 |
Taking Every Thought Captive |
 Got Life? Our Ministry Our Beliefs Our Staff Articles What's New? Contact Us Resources Bookstore Search Links
|
F A
C E T S O
F S A L V
A T I O N Propitiation By Jay Wegter
PROPITIATION – an atoning sacrifice that satisfies the
wrath of God on behalf of those for whom it is made. The five
pillars in God’s plan of propitiation: 1.) Propitiation is
required by God’s character.
2.) Propitiation is
initiated by God’s love.
3.) Propitiation is
defined by substitution.
4.) Propitiation is
accomplished by Christ’s death.
5.) Propitiation is
appropriated by faith.
INTRODUCTION: The
Need for a Perfect Propitiation The seriousness of sin. The dominant
problem in the world is sin. It stains
every life, disturbs every relationship, fixes itself on every baby, rules the
heart of every worldling. It makes us
susceptible to disease, suffering, war, death, and ultimately hell. Sin is incurable (Jer 13:23). Sin brings us
under the control of Satan. It brings
misery. It makes us children of wrath
who are enslaved to sin under the lordship of the evil one (Eph 2:1-3). Sin renders us unable to love God and to
please God (Rom 8:5-8). Sin is
lawlessness according to 1 John 3:4. It
is the violation of God’s immutable law.
Scripture describes sin as lawlessness, transgression, moral stumbling,
enslavement to lusts and passions, pollution, rebellion. Sin produces a moral debt to God. Sin racks up a debt of moral obligation to
God that ignites the fires of hell (Matt 18:23-34). God is holy and will therefore punish all
sin. All sin is
against God first and foremost (Ps 51:4).
Unforgiven sin exposes the soul to unquenchable divine wrath – God will
not acquit the guilty (Ex 23:7).
Sinners go through life accumulating sin. God has told us that there is a strict principle operating of
moral cause and effect (Gal 6:7, 8). Scripture warns
that unrepentant souls are “storing up wrath for the day of wrath” (Rom 2:5,
6ff). Those who do not repent and come
to God for forgiveness will have God’s eternal wrath released upon them. God is
determined to not leave the guilty unpunished (Ps 7:11). He is angry with the wicked everyday. God regards it to be an abomination to
justify the wicked (Prov 17:15; 24:24). God’s punishment of sin will be
absolutely comprehensive. Every violation
of God’s law will be punished. Judgment
will extend to the thoughts, motives, and secrets of the heart (Rom 2:16; Heb
4:12). Divine judgment will extend to
every careless word spoken (Matt 12:36, 37).
Those who hope to have their severity of judgment offset by their
efforts at law-keeping will be horrified to discover that they have offset none
of their condemnation (Gal 3:10-13; James 2:10; Rom 3:19, 20). (When we see the wicked prosper in this
life, we forget at times that they are hanging by a thread over the mouth of
hell (Ps 37; 73; Job 21). Sin is man’s greatest problem;
forgiveness is man’s greatest need. God has already
sworn that He will punish every transgression.
Yet the glorious news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that God desires
to forgive sins and to bury them in the deepest sea of His forgetfulness (Is 43:25). Your personal relationship with God begins
when you receive forgiveness in Christ.
This glorious gift of forgiveness becomes the basis of your relationship
with God (Eph 1:7:2:8, 9; 1 Jn 1:9; 2:2).
But in order to receive God’s forgiveness in Christ, we must recognize
the depth and seriousness of our sinfulness.
You must be willing to depart from your sin and surrender to Christ as
Lord (Titus 2:14-3:6). Those who come
to God for forgiveness understand that they are sinners who deserve God’s wrath. They understand that God grants forgiveness
and that they must confess their sins to God (Luke 18:13). God’s Holy Spirit prepares the sinner to
see his need of forgiveness and to see God’s willingness to forgive (John
16:8-11). God’s Spirit
brings us to the conviction that we desperately need forgiveness. The Spirit produces both the conviction of
our sinfulness and guilt (and its eternal consequences), and the reality that
you need to ask God for forgiveness and that He is willing to hear and forgive
you (see Is 55:6-11). God does not forgive by being indifferent
or lenient toward sin. The sacrifice of
the Only Begotten Son of God was necessary in order for us to be forgiven. In order to receive forgiveness, we must
understand and believe that forgiveness comes only through faith in Christ and
His shed blood for sinners (1 Pet 2:24; 3:18; Heb 9:14). (Countless individuals who know something
of the guilt of their sin stop short of faith in Christ and instead put their
hope in religious works. Sadly they
hope God will make some sort of exchange with them of effort and sincerity for
salvation. God will not forgive on the
basis of human works or religious exertion, only on the basis of Christ’s
finished work upon the cross does He receive sinners.) The Gospel must
be preached, for in the Gospel, God’s way of putting sinners right with Himself
is revealed and uncovered (Rom 1:16, 17).
