David looks at creation and "stands before God in awe; Psalm 33:6-9" We are embarking on a study that is equally worthy of our adoration. Propitiation adds to our understanding of our Lord's celebrityship. There is no one like Him, or who could have undertaken the work accomplished on the cross. Propitiation has long been considered an essential doctrine and casts its magnificent light on salvation along with other vital doctrines as reconciliation, redemption, imputation, and justification. To Him be all the glory and honor!
II. VOCABULARY 1
In the Greek New Testament, there are only six passages where the concept of propitiation is taught. This family of words involves two nouns and a verb.
A. The Nouns
HILASMOS [#2434] The Greek word is found only in 1 John 2:2; 4:10. It is translated propitiation in the NASB, ESV, NKJV, and atoning sacrifice NIV, NRV, NLT. It refers to the unique sacrifice that satisfies, that is, propitiates God.
HILASTERION [#2435] is found in two passages, Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:5. The key to the meaning of this word is revealed in Hebrews 9:5. It refers to the lid on the Ark of the Covenant, which was sprinkled with blood on the Day of Atonement. It draws a clear picture of the place of propitiation called the mercy seat. On the Day of Atonement, the nation's sins were covered by the sacrificial victim's blood. It portrays the work of Christ in salvation. This is the day in the sacred calendar when the high priest must face God, who is in the Holy of Holies hovering over the mercy seat. God sees the mercy seat covered with the blood from the sacrificial animal and accepts that offering.
B. The Verb:
HILASKOMAI [#3433] is found in Hebrews 2:17 and Luke 18:13 and means to make an atonement or to make a propitiatory offering.
III. DEFINITION OF PROPITIATION
The doctrine of propitiation explains how the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross satisfied the perfect righteousness and justice of God. It demonstrates how God can provide salvation without compromising His perfect character.
Propitiation is the GODWORD 2 side of the work of Christ on the cross in salvation. God's nature determined the method of propitiation. While God's love motivated Him to find a way to deliver sinners from sin's ruin, power, and debt; the barrier of His perfect character stood in His way and had to be resolved—the barrier had to be removed. His righteousness and justice demanded satisfaction, Romans 3:25,26. 3
God the Father is satisfied (propitiated) with the work of God the Son on the cross. By His one and only substitutionary death on the cross, Jesus Christ is the satisfaction for our sins. Breaking this down even further, we see that our sins were poured out upon Jesus while He was hanging on the cross, and there, the justice of God judged Him for those sins, 1 Peter 2:24.
1 Peter 2:24a
and He Himself (Christ) bore our sins (our sin-bearer) in His body on the cross,
Briefly then, in propitiation, the righteousness of God is satisfied with the perfect offering of Christ. He is accepted by the righteousness of God and is qualified to take our place on the cross. This is the reason our Lord Jesus Christ was given the title "Jesus Christ the Righteous One," 1 John 2:1. The justice of God then judges our sins while Christ was bearing them on the cross, and His justice is satisfied with His offering.
Therefore, propitiation relates directly to the attributes of God. This is why it is regarded as the GODWARD side of salvation. Propitiation means by the act of judgment, Christ bearing our sins on the cross, the righteousness and justice of God have been satisfied. This allows God to provide salvation to sinners without compromising His divine character. When the unfailing love of God combines with righteousness and justice, the Plan of Salvation is the result.
IV. The Demand for Propitiation
Propitiation resolves the problem of the demands of God's righteousness and justice in the face of a sinful and fallen Adamic race. Expositor's says:
God's righteousness, therefore, is demonstrated at the cross, because there, in Christ's death, it is made once for all apparent that He does not palter with sin; the doom of sin falls by His appointment on the Redeemer. 4
A. Our Ruined Nature
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory [essence] of God.
Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
Romans 3:10
As it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE."
Isaiah 64:6a
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.
These verses are only a few that clearly reveal that we are a fallen species. Both Testaments testify of humanities total depravity. No aspect of human nature is not affected by sin. God's judgment is that we are totally bankrupt, wholly corrupt, lost, and condemned. People squirm at the notion they are as bad as the Scripture paints them, but nonetheless, before God, they are by nature and practice total failures and unable to live up to His standards, Romans 3:23. It is because of this that we need salvation—to be rescued from this condition. No better passage explains our fallen condition than Ephesians 2:1-3.
