Propitiation…
Rom 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Rom 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
Along with the word justification, every believer needs to know and understand the meaning of the word – PROPITIATION.
It is the Greek word – HILASTERION – which in classical Geek imagery was the word describing the act of appeasing the Greek gods by a sacrifice, of rendering them favourable toward the worshipper.
In other words, the sacrifice was offered to buy off the anger of the god and buy his love.
It’s the image used in the classic old movies where the people would want to cast the damsel into the raging volcano, so the god of the volcano would be pleased with the sacrifice, and thus cease the volcano erupting and the people would be safe.
How does this fit with Christ you say?
Well, our God does not need to be appeased nor is His love for sale. The English word ‘propitiate’, has the meaning of the Greek word namely in the sense of appeasing and rendered favourable.
Biblically it refers to the act of getting rid of sin which has come between God and man.
This same word – HILASTERION – is used in Leviticus 16:14 – “He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
The word is used to refer to the golden cover on the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, where on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice.
Paul is teaching us by the use of this word, propitiation, to explain that the blood of Jesus Christ, satisfies the just requirements of God’s holy law which humanity broke, that it pays the penalty for man, and therefore removes that which had separated between a holy God and sinful man, sin, its guilt and penalty!
So ,our Lord is both the Mercy Seat and the Sacrifice which transforms the former from a judgment seat to one where mercy is offered a sinner on the basis of justice satisfied – propitiation!
God the Father set forth our Lord Jesus Christ as the One who would be the SATISFACTION for our sins.
But Paul is careful to mention that the benefits of His sacrifice , His precious blood, are only available to one who places his or her faith in the efficacy of His blood which was shed!
Two words – justification, which we covered last Sunday morning, and propitiation, are both that we could describe as the ‘strong meat’ as stated in Heb 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
Heb 5:13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Good eating…