The Gospel reveals how God can be perfectly just when He justifies
guilty sinners (Rom 3:26). The Gospel
therefore proclaims God’s “legal basis” for the forgiveness of sinners. Propitiation defined: It is impossible for man to make an
adequate atonement for his sins that God will accept (Ps 49:5-9). (ATONE
– to make amends for wrong doing so that oneness is accomplished. ATONEMENT
– “at-one-ment.” PROPITIATION – is an atoning sacrifice
that satisfies the wrath of God on behalf of those for whom it is made). Oh how important it is to know where to find
a perfect atonement for your sins. The five pillars in God’s
plan of propitiation: 1.) Propitiation is
required by God’s character. In the
propitiation at Calvary, God’s wrath was poured out upon Christ in order to
vindicate God’s justice, and to make possible His grace (He is “Just and the
Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”). QUESTIONS WE NEED TO CONSIDER: What is it
about God that requires propitiation
for sin? What is it about God that
provides propitiation for sin? What is
it about man (as the image of God) that eliminates every proposed solution to
sin and guilt but a divinely planned propitiation?
The infinite
wisdom of God is manifested in the cross (1 Cor 1:18-25).
Christ is God’s wisdom – all treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge are
in Christ (in Christ’s Person and in Christ crucified). That God should plan man’s salvation, a
salvation that magnifies God’s grace and at the same time, uphold and exalt all
of God’s attributes is infinite wisdom. The manner in which God has chosen to
save rebellious sinners must uphold and vindicate God’s justice.
(ILLUSTRATIONS: A Cossack leader
passed a law that anyone caught stealing food would be beaten with 30 lashes on
a bare back. When the hood was pulled
off of the face of an elderly woman who had stolen food, it turned out to be
the leader’s mother. The leader bared
his back, sheltering her, he put his arms around his mother as he took the 30
stripes for her. This is justice and
mercy in the same act.) In a second example of justice upheld in
mercy – a Roman governor passed a law that adultery should require that the
male perpetrator have both eyes put out.
When his own son was caught in the act, the governor had one of his own
eyes put out and one of his son’s eyes put out. In both of the above illustrations, the action of the substitute
was 100% voluntary.) God’s
righteousness and justice are demonstrated in Christ’s
propitiatory work (v. 26). The truth
exalted in this demonstration is that God is utterly just and righteous when He
forgives the sin and guilt of believing men and women. God’s honor is linked to the fact that there
must be a legal basis (in the sight of God’s law) for the forgiveness
of sins. The divine legal basis for God extending forgiveness to sinners is
propitiation -- Romans 3:19-26. 2. Propitiation is
initiated by God’s love. The plan to give
His only begotten Son to be a propitiation for sinners comes from the heart of
God the Father (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:9, 10; Rom 5:8). God was in
Christ, “reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Cor 5:19). Rom 3:25 -- God “displayed” His Son publicly
as a PROPITIATION. This “placarding” of
Christ was, as we will see, for a most important purpose (Grk. Protithemai – to show publicly or
openly). (The crucifixion of Christ
involved both Jew and Gentile. It did
not happen in some lonesome corner of the world but at the crossroads of three
continents – see Acts 26:26.)
Propitiation is the heart of the Gospel. In the truth of propitiation, the purpose
of the cross is clearly unfolded.
Propitiation is indispensable to the understanding of the Gospel.