Ephesians 2:1–3
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
B. Our Hopeless and Helpless State
It is human to look for a way of escape. Unfortunately, those that reject God's way of salvation choose the only path open to them, the path of good works. This is the way of salvation of moral and religious people who seek to establish their own righteousness. They believe they can turn over a new leaf and become worthy of salvation. This is a dead-end for no amount of good deeds can earn salvation. It can't be done, and it is not God's method:
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith [faith alone in Christ alone]; and that not of yourselves [no works involved], it is the gift of God;
God explained to Jeremiah our utter helpless and hopeless state, with several questions. Can an Ethiopian change the pigmentation of his skin, or can the leopard change its spots? God's answer: No, because we are habituated to sin, Jeremiah 13:23. It is in our DNA. The Scripture states that the righteousness we need comes from God. The test of righteousness is accepted by faith in the Lord's works, not ours. We are justified by faith, and not by works:
Romans 4:5
But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
The Case Of The Tax Collector Luke 18:11-13
Jesus was teaching a point of doctrine that salvation is not by good works. He paints a picture contrasting two kinds of people. The Pharisee is trying to earn his salvation by good works. On the other hand, the beggar knows no amount of good works can save him. The beggar also wants to be saved. The two ways of salvation previously discussed are now illustrated for us.
The Pharisee says:
Luke 18:11–12
11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'
This is the way of morality and religion, but not the way of salvation. Unlike the Pharisee who lifted his face to God and arrogantly declared himself righteous BY HIS WORKS; the tax collector was unwilling to lift his eyes, humbled and ashamed as he turns to God, beating his chest and saying "Oh God! (not be merciful to me a sinner, but) be propitious to me a sinner."
Luke 18:13
"But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful [propitious] to me, the sinner!'
Our Lord's brilliance in making truth understandable is unique. What a lesson! The Lord, through the tax collector, was teaching that salvation is totally the work of God, not the good works of man no matter how laudable they might be. In this illustration, the tax collector understood from the ritual of the Law his salvation depended on God's grace. Some additional observations about the tax collector from the language of the text:
HILASKOMAI does not mean merciful. People can be merciful at times. Begging for love or mercy of God excludes Christ's work on the cross, but asking for propitiation includes it. The aorist passive imperative of HILASKOMAI means propitious. The aorist is a culminative aorist which looks at the existing result of Christ's work on the cross—the place of propitiation. The action is completed indicating he was relying on the finished work of Christ on the cross. God is the only one who could be propitious. The passive voice is a stark contrast to the self-righteous Pharisee. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb. He didn't beg for mercy to be saved. He understood that propitiation is not something you work for but comes through grace; it is a gift from God. The imperative of request is found here. He did not demand propitiation, but rather the force of this kind of imperative is urgency.
There are two ways presented by the Lord in this illustration. One leads to a dead end, a blind alley, a road to nowhere; the other leads in the opposite direction to fellowship and eternity with God. Once you recognize that good works cannot save you, you are left with what? The hymn writer said it best, "Nothing in my hands I bring only to thy cross I cling." This is the song of the tax collector.
V. THE WORK OF PROPITIATION
The doctrine of propitiation spans both the Old and the New Testament. In the Old, we have the shadow Christology of the Levitical rituals. In the New Testament, a shadow becomes a reality—our Lord's death on the cross as our sin-bearer and substitute. As we see so often, the New Testament explains the Old Testament.
A. In The Old Testament - The Shadow of Propitiation
The Book of Hebrews is devoted to explaining the Old Testament ritual of the Law. It is the Leviticus of the New Testament. It looks back at the period of the Law and reveals how Christ is seen in the sacrificial system.
Hebrews 10:1
For the Law, possessing a shadow of good things that are about to come [about salvation], [a shadow is] not itself the image of the things; year after year by means of those sacrifices which they [the priests] offer without interruption, can never cause perfection of those who approach the altar with their sacrifices. Expanded Translation
The principle is this:
A shadow casts an image of reality, but it is not the reality. It exists because there is something real which it portrays. Jesus Christ is the reality, and the Law is a shadow that casts an image on His Person and Work.
Another passage about the shadow:
Colossians 2:16
Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day
Colossians 2:17
things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance [the reality] belongs to Christ.
