Jesus Christ Our Propitiation

Introduction

Romans 3:21–26 NKJV

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 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, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

As we begin this morning I want us all to think about something.

Who here has ever given a gift to make amends for something?

If you have every given a friend something because you made them mad.

Or purchased a gift for a significant other after an argument.

Or even just done something special for someone to ease tensions.

If you have ever done any of those things, you have engaged in propitiation.

Propitiation is not a commonly used word so let me define it as we begin this morning.

Propitiation – ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion) place of propitiation; mercy seat. The means of appeasing wrath and gaining the good will of an offended person; especially with respect to sacrifices for appeasing angered deities.

Propitiation – ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion)

The picture is an Old Testament one. In order for Israel to be righteous before God, blood had to be sprinkled on the mercy seat.

We’ll get into this word more later.

For now, I want us to know that propitiation means a way for God’s wrath to be appeased.

Putting it another way, The sacrifice of Jesus Christ satisfied God’s wrath.

The beginning of Ch. 3 carefully sets the stage for what we will examine this morning.

Paul lays out an argument concerning the justice and righteousness of God.

Paul is going to demonstrate that it is just and right for God to judge those who have not believed, yet also just and right to pardon the believer.

How is that possible?

All are guilty and therefore all deserve to be judged.

Yet God has graciously provided a way of escape for those who believe.

The Law exposes our guilt and leaves us in the bondage of sin.

That is when Christ steps in!

It is the intervention of Christ that we want to talk about today.

Paul gives us here the three outcomes of propitiation.

Our goal today is simple.

If you have never trusted Jesus, we want you to trust Him.

If you have trusted Jesus, we want you to serve Him.

Outcome #1…

1. Propitiation Makes God Righteous vv. 21-22a

READ vv. 21-22a

I have heard the beginning of v. 21 called the biggest but in the Bible.

Why?

Because it demonstrates that God is able to be righteous in justifying men.

Let me explain.

Once the Law came, righteousness apart from the Law was impossible.

The Law reveals sin and leaves us doomed.

That is what 3:9-20 are all about.

Especially 19-20. Look with me at those two verses.

Romans 3:19-20

So if the Law can’t make us righteous, where does righteousness come from?

Paul first tells us that the righteousness of God apart from the Law is witnessed by the Law and prophets.

What is he saying?

The ability for people to become righteous apart from the keeping of the law is actually revealed in the law and prophets!

Look at John 5:39 (S).

John 5:39

John 5:39 NKJV

39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

The Law and Prophets testify of Christ!

He enables God and us to be righteous. I will explain that statement. Just hold on.

Look at Matthew 5:17 (S).

Matthew 5:17

Matthew 5:17 NKJV

17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

He came to fulfill the Law and Prophets!

The Old Testament is all about Christ.

When properly understood, the law and prophets point to Christ’s coming!

They witness to God’s righteousness in how He will deal with mankind.

They also proclaim, as we seen in Galatians 3, that the law cannot bring righteousness.

So what does the law do?

It is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

Warren Wiersbe writes that

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Three: Father Abraham (Romans 3:21–4:25)

Under the Old Testament Law, righteousness came by man behaving; but under the Gospel, righteousness comes by believing.

This is such blessing!

Titus 3:5 states (S).

Titus 3:5

Titus 3:5 NKJV

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Not by works, but by His mercy!

The righteousness of God does not come through the Law. It is through faith in Jesus Christ.

God’s righteousness is applied to all who believe.

God doesn’t reveal His righteousness in the law. His righteousness is revealed by faith in Christ.

According to v. 22, The righteousness of Christ is granted to all who believe.

Here’s the bottom line.

Verses 19-20 reveal that the law leaves us guilty before God.

Yet, vv. 21-22 reveals that He declares us righteous through faith in Christ.

This brings us to an important point.

Without propitiation God is unrighteous.

Why do I say that?

Because if God declares sinners to be righteous without anything being done to appease His wrath, He is guilty of a double standard and violating His own holiness!

We are able to be declared righteous only because of Christ’s sacrifice!

All who believe are made righteous.

How?

We’ll get to that.

For now. Here’s the lesson.

Righteousness only comes by faith.

You cannot earn it by keeping the law. The law only exposes our guilt.

You cannot buy, borrow, or steal righteousness.

It must be given.

As we contemplate the gift we receive through faith in Christ, sing with me…

The Power Of The Cross (vv. 1-2)

First outcome. Propitiation makes God righteous.