Propitiation teaches us that the nature of Christ’s death on Calvary was
that of an atoning sacrifice that satisfied the just wrath of God against
sinners. Thus propitiation is the heart
of the Gospel – it reveals the heart of God who is jealous for His own holy
honor and it reveals the heart of God who loves the world (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:9,
10). 3.) Propitiation is
defined by substitution. God’s wrath is
His holy disposition against sin. Wrath
is His righteous response to sin against His holy character (expressed in His
moral law). In pagan
religions the worshipper was responsible to satisfy the offended deity. In the glorious Gospel, Christ Himself is
the satisfaction of God’s wrath on behalf of all those who will believe. This is the principle of
substitution; the Son of God being punished in our place (Rom 5:9; 1 Thess 1:9;
Is 53). The very first
issue when considering atonement is this: the value of the atonement is not set by the
guilty party, it is determined solely by the Judge, (God Almighty who will
judge the living and the dead). Tragically,
there are millions of people around the world seeking to offset their
wrongdoing by forms of penance/atonement NOT recognized by God (hot wax on the
hands, stair-climbing on the knees, burning candles, religious rituals and
ceremonies, repetitious prayers, social work, etc.). When seeking an
answer to the question, “On what basis can God clear the record of a sinful
rebel?” we will have to ask the question, “What is the nature of Christ’s
death?” Was it primarily an example, or
a demonstration of love, or was it the very height of martyrdom, or some sort
of sacrifice that won God’s love for the world? In understanding what Christ accomplished on Calvary’s cross,
God’s authoritative, infallible interpretation of what took place is the only
thing that matters. Romans 3 makes it clear that Christ’s death was a true
penal substitution. PENAL
SUBSTITUTION is the glory of the Gospel! Is God’s
absolute moral law upheld when He forgives believing sinners? Romans 3 answers that question in the
affirmative. God cannot forgive sin by
a legislative act. When He forgives
sin, it is not clemency, it is not leniency, it is not an unpaid pardon, it is
not indifference toward sin, it is not a legislative act. When God forgives sins, it involves a judicial act.
When God forgives, it must involve justice; it must not be a violation
of His justice because God’s justice is immutable. Christ being displayed publicly as a propitiation involves
God’s intent to show the whole world the legal basis for the forgiveness of
sins! We could accurately say that God
only forgives what He pays for! This
is the only way that God could remain righteous when He forgives wicked men. 4.) Propitiation was
accomplished by Christ’s death. Propitiation
involves the satisfaction of God’s justice by the death of Christ for us. The trampling of His holy law must be fully
addressed if sinners are to be cleared of guilt.
God’s inviolate honor would be bruised if sinners were restored without
justice being done. For God’s
righteousness character is codified in the Law. This broken law, despised by sinners, must be answered, addressed head
on, and vindicated if sinners are to be forgiven and restored to God. Application: I hope that you are picking
up on the fact that it is not as easy for God to forgive as one might think –
in order for God to pour out oceans of mercy upon sinners, His justice must be
fully satisfied. Key in understanding
propitiation is that it is a transaction between the Father and the Only
Begotten Son of God on behalf of sinful man.
Just before
the Lord Jesus Christ gave up His spirit in death on the cross He uttered these
words, “It is finished” (Grk. Tetelestai – [it is] paid in full (Jn 19:30).
This same word, tetelestai,
was written upon first century tax receipts that had been paid in full.) How significant this is for our
understanding of the nature of the atonement.
Jesus paid and paid until the Father said “Enough! I am satisfied. My wrath against the sin of believers has been fully satisfied
and placated.” Application: We are frequently tempted to
run somewhere other than to the atonement when we feel our guilt and
failure. How significant this is for us
who are frequently disturbed by the sense of our sinfulness and failure over
against God’s law. How vital to our
walk with God that we know precisely how satisfied the Father is with the
finished work of the Son on Calvary on our behalf. We need often to think clearly through propitiation, the heart of
the Gospel, and its application to us.