In verse 16, Paul writes, the Law contains instructions about what to eat and drink, what days God was to be worshipped, and numerous other regulations, but Paul says in verse 17, the things in the Law were shadows pointing to the future. When Christ came to earth, the shadows became a reality. The great themes of salvation are taught in the Law in shadow form: propitiation, reconciliation, and redemption. We will briefly look at Shadow Christology or how Christ is seen in the Law, emphasizing propitiation.
1. The Levitical Sacrifice
The central feature of Old Testament worship was the sacrificial system. Before this was codified in the Law, animal sacrificing was practiced from the very beginning. While tracing this before the period of the Law is exciting and filled with numerous doctrinal applications and blessings, we are not going to take a deep dive into its origin. In general, the practice of animal sacrifice began with the first family. They received their instruction directly from God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, their newly acquired fallen nature immediately severed their fellowship with God. The first thing they thought to do about the heavy load of guilt they were experiencing was to cover themselves. They began to sew fig leaves together, Genesis 3:7. This brazen and arrogant idea that through their own efforts, could cover their sinful condition failed. God was not satisfied. Their works were insufficient.
A new way to approach God was instituted. God could only be propitiated through the substitutionary death of an animal. So God instructed them. An animal was selected and slaughtered, and as a reminder that this is how they would approach God, He clothed them in the animal's skin, Genesis 3:21. Father Adam passed on this form of worship to his children, Genesis 4:4. This is where the shadow of animal sacrifice began and was the earliest explanation of the Doctrine of Salvation. As the mural of salvation began, and its first sketches are drawn, a shadow depicting an innocent animal dying, shedding its blood as a substitutionary, sacrificial death is seen. When the drawing is finished, we will be at the foot of the cross, looking up at the true lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world. Peter explains this shadow in 1 Peter 1:18,19:
1 Peter 1:18–19
18] knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
19] but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
Peter mentions the lamb, unblemished and spotless, which is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ in His work of redemption. The animal without any blemished was selected to be sacrificed—a picture of the fact that our Lord arrived at the cross free of sin, perfect, and impeccable. At the brazen altar, the lamb's death depicted the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross being judged for our sins.
How is propitiation seen? The phrase repeated often, a sweet-smelling aroma, indicates God's acceptance and His satisfaction (propitiation) with the offering.
This sweet-smelling aroma is a metaphor for acceptance. It is usually associated with the Levitical rituals indicating God's acceptance of the offering. However, the metaphor is used in the New Testament. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, the spread of the gospel throughout the world is a sweet aroma to those who accept Christ. The death of Christ is a sweet aroma to the Father, a metaphor conceptualizing the Father's satisfaction [propitiation], Ephesians 5:2. Paul drawls on this figure to express how pleased he was in receiving from the Philippians their gifts:
Philippians 4:18
But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
2. The Holy Days (Leviticus 23)
The seven festivals found in Leviticus 23 give Israel her sacred calendar. Paul tells us how these special days were a picture of Christ. How did they portray Christ? The Passover in the religious calendar is a picture of Christ dying on the cross, as Paul says, "For Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed," 1 Corinthians 5:7.
After Passover, the Jews celebrated a seven-day festival called Unleavened Bread. Its key feature was the removal of leaven from the house, so Paul says, "Therefore let us celebrate the feast (Unleavened Bread), not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth," 1 Corinthians 5:8 cp Exodus 12:15-20. What is depicted here is that after salvation, fellowship with Christ is made possible, 1 John 1:6. The next holy day on the calendar was the Feast of First Fruits, which speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:23. On the fiftieth day after the Passover, they celebrated Pentecost. Jesus predicted that a new age would come called the Church Age, and ten days after His Ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit to help build the Church. Then, there is a gap in time until we begin the Fall festivals. Will Varner writes:
Just as Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost prophetically pictured the First Coming of the Messiah, so Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles prophetically picture events associated with the Second Coming of the Messiah. 5
The fifth in chronological order is the Feast of Trumpets marking the Second Advent, Matthew 24:29-31. Then the all-important Day of Atonement. This is a national day of fasting, not feasting. It looks forward to the regenerate Jews entering the Millennium, the one-thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth:
Hebrews 9:28
so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin [to deliver Israel in the Campaign of Armageddon], to those who eagerly await Him [Jewish believers in the Tribulation].
