The Cross - The Place of Propitiation

Study Guide: The Cross – The Place of Propitiation Reading: Romans 3:21-26 Factual [quick fire] Answers – from the text: What has been made known? (3:21) What previous indication was there about the existence of the new righteousness? (3:21) Who is the source of this righteousness & how does a person obtain it? (3:22) What heritage do you share with every person who has ever lived? (3:23) What justifies us in God’s sight & what is the cost? (3:24) What did God do to provide a means of justification and forgiveness for every believer? (3:25) Implications to Consider: See verses 25-26 Propitiation: The sacrifice that absorbs or appeases the righteous anger of God, so that the due legal penalty is paid, and GOD’s wrath is deflected from the sinner to the SON! • How might a non-believer feel about God after reading verses 25-26 and why? • What do we know about God’s character so that we understand that a justice-price had to be paid for us to be right with Him? Stuart Townend describes propitiation in his hymn. The last line in this verse especially gets to the heart of propitiation: When every unclean thought, and every sinful deed Was scourged upon His back and hammered through His feet. The Innocent is cursed, the guilty are released; The punishment of God on God has brought me peace. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement [propitiation], through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. • Why does this verse help you… …if seeking certainty of forgiveness? …if seeking assurance of being loved by God? Take Abraham for instance: Find the verse in Genesis which shows that he was a forgiven sinner. He was forgiven on the basis that the Son of God would die for him one day in the future. • When were Abraham’s sins actually punished by God? [When did ‘the punishment of God on God’ take place?] See 25b-26 [So, all the OT believers were forgiven on the basis that Jesus would pay the penalty in the future. God was patient during the OT period whilst the actual propitiation had not been made in world history. Now it has and God’s justice has been clearly seen – together with His love!] • How did providing Christ Jesus as a propitiation demonstrate the justice of God? (3:25-26) • Mull this over between you and turn it into prayers of praise: Who has completely dealt with your sins against God and why is the who so significant to us?