The Propitiation of God

Introduction

If you have a Bible, you may want to turn to the text for our lesson today. It’s Romans chapter 3, verses 23 through 26. Which really is one of the most significant passages in the book of Romans. For it comes to answer the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the very point that is made early in chapter one that the gospel is God’s power into salvation to everyone who believes.

Indeed, being justified freely by his grace, the next verse says.

Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ Jesus. It was told that there was a Bible class in which the teacher had every student as he would go down the road to read a verse and to explain the meaning of the verse. You may have sat in a Bible class like that, and I’ve sat in some where maybe the person read the verse and just simply said, Well, it means what it says. But there was this occasion where the gentleman came to verse 25 and he stumbled over this word, whom God set forth as a prop, prophet, pro prop. Finally, he just said, Teacher, I don’t know how to pronounce that word, and neither do I know the meaning of it.

1. What Does the Word Propitiation Mean?

The teacher replied, Well, he didn’t know how to pronounce it either, and didn’t know the meaning, so let’s just skip and go on to the next verse. Maybe you’ve sat in a class like that. But actually, to have skipped this verse and not to understand the meaning of propitiation, they may as well have really misunderstood the rest of Romans. For what preceded this verse led up to the very meaning of this word, and what followed after this verse points back to the meaning of the word propitiation. What does the word mean? God set forth as a propitiation. Interestingly, the Greek word that is translated propitiation here is found only one other time in the New Testament. It’s the Greek word Hilesterion, that is also found in Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 5, where there the writer is describing how that under the law of Moses, the high priest would enter in once a year into the Holy of Holies, and there appear before the mercy seat of God.

This word Helesterion is translated mercy seat. You see, one time a year the high priest would make atonement for the sins of the people. And God had said in Exodus 25 and verse 22, describing his mercy seat, that as the cherubim on either end of the Ark of the Covenant would overshadow the mercy seat on top of the of the ark was a place where God said, I’ll meet you there. I will commune with you there. And therefore, the higher priest would offer sacrifice for the sins of God’s people, that there may be atonement made for them. And in effect, that’s really as the same word is used here in Romans 3 25. It literally carries the idea of the appeasement of wrath. The atonement of God is to appease the wrath of God against sins of mankind.

2. Does God Really Have Wrath?

Appeasement of wrath. Someone may ask, have you ever had an argument with your wife? To ask that is almost the answer, didn’t it? The preacher said he never had an angry word with his wife, needed to tell another one right quick to prop that one up. The fact is, what did you do? Did you buy your wife flowers? Did you get her a box of candy? Did you decide maybe you’d wash the dishes? Or whatever you did, in effect, you were practicing propitiation. The appeasement of wrath. But there are some theologians who would say, Well, wait a minute. What do you mean about wrath? Does God really have wrath? It’s a God of love that we serve. And the modern thinking today is, well, you know, God loves us, and it really doesn’t much matter what we do somehow, some way, everybody’s really going to be saved, aren’t they?

Since he’s a God of love. How many times do we overlook so many passages that speak about what sin causes in our life? In fact, in James chapter 4 and verse 4, very clearly the Bible says, friendship with the world makes one an enemy of God. In Romans chapter 1 and verse 18, where the apostle, even there, after stating how the gospel is God’s power and salvation, he then proceeds to say, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth or hinder the truth. God’s wrath. In Ephesians chapter 5, and in fact, verse 6, the scripture there says that the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. Oh, yes, we turn to John 3.16 and talk about the love of God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal or everlasting life. Are you aware that in that very same chapter, the very last verse of John chapter 3, the scripture says, the wrath of God abides on the unbeliever? You see, God stirred up against those who reject him and refuse to serve him, and who themselves violate his loving kindness toward us. And thereby sinners become subject to the wrath of God. Now, those may claim, well, uh, you know, what do you mean by God’s wrath? Does God really, would our God really punish sinners? Isn’t he of God of God?