We will return to this special day, but first, the last or seventh holy day is called the Feast of Tabernacles. This celebrates the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the four unconditional covenants: Abrahamic (Genesis 12:1–3; 13:14–17; 15:1–18; 17:1–8), Davidic (2 Samuel 7: 5-19; Psalm 89:1–37), Palestinian (Deuteronomy 30:1–10), and a New Covenant for Israel (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8:7–12). These are the shadows of Christ in the holy calendar of Israel. How is propitiation seen in the Holy Days? The most distinctive was the Day of Atonement, when the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrificial animal on the mercy seat.
3. The Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16:1-34.
The Complex Regulation on this Holy Day
The ritual on the Day of Atonement was unique. While on most days, the Levitical priests carried on the daily work, but on the Day of Atonement, the high priest led this ministry. He was to enter the Holy of Holies and face God. No one is permitted to enter the Holy of Holies except the high priest and only on the Day of Atonement. Once a year, he would perform the elaborate ceremonies with a warning that he might die if he deviates from God's instructions, Leviticus 16:1,2. Also, on regular days, the people brought their offerings, but they were too fast on the Day of Atonement. 6
1. The high priest would assemble all of the prescribed animals and bring them to the Sanctuary: a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering and for the people, two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
2. The First Bathing Ritual:
The high priest removed his regular garments, washed at the laver, went into the holy place, and put on special linen garments for the remainder of the service (Leviticus 16:4). The clothing he would wear was plainer in comparison to the usually decorated garments with the breastplate.
3. The First Blood Sprinkling Ritual
When the high priest was finished dressing, he left the Holy Place and went out into the courtyard to the altar of burnt offering. He sacrificed a bull for himself and the other priests (Leviticus 16:11; cp. Hebrews 9). He took some of the burning coals from the altar and placed them into a firepan. Then he took the previously prepared incense and added it to the firepan. The incense burning on the hot coals filled the holy of holies with smoke and gave off a sweet-smelling aroma. Then he took the blood from the bull and began sprinkling it on the top of the mercy seat and at its base (Leviticus 16:12–14). What an awesome moment for the high priest who would come face to face with the Shekinah Glory, a symbol of God's presence.
4. The Second Blood Sprinkling Ritual
He then went outside the tent of meeting into the courtyard to cast lots for two goats to see which one was to be sacrificed (Leviticus 16:7–8). At the altar, he killed the goat as a sin offering for the people and, for a second time, entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood in front of and on the mercy seat and as he left, he also sprinkled the blood in the Holy Place (Leviticus 16:5, 9, 15–16). He then went outside to the altar of burnt offering and sprinkled it—with the bull's blood for himself and the blood of the goat for the people (Leviticus 16:11, 15). While in the courtyard, he laid both hands on the second goat, symbolizing the transfer of Israel's sin and sending it away into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:20–22).
5. The Second Bathing Ritual:
The high priest then entered the Holy Place, removed his special garments, bathed, and put on his regular garments (Leviticus 16:23–24).
6. As a final sacrifice, he offered a ram for himself and another ram for the people (Leviticus 16:24).
7. The day's conclusion was the removal of the sacrificial carcasses to a place outside the camp where they were burned (Leviticus 16:27–28).
Connotations and Meanings
These instructions portray the death of Christ on the cross and, therefore, must be precisely followed. God reminded Moses of Aaron's two sons, who died because they offered strange incense on the altar of incense. So the people were always concerned for the high priest when he went into the Holy of Holies, for he might make a mistake and die. Yet they had a greater concern. For on this day, all the sins of ignorance of the nation were to be covered, no longer in God's sight, Hebrews 9:7. The question of the day is, Will God accept the blood of the offerings and forgive and bless Israel for another year?
John says Jesus Christ was the propitiation for our sins. The question is where in the ritual of the Law, do you find propitiation? The shadow of propitiation was communicated to Israel through the sacrificial blood sprinkled on the mercy seat, Leviticus 16:13-16. Since our Lord came to earth to die for our sins, we should not be surprised that there would be a ceremony to portray this truth. The ritual of the Day of Atonement was an extraordinary day to be celebrated every year. It is called today YOM KIPPUR.