God’s Holy Spirit assists us in this – He points to the blood (John
16:14). 5. Propitiation is
appropriated by faith. Faith is the
instrument by which propitiation is applied to us. (By faith in Christ and His
substitutionary death, we find full and free forgiveness in the cross.) In the exercise
of saving faith the believing sinner transfers all reliance away from
self and self efforts. He or she stakes
all confidence of eternity with God the Person of Christ and His merits. (Faith is not the ground of our salvation,
the work of Christ on the cross is the very foundation of our salvation.) Application: The God of the Bible is not
a god who is detached, distant, implacable, unappeased, unmerciful,
unknowable. The God of the Bible cannot
be mollified and softened by human works, by Mary or priests, or by religious
acts. God has planned our salvation
from start to finish. He has given His
only begotten Son. Christ’s sacrifice
is the basis for all mercy poured out upon the believing and repenting
sinner. Dear people, there is a great need for
repentance here regarding the things that you have heard. It is in our sin nature to distribute our
soul’s security or “weight” over things that cannot save us. Your eternal destiny depends upon your
willingness to turn away from all false atonements. You must cast yourself upon Christ alone – the God of the
universe has provided a perfect atonement for sinners. Christ is the propitiation that provides the
only secure refuge from God’s wrath.
God is glorified when we take refuge in Him. On the last day, all false refuges will be exposed as such. They cannot save us more than a cardboard
box could save us from a tidal wave. The Priesthood of the Lord
Jesus Christ (He is Priest of His propitiation). Hebrews 5:5-10 – He is the source of eternal salvation
to those who obey Him. Hebrews 7:25-28 – Jesus holds His priesthood
permanently; He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God
through Him. He is perfectly suited to
our needs – infinitely superior to all fallible human priests. Hebrews 8:6-13 – Christ is High Priest and is Mediator
of the new covenant. Hebrews 9:11-15 – Christ as High Priest entered the
perfect tabernacle to offer His own blood.
He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal
redemption. Christ’s blood will cleanse
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:24-28 – Christ entered the holy place, heaven,
to appear in the presence of God for us.
He represents believers as High Priest.
He was offered ONCE, to bear the sins of many. Hebrews 10:5-9 – The Father prepared a body for Christ
to “sacrifice” once for all. God’s will
was for Christ to offer Himself to the Father as a sacrifice for us. Hebrews 10:10-18 – By Christ’s once for all sacrifice,
believing sinners have been set apart to God, once for all. Hebrews 10:19-23 – Confident access to God is only through
the once for all finished work of Christ. Hebrews 13:10-16 – Christ was offered once for all that He
might sanctify us. He suffered outside
the gate. We must identify with Him,
bearing His reproach. Since Christ’s
work is finished, the only sacrifice that remains to be offered by “believer
priests” is the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving (see 1 Peter 2:5, 9, 10). The implications of
Christ’s work of propitiation: 1.) The mediation, dispensing, and application of the infinite
benefits of Christ’s work on Calvary belong to the Trinity, not to man!
The application of Christ’s propitiatory work is by the power of the
Holy Spirit (see 1 Peter 1:2; Titus 3:5-7).
How dangerous for man through religion to try to control it, manage it,
dispense it, harness it, sell it, mediate it, or market it! Judgment awaits those who have sought to
usurp the role of the Holy Spirit in applying the saving benefits of
propitiation through manmade religion.
Christ is the High Priest who offered Himself once for all to God. Sinful man is not needed in this
offering. Christ’s work of offering
Himself is finished, complete, and all-sufficient. 2.) If Christ’s work is indeed finished, then the only work for
us that remains, regarding sacrifice as His priests, is that of praise and
thanksgiving. (Consider the blasphemous error of the “bloody”
offering of the mass in light of this biblical truth.) 3.) The Christian life is built solely upon the foundation of
Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 3:11). Even ongoing forgiveness is based upon the
all-sufficient, finished propitiation of Christ (1 John 2:2). 4.) What are the ramifications of knowing that God propitiates
His own wrath against sin? First, man can have no part in the
atonement. Second, all three
members of the trinity are involved in your salvation. The Father planned your salvation, the Son
secured it, and the Holy Spirit applies it.
Under the new covenant, God’s name
is “Father.” Third, all
barriers to your fellowship and acceptance with God have been removed by
propitiation. As such, God in Christ
has removed all that disqualifies the believer from fellowship, love and
security in God as His beloved child (1 John 1:1-4). Fourth, it is impossible to know God, unless you know Him
as the God who has given His Son to be a propitiation for sin – we must know
Him as propitious (1 John 4:9, 10; 2 Cor 4:6).
|
