Propitiation (Part 2)
In God’s Holy Word we see His strong displeasing with sin. (Romans 3:23) “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” God says in Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the souls that sinneth, it shall die.” And in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” God declares all sinners are deserving of death, and if it had not been for the act of propitiation by Christ on our behalf; death would be our end. Propitiation in the Greek means the atoning sacrifice for sins. Christ as the propitiation means He Himself (Christ) through Him alone, the violated holiness and righteousness of God by man’s sins have been atoned (paid for). “And He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2)
- The violation of God’s holiness and righteousness must receive the appropriate punishment; God’s universal law demands it!
- Death on the tree. (Sin through Adam’s tree produced judgement. (Genesis 3:3) The painful ugly, blood soaked crucifixion of Jesus is the only payment recognized by God for humanity’s sin. (I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:3-12)
- We must receive His life for our life. (Colossians 3:3-4)
- Because of the great price God paid to substitute His life for ours. He will only accept our total heart. (I John 4:10, Romans 10:9-10)
God’s Divine Equity
It is an amazing grace that God’s only requirement is that we believe with our whole heart to receive Christ life as a substitute for our sinful one, the equaling of our sinful heart in exchange for His perfect, sinless life is one of the greatest acts of love in all of God’s creation. Praise God for the unspeakable gift of His son Jesus! (II Corinthians 9:15) Anekdiegetos – That which cannot be fully declared; conceived and only understood fully in the mind of God. Unspeakable! God’s Divine equity demands the right payment for the particular violation, “Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward.” (Hebrews 2:2) It is in the wonderful mind of God that humanity can partake in the life of His son and not receive what we really deserve; death. Because in our life we sin and come short.