4. Construction of the Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the covenant, constructed of wood, speaks of Christ's humanity, overlaid with gold, which speaks of the deity of Christ. Together we have the hypostatic union; there is only one box:
Hebrews 9:4
having a golden altar of incense and the Ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;
The Three Items Inside The Ark of The Covenant.
First, there was a golden urn filled with manna. This was inside the Ark to remind the children of Israel of their sin of rejecting God's gracious provisions. Secondly, they placed Aaron's rod that budded in the box. This was to remind the children of Israel of their sin of rebellion against God's established authority, Numbers 17:8. Thirdly, the two tablets of the ten commandments were put inside the Ark. They were in the box to remind the children of Israel of their transgressions against The Law. Together, all three were a testimony of their failure to follow the Lord and keep the Law. The box's content was a picture of Christ bearing our sins on the Cross, 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.
The Mercy Seat Is Described In Exodus 25:17-22.
The mercy seat served as the lid for the Ark of the Covenant. It was made of pure gold, and it was carved from one piece of gold. When complete, there were two cherubs at either end facing each other, wings spread upward, their heads facing down. They were looking at the mercy seat, the place where the high priest on the Day of Atonement sprinkled the blood. Each cherub represents an attribute of significance in propitiation. One represents the righteousness of God; the other represents the justice of God. The cherub representing righteousness saw the blood and was satisfied. The cherub of justice saw the blood and was satisfied. This ritual presents the person and work of Christ on the cross. The cherub of righteousness saw the perfect and impeccable lamb of God whose sinless life satisfied its holy demands. The cherub representing the Justice of God saw the blood and was satisfied with the offering Jesus made on the cross.
Summary
1. The mercy seat covered the emblems of Israel's sin inside the Ark of the Covenant. Exodus 25:17-22; 37:6-9, Hebrews 9:5.
2. Above the mercy seat was the Shekinah Glory, a symbol of God's presence. The mercy seat served as a lid that covered the emblems of sin, signifying that for God to be present with the people, their sins must be covered.
Dr. Seume, quoting from Dogmatic Theology by William Shed, said regarding the mercy seat, "it is to cover sin, to cover it from the sight of God, not the sinner. To propitiate is to propitiate God, not man." 7
3. Two cherubs, representing God's righteousness and justice, gazed upon the sacrificial blood sprinkled on the mercy seat. As they looked down upon the seat, they did not see the sinfulness of man, represented by the contents of the box, but the atoning blood of the ceremonial sacrifice which had been sprinkled over the golden lid.
4. The blood was covering the emblems of sin, picturing the ceremonial satisfaction of God's righteousness and justice.
B. In the New testament – The Reality
The primary New Testament passage that explains propitiation is found in Romans 3:25,26. What follows is a summary of those salient points that broaden our understanding of this gracious work of the Savior.
Romans 3:25, 26
Whom [Christ Jesus] God the Father displayed publicly [on the cross] for Himself as a propitiation, in His blood, through faith, for the purpose of demonstrating His righteousness, because in the passing over of previously committed sins, (26) because of the delay in Judgment from God, for the purpose of demonstrating that He is righteous, at this present time, so that He keeps on being Just even when He justifies Him, by believing in Jesus. (Expanded Translation)
Our heavenly Father lifted up our Lord Jesus, publically displaying Him dying on the cross, making forever His Son the issue in salvation, John 3:14-16; John 14:1-3; Acts 4:12. This is an unmistakable move by the Father to put the world on notice that Christ and Christ alone accomplished the work of salvation. There is only ONE way to be saved. We must look to Jesus and trust in His work on the cross as a substitute for us.
Nine Features of the Work of Propitiation summarized
1. The Means of Propitiation "by means of His blood."
First, the blood is referring to the death of Christ on the cross. The Old Testament shadow was the sacrificial animal's sprinkled blood on the throne of propitiation, called the mercy seat. The reality was Christ on public display hanging on the cross. While Jesus suffered from the pain and indignities of crucifixion, these did not have any saving value. His physical death was deliberate and voluntary. He did not die from the natural results of sin or loss of blood. He uniquely, voluntarily laid down His life (John 10:18). Christ's propitiatory suffering was wholly confined to the time He was on the cross (cp. Matthew 20:28; Colossians 1:20; John 19:30). Moreover, it was confined to what the Father did to Him.
