PROPITIATION
Romans 5:6-11
Romans 5:6: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”
Propitiation [pro-pit-chi-A-shon]. Don’t you love learning new words? This one is a doozy. Propitiation means satisfying another’s anger. Placate, appease, mollify, soothe, pacify all define the word propitiation. A deeper understanding of propitiation is: Giving something in exchange for something else.
In other words, soothing another’s anger comes with a price. We all can relate. Just saying, “I’m sorry” rarely satisfies the one who’s been wronged. An exchange of gifts or favors usually sets things right.
Our heavenly Father sets the rules. He originally decided that forgiveness of sin must ALWAYS be paid for with blood. This is because blood is the life force in a living being (Leviticus 17:11). The Bible’s Old Testament is filled with priests sacrificing animals for forgiveness of people’s sins.
“The wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23). Christ shed His blood and died as the LAST sacrifice in exchange for the Father’s forgiveness of peoples’ sins.
Ephesians 1:7 promises, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. A great exchange!
We get life from death!
We get life from death!
Jesus dying for us is His most awesome act of love. Why would He willingly come to earth as a human/divine baby? He had to learn how to be human, then grasp His divinity—AND His Father’s purpose. Can you accept that you are on earth to fulfill the Father’s will? Imagine if you learned that you were born on earth to DIE!
And worst of all: death by crucifixion!
Our Father’s plan to rescue humans from certain eternal death provided everything we need for salvation:
Propitiation. The Father accepted Jesus’ death as payment for sins in exchange for forgiveness of human sins.
Forgiveness. The Father’s justice is satisfied.
Justification. Jesus’ sacrifice satisfied the Father to declare Believers not guilty. In addition, while we still sin in our earthly lives, our Father sees His kids as righteous as His Son. And He promises to never change His mind.
Healing. Isaiah 53:5 promises, “By His wounds we are healed.”
Reconciliation [rek-kon-SIL-i-a-shon. Christ’s death bombed that wall of sin separating us from the Father. Now His kids are free to roam straight into His throne room and pile up on His lap anytime we want to!
Take Home Nugget
Crucifixion was the ONLY way humans could have been redeemed. Because our lives are so important, Jesus agreed to the Father’s plan to rescue us from certain and permanent death.
Thank You Jesus for sacrificing Yourself for me! Amen.
Adapted from “The Greatest act of Love” by Dr. Charles Stanley. April 9-10, 2016. www.intouch.org.
J.D. Griffith
Here’s another eBook by J.D. Griffith:
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