Outcome #2…

2. Propitiation Makes Us Righteous vv. 22b-24

READ vv. 22-24

Paul says that righteousness is given to those who believe without distinction or difference.

Just as all have sinned and come short of His glory, so all who believe are saved.

Here’s the thing.

We fall short of God’s glory.

That’s what Paul says here.

There are two important points that need to be made.

Two questions we need to answer.

1 - Who has sinned?

All.

What does that word mean?

It means that every single person has sinned.

Is that past present or future?

Past. We all have already sinned.

Second question.

2 - Can we earn forgiveness?

I ask this because most people believe you can.

Most people believe that if they do enough good works, if they are nice and don’t do big sins, the will get into heaven.

Can you earn forgiveness?

No.

In the Greek there is a continual action here.

We continually fall short of God’s glory.

We can never meet the standard because the standard is perfect.

But when we place faith in Christ we are given His righteousness.

Look again at what v. 24 says.

We are justified freely by His grace.

Justified – δικαιόω (dikaioō) justify; declare righteous. To be or become judicially vindicated as having complied with the requirements of the law (of God).

Justified – δικαιόω (dikaioō)

Here’s the thing. We just saw definitively that not only are we not righteous, we cannot make ourselves righteous!

Yet God declares us to be righteous.

How?

Keep reading.

Being justified freely by His grace.

Freely – δωρεάν (dōrean) as a gift; freely. Without payment, free of charge; gratis.

Freely – δωρεάν (dōrean)

What an incredible blessing!

We are justified, declared righteous, freely by God’s grace!

If it wasn’t free it wouldn’t be grace!

To quote Warren Wiersbe again…

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Three: Father Abraham (Romans 3:21–4:25)

The Greek word translated “freely” is translated in John 15:25 as “without a cause.” We are justified without a cause! There is no cause in us that would merit the salvation of God! It is all of grace!

It is a free gift! A gift is given, not earned.

Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this clear (S).

Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

By grace, not works. It is a gift.

We already looked at Titus 3:5, which states it is “not by works of righteousness.”

Why not?

Isaiah 64:6 reveals that all our righteousness is like filthy rags.

The unmerited, unearned favor of God is extended to us for the purpose of justification.

But this justification is very specific.

It is through, or because of, the redemption in Christ.

Redemption = the payment of a price, a ransom.

We are not justified simply on a whim.

We are justified because Christ payed the penalty!

God is righteous in saving those who believe because the penalty for their sin has been paid!

There is only one way for sinners to be redeemed.

Through Jesus Christ.

Keeping the law cannot bring righteousness, only faith in Christ can.

The Faithlife Study Bible states that…

It is not simply all who have faith, but all who have faith in Christ. [1]

This is an important point.

Some teach that as long as you have sincere faith in something, you will be saved.

That is not what Scripture reveals.

The object of our faith is what saves us not the faith itself!

So, God is righteous in declaring righteous all who trust in Christ.

How?

How can God be righteous in cleansing sinners who do nothing to atone for their sin?

That’s what we will look at next.

But first, here’s our lesson.

Righteousness is given to those who believe in Jesus.

It is not earned, it is a gift.

It is not given to those with a sincere faith. It is given to those whose faith is in Jesus.

We are declared righteous by God because Christ paid our ransom.

Without propitiation we are condemned.

As we contemplate this, sing with me the final two verses of…

The Power Of The Cross (vv. 3-4)

First outcome. Propitiation makes God righteous.

Second outcome. Propitiation makes us righteous.

Outcome #3…

3. Propitiation Makes Salvation Possible vv. 25-26

READ vv. 25-26

“Whom” refers to Jesus.

God made Jesus a propitiation through His blood.

Let’s run through our word meanings real quick.

Propitiation = satisfaction.

Redemption = purchased

Justification = declared righteous

God satisfies His wrath – this was laid out in ch. 1.

How is His wrath satisfied?

Through the blood of Christ!

The blood was paid to the Father.

This is how we are able to be redeemed and justified.

But notice, that redemption and justification comes through faith.

By faith we are redeemed through the precious blood of Christ!

Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 1:18-19 (S).

1 Peter 1:18-19

1 Peter 1:18–19 NKJV

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

It is the precious blood of Christ that redeems us!

God Passes over sin previously committed.

Why? Because He was patient looking to the sacrifice that Christ would pay.

Christ satisfied God’s wrath on sin.

Therefore God is just in passing over sin because the penalty has already been paid!

Christ payed the penalty by being the propitiation for our sin.