2. The Way of Propitiation "through faith."
It is true that when we believe in Jesus Christ, the full value of His death in salvation is applied to us. However, the prepositional phrase is not emphasizing the moment when we heard the gospel and believed. It instead is referring to the way of salvation. It is through faith alone in Christ alone and not through any other means. Paul teaches that salvation comes through grace, not works, Ephesians 2:8,9.
3. The Character of God in Propitiation "for the purpose of demonstrating that He is righteous."
His righteousness is demonstrated
The reason why our Lord Jesus Christ was put on public display was to prove, beyond any doubt, that God means business when it comes to sin. The fact that it was necessary for the Father to punish His Son on our behalf is an act of unbelievable grace. The cross demonstrates His Holy character. Righteousness demonstrates God's strong reaction toward sin. He warned Adam that there would be severe consequences if he would transgress His Law, dying you shall die," Genesis 2:17.
His justice is demonstrated
We think of that tense filled moment on Mt. Moriah when Abraham raised his knife and was about to offer his son Issac as a sacrifice to God, and God stopped him. He provided a substitute, a ram nearby caught in the bushes. What took place on that mountain was a shadow of a future time, on that very same location, when God's Son would be offered, but there was no staying of the hand of God. As Isaiah said, "But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, Isaiah 53:5. He took our licken, someone wrote.
His love is demonstrated
The fact that it was necessary for the Father to punish His Son for us is an act of incredible grace. Paul would later say, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," Romans 5:8. God's divine character is seen in Christ's work on the cross. When His righteousness was violated, His justice was activated, and His love for us found a way to save us--Christ died for us. When the Apostle John thought about the Savior's sacrifice, he asked, "what sort of love is this?" 1 John 3:1. Again,` he says, "Divine Love found a way!"
1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
4. Ceremonial Propitiation "because of the passing over of previously committed sins."
Paul says something here that has not been given enough teaching. For instance, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest killed an animal and collected its blood. He took that blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the mercy seat, the seat of propitiation. He did this in the presence of God. If the sacrifice was acceptable to God, then the sins of ignorance of the entire nation were cleansed, forgiven, and the prospect of blessing for the next year could be anticipated. The common expression used in this ceremony was "to make an atonement for sin." Atonement means "to cover."
It is the perfect righteousness of God, which demands that all sin must be judged. The previously committed sin are the sins committed by the human family in the Old Testament period, from Adam to the cross. Those sins were placed in a cup; maybe a giant bucket would be a better image. They were held there until Christ was on the cross, and then they were poured out on Him and judged. Passing over does not mean overlooked, but held over until the sin-bearer would come. These sins were put on hold until the appropriate time for their judgment. God could not be righteous if He did not demand justice.
5. The Gracious Delay of Judgment "because of the delay in judgment from God."
In the Old Testament, the sacrifice did not take away sin. It covered the believer's sin until the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself as the propitiatory sacrifice. In the Old Testament, God could bless the positive believer and forgive their sins, for He anticipated the Finished work of Christ on the cross. The Father had absolute confidence in His Son, fulfilling the requirement of a sinless life and the courage to face the judgment of the cross.
God the Father put all the sins in the delay-in-judgment bucket, until Christ. That bucket was poured out upon Him. Not under discussion is the fact that God took all of the future sins of humanity and put them in the bucket as well. Christ paid in full the debt for all the sins of the world, past, present, and future.
God is not soft on sin, for a day of judgment is coming according to Acts 17:30.
Paul is addressing the Greek philosophers of Athens on Mars Hill. In that message, he says that "in the time of their ignorance, God overlooked their idolatry." This is an interesting approach because they thought of themselves as geniuses. Paul says, "your not a smart as you think you are." God has overlooked your stupidity, but there is coming a day of judgment. The meaning of overlooked in this context is not suggesting God is not serious about sin, or He looked the other way. This cannot be the interpretation. It flies in the face of the Doctrine of Propitiation. Their sins were temporarily passed over, which were delayed until the cross.
God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead." Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Ac 17:30–31). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Covering versus Propitiation (the Temporary versus the Permanent)
The blood of the Old Testament sacrifices could only cover sin from God's eyes and pointed ahead to the Saviour who would finish the work of salvation. By itself, the bringing of sacrifices could never save the sinner. They were a temporary measure until we hear from the Saviour's lip's "It Is Finished!" John 19:30.