And obviously the Bible does speak of our God as love. He is love. But he is also a God who has manifested his characteristic of wrath. If you’re familiar with the story of the Old Testament, time and again, God dealt with the people whom he had loved, had provided their needs, and yet when they turned against him in rebellion, his wrath was against them. You may be aware and remember the story found in Numbers chapter 16. As Moses led the children of God out of Egyptian bondage, and they went to Mount Sinai, and the law was given to them. And from Mount Sinai, they journeyed on toward Canaan, the promised land. But before they got there, even after they sent the spies out and came back, during that period of time, there were three men, particularly named Korah, who was indeed a Levi, who served around the tabernacle and the sacrifices, and along with him Dathan and Bram, who rebelled against Moses as a leader.

Why, Moses, they said, You’ve taken too much on you. Who are you to be leading? You know, there are jealousies among God’s people all through the generation of time, and perhaps this is the occasion where there were these three men who challenged Moses and Aaron for what were what they were doing and leading God’s people. Well, actually, to rebel against Moses was really a rebellion against God, for it was God who had anointed Moses and Aaron to be the leaders of God’s people and Aaron as the high priest. And therefore the challenge was put to the people. That indeed let God discern between who really ought to be leader. And therefore, in Numbers chapter 16, the statement was made that they should come forth. In fact, God would make the choice as they would put fire in their censor and incense in it.

And he said, for these three men, first of all, to stand in front of their tent, or like we would say, in front of your house, for they were, of course, a people who were traveling. Boy, he says, therefore, in front of your tent. And the scripture there speaks how that the earth swallowed them up. They were a people who had rebelled against God’s choice of Moses and Aaron. An earthquake, you might say. And the earth opened up and they fell in. But with them were 250 princes. Or 250 who also said, Well, wait a minute. You know, we kind of stand with Korah and Dathan and Abar. And indeed, Moses and Aaron, who are you to be leading us? Chapter 16 and 35 says, fire came down from the Lord and consumed 250 princes.

Now we may read that and think, wow, that’s kind of hard, isn’t it? But here’s the God of wrath against those who have rebelled against him in his way. In fact, even the next day, the scripture there speaks how that the many in the congregation began to murmur. Can you hear people today say, you know, Korathan and Abiram, they were pretty good people. And those 250, you know, they they weren’t that evil were they. They were good people. And whenever they began to rebel and murmur against God, God sends plagues among them. And then as they began to have the plague and certain began to die, Moses instructed Aaron to take the censor and put incense and move among the people. And before he could really get through all the people, there were another 14,0700 people who’d perish before Aaron could burn the incense in behalf of the people.

Now I think that’s an astounding story. Besides the 250, and these three men and their wives and children, Korah, Nathan and Abiram were all killed, that there was 14,700 more. The statement, though, in verse 46 is, there is wrath come out from the Lord. People who rebel against God, over and over, the scripture shows the characteristic of God that his wrath would come against them. The fact is, God is a God of love. And therefore we may ask the question well, why would our God of love punish anyone? Why would you find a story like that we’ve just illustrated in number 16 that God’s wrath has come out from God, and so many would be perished because of God’s wrath. Perhaps we can go back even to the story in the Garden of Eden.

3. A God of Love and a God of Justice

Where there God’s love and God’s justice are both evident in the story of creation. You see, God is a God of love, but he’s also a God of justice. Justice means that God will deal with his law in a fair and righteous way. I challenge you sometime, if you have a concordance, to open it up and just look up the word justice. You might be surprised how many times God is described as a God of justice and righteousness. He’s a God of love, but he’s a God of justice. In Deuteronomy 22 and verse 4, the scripture says, He is the rock, his work is perfect. For all his ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice and upright is he. In Isaiah 30 and verse 18, for the Lord is a God of justice.

