jealous over man, and His creation continually moved Him to anger; God set in motion His plan of reconciliation.

This plan of justice has two main components: (1) Fairness, this is the idea that God would be fair to all of mankind, and just not a portion.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10; Isa. 41:26).

2. Finality God had a plan that would cover every sin ever committed--- ONCE AND FOR ALL!!! “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Heb. 9:12).

All Needed A Savior “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11). “And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (Jn. 4:24).

What About Justice? It is often asked, “How can a good God punish anybody?” The Roman letter answers the true question, “How can a just God save anybody?”

Pondering the Question As a parent: “How can a good parent punish a child?” “How can a good government punish anybody?” “How can a good congregation discipline someone?”

Concerning the Lord “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Heb. 12:6).

Concerning the Parent “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying” (Prov. 19:18). Children are punished for two reasons: 1) punitive, 2) direction

Concerning the Government “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Rom. 13:4).

Under the Old Law in Deuteronomy, 19 crimes were punishable by death! They were under a Theocracy (a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler).

Concerning the Church “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Rom. 16:17).

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us” (2 Thess. 3:6). Is this the forgotten command?

Laws Are Written For A Purpose The Old Law was written to do three things: 1) protect the innocent, 2) punish the guilty, 3) preserve the nation. “He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah” (Psa. 66:7).

Yet what the Old Law could not do was forgive the sins of the multitude. God desired a perfect sacrifice. Something man could not offer. “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14).

III. APPROVING THE SACRIFICE OF GOD

It does not matter if we approve of God’s methodology of saving man from His sins. It was God’s plan! Don’t you think if there would have been any other way, He would have done it?

It is through the sacrifice of His Son that God pays the price of our salvation. The Bible does not say that Jesus paid a propitiation, but that He is a propitiation for our sins. This means that He, being God, bears the hurt in order to give mercy and forgiveness.

This Was An Agonizing Sacrifice In Luke 22:44, we see Jesus in such anxiety that His “sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Was It the Pain of the Crucifixion? Did Jesus physically suffer more than others? Stephen did not sweat blood in Acts 7. Paul did not sweat blood when he spoke of his death to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:6). Jesus lasted but six hours on the cross. Others would hang six days or more as recorded in history.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.  And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (Jn. 16:1-3). It is reported that Bartholomew was flayed alive in Armenia.

It wasn’t the beatings, the humiliation, the physical abuse; it was perfection becoming imperfection to save the lost. It was the separation of the Holy Trinity. This was the greatest price paid for the sins of the world.