Hebrews 9:12
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Hebrews 10:4
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 9:12 states that Christ's work on the cross obtained for us eternal salvation. God has once and for all been propitiated because of Christ's death on the cross. The animal sacrifices portrayed the future coming and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, animal sacrifices can never take away sin, never! They taught the cross but did not replace the cross. This was a gross doctrinal error of the priests and rabbis of Israel. It was one of the reasons why they rejected Christ. John the Baptist declared this truth at the beginning of Jesus' ministry:
John 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!
The Apostle John was first a student of the Baptist before he became a disciple of Christ, and he echoes his words in 1 John 2:2, "He (Christ) is a propitiation not only for our sins, but also [for the sins of] the entire world [of unsaved humanity].
6. The Reaffirmation of God's Purpose "for the purpose of demonstrating that He is righteous."
This doctrine certainly bears repeating. Thank God for His righteousness; it is an integral part of who He is. 8
7. The Reality of Propitiation, "at this present time."
The present time is the Church Age. The previous ages only had a shadow of the good things to come; we have the reality of the finished work of Christ on the cross.
8. The Result of Propitiation, "so that He keeps on being Just even when He justifies him."
Paul returns to the theme of Romans 3:24, justification:
Romans 3:24
being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
Our focus is on what it means, "to be justified as a gift, or being justified freely." First, we learn from Paul that the attribute of divine justice is involved, "so that he keeps on being just." The best way to understand divine justice is to view God as a Judge, sitting in the supreme court of heaven, administering perfect justice. Whether He is dispensing judgment or blessing, He does so with absolute fairness:
Deuteronomy 10:17
"For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.
There is a sequence to be noted. Once propitiation occurs, the justice of God is free to bless us when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must remind ourselves at all times of the outraged holiness of God that our debt of sin incurs. The judgment, which was due us all, was transferred to Christ. Jesus on the cross receives the wrath of God and pays our debt. Now Justice is satisfied (propitiated) and now free to justify us.
Justification is an immensely powerful doctrine and needs to be seen in its own doctrinal category 9, but we offer some observations for this study. Justification is the judicial verdict of God in declaring the gospel believer righteous. This has to do with our standing, in Christ Jesus, and not our state. God views us and graciously deals with us through the cross. Once, we were condemned and judged guilty by the justice of God, but now the verdict comes from the Judge on high, Acquitted!
Romans 8:1
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Notice the phrase in Christ Jesus. Again, this is my standing. How blessed is this truth! Here is the reason why? We still commit sin, yet our standing is permanent and eternal, and once we have been declared righteous, God regards us as being righteous forever in Christ Jesus. We know that in our hearts, sinful thoughts, motives, and actions will occur in our lives (our state); nevertheless, the divine Judge has removed our condemnation and guilt. We have been set free from our past. But there is more. God has provided for us to live a righteous life. Being righteous (not sinless) means we can do what is right in God's sight:
1 John 2:29
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
9. The Appropriation Method "by believing in Jesus."
The work is done; all that is left to do is believe in Jesus. Dr. Frances Schaeffer says:
Our faith has no saving value. Our religious good works, our moral good works, have no saving value because they're not perfect. Our suffering has no saving value. We would have to suffer infinitely, because we have sinned against an infinite God; and we, being finite, cannot suffer infinitely. The only thing in all of God's moral universe that has the power to save is the finished work of Jesus Christ. Our faith merely accepts the gift. And God justifies all those who believe in Jesus. 10
Furthermore, the plan of salvation from start to finish is the Work of God. ln propitiation, God Himself in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ meets His own standard. Our eternal security is bound up in this work of divine grace. We play no role. Nothing depends on us. We know a plan is no stronger than its weakest link. The Father made sure that in salvation, we were not involved. It is His plan, and He performed it. We are the recipients of great blessing "by believing in Jesus."
Faith Alone in Christ Alone!
VI. The Blessings of Propitiation
A. For Christ: It Affirms His Celebrityship.
Propitiation is the unique work of Christ in satisfying the righteousness and justice of God. When it came to meet the test of righteousness, the sinless and impeccable life of Christ fulfills the divine requirement. While on the cross, our Lord Jesus was punished for our sins. He died twice so that we might be born twice. It is crystal clear. No one could have undertaken the mission of becoming the Saviour of the world, but One. He is indeed the only true celebrity in the universe.