In chapter 35, 33 and verse 5, he has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And these are but a few of the many that can be found. God of justice and a God of love. As I said, yes, even in the Garden of Eden, the fact is that God’s justice and love are both described there. You may remember, no doubt, in Genesis chapter 2, as God was giving instruction to Adam and Eve. There were two trees of significance in the Garden of Eden. There was a tree of life. As man ate of that tree of life, he would live. There’s also the tree called the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And God instructed, in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die. The consequence of sin would be death, Genesis 2 18.

Now, justice carries the idea of the law being upheld. God’s love was manifested to Adam and Eve. Every needful thing was given to them, provided in the Garden of Eden. But when they ate of that forbidden fruit, they were driven from the presence of God. For God’s justice came to pass. You see, there was physical death, first of all, in that Adam and Eve were driven no longer to eat of that tree of life. Physical death began. But more than that, there was the spiritual separation from God. The scripture in Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2 says, Behold, the Lord’s hand is not short that he cannot save, neither his ear heavy that he cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Sin separates from God. Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden because they had eaten of that forbidden fruit. God loved them. But God is just.

4. How Could a Just God Save Anyone?

When we understand what sin does. Does it stir the wrath of God against us? Does the world and us not make us enemies of God? And if God’s wrath is upon sinners, we’re all in trouble, aren’t we? Romans 3 23 that we read a moment ago, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In Romans 6 and verse 23, the wages of sin is death. Here we are with the problem, therefore, that we have all sinned, and who are we, therefore, to find any mercy of God? Do we deserve any? Some may say, well, you know, how could a just God really, if what the scriptures teach us, how could he pat us on our back and say, oh, well, that, you know, that’s just a little thing.

That’s not so serious. And go ahead and please yourself. That’s the way the world wants to picture God, as though he’s saying, Well, it doesn’t really matter. The world wants to undermine the severity of sin. The world wants to ignore, as though God ignores sin. But the Bible never ignores sin. In fact, it’s shallow thinking to question how could God condemn anyone. That’s shallow thinking. We ought rather to ask, how could a just God save anyone? Now think with me for a moment. Let’s just say, for example, someone breaks into your house, and you men, particularly, this man rapes your wife, murders her. Would you then reason, well, how could a good judge punish that man? You wouldn’t reason that way at all, would you? You’d want justice.

5. Mercy, Justice and Grace

If he indeed performed such a grievous deed, you’d you wouldn’t think that judge was unloving. He might be a good judge and a loving judge and loves his fellow man, but you want the judge to be just. And justice would mean that whatever the law said, the penalty for such a crime, let it be exercised upon this man. We understand that in our daily lives. And so it is when we come to the will of the Lord, we begin to understand something about the meaning of the words mercy and justice and grace. You see, mercy carries the idea that one does not receive what he deserves. God is merciful. And if he allows anybody to be forgiven, it’s what we do not deserve. Might ask the question.

Ever been stopped by a policeman for speeding? You don’t have to answer. If he lets you go without a ticket, that’s mercy. Because you deserved the ticket. I’d have to tell you, yeah, I’ve had that happen. Actually, I got stopped in a small town for speeding in a school zone. And I questioned it when the policeman stopped me that I didn’t even see the sign. And he began looking back, and for whatever reason the sign had been taken down. He knew that ought to be a zone for you know about 15 miles an hour. But so I had mercy. I really was illegal, but the sign wasn’t up, so he let me go as mercy. Justice carries where the idea is you receive what you do deserve.

So maybe did you ever get stopped? And you got the ticket, and you had to pay the ticket. Now you had justice. And again, I’d have to say, yeah, there was a time. I was up traveling and through Illinois some years ago. Came to a one stoplight town. Have you ever seen some of those? And you know they watched that stoplight. And they had two lanes right there and been behind an 18-wheeler. This is back before they had interstate through there. And I pulled into the right lane and went on through it only to find out that was a turn lane. Well, I mean, they pulled me back to the judge. I had to pay the fine. That was justice. I’d broken the law and I had a fine.