Christ satisfied God’s just wrath through His death, burial, and resurrection.

The shedding of Christ’s blood appeased God’s wrath.

Hebrews 9:22, 28 teach us of the necessity of blood being offered (S).

Hebrews 9:22, 28

Hebrews 9:22 NKJV

22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Hebrews 9:28 NKJV

28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Christ was offered once!

God was righteous in restraining his punishment of sin in the past because now Christ has borne that penalty!

We are blessed by the forbearance of God!

Forbearance = a delay of enforcement.

God didn’t punish sinful man when we deserved it.

Instead He waited until Christ and unleashed it on Him!

Punishment, or judgment, must be meted out. And so it was, on Christ.

John Witmer writes that

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 3:25a

Jesus’ death is the final sacrifice which completely satisfied God’s demands against sinful people, thus averting His wrath from those who believe.

God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ.

This is all tied in with His righteousness.

Christ satisfied God’s wrath for sin thereby enabling Him to declare righteous all who place their faith in that vicarious sacrifice.

Wiersbe writes that

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Three: Father Abraham (Romans 3:21–4:25)

God declared all men guilty so that He might offer to all men His free gift of salvation.

The death of Christ demonstrates that God is just; sin must be punished.

Yet the death of Christ enables God to declare righteous, or justify, all who place their faith in Christ!

In this way He is able to be just as He declares the guilty to be innocent.

In most cases this would be a huge miscarriage of justice.

But here the penalty has been paid by one other than the guilty party.

The Faithlife study Bible puts it this way.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 3

Paul argued that sin is universal and God’s condemnation is therefore just (vv. 9–18). The apostle now explains that Christ’s death showed that God was not indifferent to sin.

What a blessing! That God can be just while declaring righteous a sinner such as I!

This is what the Sacrifice of Christ does!

God forbears.

He holds off on punishment of sin that we might believe in Christ.

THEN

Those who believe in Christ are declared righteous based on His vicarious suffering for sin.

BUT

Those who do not believe remain under condemnation.

The question is…

Where are you today?

Without propitiation there is no salvation.

It says in v. 26 that God justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

The gospel is simple, it is all about faith in Christ.

Have you trusted in Jesus?

If not, stop working, stop trying, stop depending on your works to save you. They can’t.

Trust in Jesus.

If you have trusted Jesus, rejoice.

Rejoice in the salvation bought by the blood of Christ!

Rejoice that you are His eternally!

Rejoice in the blessings and joys prepared for you!

Rejoice!

Now get busy serving Him.

Here’s our lesson.

Salvation is possible because Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God on the Cross.

Believe in Jesus.

Serve Jesus.

Rejoice in Who He is and what He has done.

Turn with me to 1Corinthians 11:23-32. This is a time for believers to remember the price that was paid. To be reminded of the penalty of sin. Taking part of communion does not save you. This is simply a way for us to be reminded of what Christ has done. If you know the Lord as savior this morning, please join us in bread and juice as we remember Jesus Christ. These are only symbols, they represent the body and blood of our Savior. Examination – verses 26-32

OBSERVANCE OF COMMUNION

The Bread (His Body) vv. 23-24 #188 “At The Cross” (Chorus Only)

The Cup (His Blood) v. 25 #333 “His Way With Thee” (Chorus Only)

Conclusion

Chapters 1-3 of Romans reveal that we are all sinners in dire need of a savior.

They reveal that we have no hope if left to ourselves.

Then we come to our passage.

BUT NOW GOD!

If Jesus Christ had not taken the wrath of God on Himself:

God would be unrighteous.

We could never attain righteousness.

Salvation would be impossible.

BUT GOD!

In Ephesians 2:4 we find another another big "but God.” By the way, the “but God’s” are awesome! (S)

Ephesians 2:4

Ephesians 2:4 NKJV

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

The law reveals our unrighteousness.

It exposes our need of something beyond ourselves to trust in.

And so God, in His boundless grace and rich mercy, sends us Jesus.

This ought to inspire us to action.

As James writes, be doers of the word and not just hearers.

When we walk out of here today I want two things.

I want us to have a deep awe of and appreciation for what Christ has done.

I want us to live for Jesus.

Let’s make it our goal to be more like Jesus this week than we were last week.

God sent Jesus to die, to bear His wrath, and to suffer in our place.

Why?

Because of His great love.

As we close this morning, sing with me

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us

[1] John D. Barry, Michael S. Heiser, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012), Ro 3:22.