B. For Us: It Opens the Door to The Manifold Blessings of Grace
Propitiation opened the door for the Grace of God to provide salvation for all. Down the grace channel came reconciliation, redemption, imputation, justification, our position in Christ—grace upon grace. We stood hopeless and helpless before a perfect, holy, and righteous God who could not be bribed by any amount of good works. Glory be to the Captain of our Salvation who loves us so much that He endured the cruel and disgraceful cross. lt is no wonder that when our Lord appears in heaven, "they shout with a loud voice. "
Revelation 5:12
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
There is no better time than right now to join in the chorus and praise Him.
Conclusion
As we examine the Work of our Lord on the cross, it is like looking at a diamond. What makes this gemstone so precious are its multisided shapes that sparkle with brilliant light. So it is with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ. One light from the diamond emits the revelation of how the unfailing love of God found a way to provide salvation for us and did so graciously. Another speaks of our redemption from the slave market of sin; again, there is a facet of light, declaring us justified. Of the whole diamond, we stand in amazement and appreciation for the Saviour's love and gifts.
Selected Bibliography
BDAG - Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1979). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chafer, L. S. (1936). The Doctrine of Sin. Bibliotheca Sacra, 93, 263. Chafer, L. S. (1993). In Systematic Theology (Vol. 7, p. 258). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications. Revised, Full-Color Edition, Vol. 4, p. 1030). Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation. Schaeffer, F. A. (1998). The Finished Work of Christ: The Truth of Romans 1-8, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. Seume, R.H. (1942). Divine Propitiation. Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. 99; p.193 394, 469; vol. 100, p.290-295. Walvoord, John F. (1964) The Character and Result of Propitiation, Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. 119, issue 475. Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 2, pp. 60–61). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG. Silva, M., & Tenney, M. C. (2009) The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, M-P.
ENDNOTES
1 Some are advised caution:
The Classical Greek meaning of this word is "to appease by the giving of a gift." Dr. Wuest notes:
Herodotus says, "The Parians, having propitiated Themistocles with gifts, escaped the visits of the army." However, when the word comes over into New Testament usage, its meaning is radically changed. Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 13, p. 110). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
It is used in a religious context to describe an individual giving an offering to a god to appease their wrath or bargain for a favor. This sense is never found in the Bible. For one thing, that will be made more evident; propitiation is the Work of God and not the work of man. For this reason, some theologians, as well as the newer version of the Bible, have not used propitiation in their translation but an atoning sacrifice or to make an atonement. Dr. Wuest's says frankly:
The English word "propitiate" has the meaning of the Greek word as used in classical Greek, namely, to appease and rendered favorable. It is therefore not the correct word to use when translating the New Testament meaning of this word which it has accrued by its usage in the contexts in which it is found. Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 2, pp. 60–61). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
The argument is well stated, but we will retain the translation of hilasmos as propitiation because of the clear difference between the secular use and the Scriptural use. In the secular use, the individual congregant brings a gift; in the Biblical use, God Himself provided the gift that satisfies or propitiates His divine righteousness and justice. The magnitude of this disparity only highlights this special word, not detracts from it.
2 Dr. Chafer teaches how propitiation is the Godward side of the cross. Chafer, L. S. (1993). Systematic theology (Vol. 3, p. 129). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.
3 See Exegesis of Romans 3:25,26. Click Here
4 Nicoll, W. R. (n.d.). The Expositor's Greek Testament: Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 613). New York: George H. Doran Company.
5 Will Varner is the Academic Dean of the Institute of Biblical Studies. (1999). Israel My Glory Issue 4, 49.
6 The worshippers also appeared in circumstances different from those on any other occasion, since they were to fast and to 'afflict their souls;' the day itself was to be 'a Sabbath of Sabbatism. Edersheim, A. (1959). The Temple, its ministry and services as they were at the time of Jesus Christ. (p. 303). London: James Clarke & Co.
7 Seume, R.H. (1942). Divine Propitiation. Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. 99; p.193 394, 469; vol. 100, p.290-295.
8 See the Doctrine of Righteousness. Click here
9 See The Doctrine of Justification Click here
10 Schaeffer, F. A. (1998). The Finished Work of Christ: The Truth of Romans 1-8 (p. 81). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.