I paid it. That’s justice. But on the other hand, have you ever had grace? Maybe you broke the law, you got the ticket, but someone else paid it for you. Maybe you’re young and your parents paid it for you. I mean, there was still justice exercise. Penalty was paid, but someone else did it in your behalf. Grace is when one receives what he does not deserve. If he received what he deserved, he would have had to pay the fine himself. Now, speaking of it in a spiritual way, what has God done for us? By his mercy. Through grace, God is still just. If you have your Bible, Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 4 and 5 draws together those three words where it says, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

6. That He Might Be Just and the Justifier

By grace you have been saved. Because of his great love, he does love us. But he’s also just. It is out of his love that mercy is extended. The fact is we do not all receive what we deserve. It is by grace that there is forgiveness provided. But the reality is, my beloved, is that justice is still exercised. The passage that we began with today in Romans chapter 3, verses 23 through 26. In verse 26, the scripture says, How that God set forth his Son as a propitiation by his blood. Verse 26 says, to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. What does it mean that he might be just?

The reality is Jesus paid the judicial penalty. I deserve death, separation from God spiritually. And those who’ve sinned are dead in their sins. But he is the propitiation of God. Jesus Christ appeased the wrath of God against sinners. In fact, as he paid the price by his death, his blood is shed in my place. For the shedding of his blood brought about his death. And so to equate death with blood, because as blood is shed, so there was death. But notice also that not only that he might be just, the next phrase says, and the justifier. He is a justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Now, God wants all men to be saved. And his grace is made provided for all men everywhere.

But the scripture does not say everybody is going to be saved. He’s the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. And therefore, when we come to passages like John 3.16, we begin more fully to comprehend. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Now let’s look at that maybe a little more closely. Whoever believes in him. That passage is sometimes misconstrued, as you may no doubt know. And there are many people who say, well, you know, I’ve accepted Jesus in my heart as though I believe. And it’s kind of like I raise my hand if God wants to know, do I want to be saved? Yeah, I’d like to be saved.

But they don’t do anything more than just simply mentally accept. You really want to understand something about saving belief. I say, take the same book of John, but go to John chapter 12. You really want to understand the kind of faith that saves as described in John 3.16. In the same book in John chapter 12, Jesus speaks about the rulers of the synagogue. He said, Nevertheless, many of the rulers believed, but they would not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. They would not confess. They love the praise of men more than the praise of God. How many are there today who may say mentally, I believe, but they’ve never obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus, in fact, said, He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.

Conclusion

He who believes not shall be condemned. We’re the children of God by faith. But notice the reading in Galatians 3, verses 26 and 27, where the scripture, in fact, states that very clearly. For ye are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. But is it simply a mental faith, a mental agreement only? He answers really the very next verse. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Believe in the Lord, put on Christ, being baptized into him as one who by faith obeys the gospel. Indeed, God set forth Jesus to be the propitiation for my sin for your sin. He is the appeasement of his wrath. I ask you this morning, have you yielded yourself to the gospel of Jesus Christ?

I know there are those in this audience who’ve never been baptized. Now I’m sure if we were to come and ask you, well, do you believe Jesus exists, that he’s the Son of God, and you’d probably say, Oh, yes, I believe that. But you’ve never been baptized. You haven’t put on Christ. God has done so much for you because he loved. But you must remember God is just. And if you rebel in that sense, reject his will, you are the enemy of God, and his wrath abides on you. And eternal condemnation awaits. What a tragic finish when we all have that opportunity to know him and to obey him. We’re going to sing a song in just a moment. We call it a song of invitation.

To extend to you that opportunity to turn your heart to the Lord. Our baptistries fill their clothing prepared. All it takes on the part of you is simply to say, I’m ready, Lord. I believe in the God who gave his only begotten Son. And I believe in the Son who died as the propitiation for my sins. You’re subject to his invitation. We bid you come even now, while together we stand in while we sing.