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The Promise of PropitiationThe balance between love and justice
Where were you on September 11, 2001?How did you feel?
• About the towers destruction?
• When you heard about the Pentegon?
• Or, the crash in a Pennsylvania field?
• About no air traffic, anywhere?
• About the Islamic rejoicing?
• About 3,000 innocent dead?
Did you want justice for this
wrong?
Now you have just a taste of God’s
feelings.
With the addition that our God knows and is offended by thoughts,
motives, and deepest secrets
as well as actions.
Will it be love, or justice?
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
A sacrificial love
Will it be love, or justice?
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but
is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all
should reach repentance.
A patient love
Will it be love, or justice?
Ephesians 2:4
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with
which he loved us,
A merciful love
Will it be love, or justice?
1 John 4:8
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Our God IS love
Scripture is clear on judgment…
Romans 2:16…God will judge the secrets of men
through Christ Jesus...
The secrets of men will be judged
Scripture is clear on judgment…
2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for
his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether
good or bad.
We will receive what is due
Scripture is clear on judgment…
Hebrews 4:12-1312 For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions
of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from
His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we
have to do.
We must give account
The Bible’s picture of God’s wrath is not amusing
Nahum 1:2-3
2 A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves
wrath for His enemies.
3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way,
And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
The Bible’s picture of God’s wrath is not amusing
Hebrews 10:31
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the
living God.
It is from His wrath, that we are “saved”
Colossians 1:13-14
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved
Son,14 in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins..
The balance between mercy and justice is “propitiation”
✤ Webster – to gain, regain favor
✤ Pardington – lit. appeasing, placation, expiation
✤ Kaufman’s Dict. – theological term for appeasing God’s wrath
✤ Greco-Roman usage was
from the heathen’s
efforts…
✤ To obtain favor from their
gods, or the avenging of the
gods
✤ Used of the sacrifice that
one brought to appease the
gods
Unlike the Greek gods, our God provided the
offering.
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but
also for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus Christ is the appeasement to gain
God’s favor
What Propitiation is not…
✤ It is not salvation
✤ Is not needed to be asked for
✤ It is not automatic
1 John 2:2He is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for
ours only but also for the sins of the
whole world.
Romans 3:25…in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a
propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine
forbearance he had passed over former sins.
What Propitiation is not…
✤ It is not salvation
✤ Is not needed to be asked for
✤ It is not automatic
1 John 2:2He is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for
ours only but also for the sins of the
whole world.
Romans 3:23…in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a
propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine
forbearance he had passed over former sins.
James 2:19-20You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons
believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
Not a dead/useless faith, but a working faith
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal
salvation to all who obey him,
The source of salvation for the obedient
Propitiation is received in faith
I John 2:1b-2… if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also
for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus appeases the wrath, He speaks for us
Jesus stood in our place, He is the appeasement, gains God’s favor for us
Hebrews 2:14-1814 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood,
He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to
angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful
high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He
Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
God is ON our side, He WANTS to help
Jesus stood in our place, He is the appeasement, gains God’s favor for us
Praise God..
✤ For His mercy
✤ For His grace
✤ For the propitiation of His Son
✤ Gained by faith…
✤ Active
✤ Real
✤ And diligent
