The Blame Game
The Search for Significance • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I got in my truck the other day and started it up. All of the sudden, a yellow light was flashing indicating that my left rear tire was low on air. I drove over to the closest gas station and paid $2 for air to pump it back up. I drove on to my destination but noticed it was still leaking. I examined it really good and was thinking the whole time, “what idiot left a nail or screw somewhere on the path I have traveled to cause this flat.” I could find anything and I knew my time was limited, so I went to the only place I knew that would be open at 4:45 on a Saturday afternoon and they kindly repaired my tire for $27. Whatever had caused the hole was no longer there and a patch was installed. Had I not acted, I would have been dealing with a flat tire after hours.
As we go through this thing called life, we are faced with many types of inconveniences. My inconvenience I just described was a leaky tire. I immediately assessed blame. First I was quick to blame others. “How dare some idiot leave something in which I could run over. I cannot believe that some fool would be so careless.”
Next I found myself blaming the circumstances. “I cannot believe this is happening to me. I do not have time for this hassle and they are going to probably charge me an arm and leg just to fix it.” There is never a convenient time to deal with a leaky tire. However, I know that I had better take the time to fix it while I could move it than to be stuck on the side of the road somewhere with a flat. After all, I cannot stop. I must go and do and be and nothing needs to slow me down.
I blamed others, I blamed the circumstances, and then guess what I did? I started blaming myself. “Sure there was an idiot that put something on the way of my tire that caused it to leak, and it sure was an idiotic time for me to have to deal with this.” Then I realized something more. I was the idiot that drove over the sharp object that caused the leak to happen. So my mind immediately went to this, “Come on Marlowe, you have to be more careful where you drive! You’re such an idiot for driving over something sharp!” Notice what comes next, “What a failure I am! I have failed therefore I am unworthy of love and God must be punishing me.”
I have just described for you what some call “The Blame Game.” We do it in all kinds of areas in our lives, not just with a leaky tire as I have just described for you. Blame means to hold responsible, to find fault with, or to place the responsibility for usually followed by the word on.
“I cannot believe an idiot caused my flat tire.”
“I cannot believer this is happening to me. My life stinks.”
“I cannot believe how much of an idiot I am to do something so stupid.”
We are quick to blame others, the circumstances and even ourselves. We do this because we all tend to point the finger or assign blame for every failure. We blame to rationalize and to feel better, most of the time to make ourselves feel better.
There is a host of stuff that comes with these actions. We are self-condemning. We become physically or verbally abusive with others. We even condemn others as if God has made us His godly agents of condemnation as if we are licensed to judge.
From this, we have self-induced punishment and bitterness takes root in our lives.
We see this in the very story of the creation. When God confronts Adam with His sin, Adam’s first response was:
The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
He rationalizes his sin and initiates blame. Blaming others, blaming circumstances, and eventually blaming self. Even then, God knew that there was going to be a need to break the cycle.
There is a theological term that helps us see how the cycle is broken. It is called propitiation. It means the wrath of someone who has been unjustly wronged has been satisfied. Interestingly, the term stems from a pagan term The people thought that their gods were unpredictable. When disaster struck, they thought it was punishment from not pleasing their god. So they felt that a well chosen offering would appease the unpredictable ever-changing god and all would be better.
From a Christian perspective, propitiation means that Christ has satisfied the holy wrath of God through His payment of sin. Let’s look closer at the Giver of Propitiation, the Gift of Propitiation and the Gifted of Propitiation.
One passage that will give us great insight is
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
The Giver of Propitiation
The Giver of Propitiation
We have looked for several weeks at several characteristics of God. As we look to Him as the Giver of Propitiation, consider these questions:
Does God conduct opinion polls to determine truth?
Does your opinion effect what truth is?
Does TRUTH matter anymore?
Does God ever change truth?
Does God accommodate man or is man meant to accommodate God?
The answer to the last question is that man is meant to accommodate God. Why?
Simple. The nature of God demands it!
God is holy. There is no greater holiness than that of God. The Bible shows great emphasis on the holiness of God’s holiness. God alone is majestic in holiness.
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
“Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
“There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
God is transcendent. The word transcendent means that which is supreme, like no other, and superior to everything. When we say that God is transcendent, we are saying that His sovereignty over all the earth is greater than anything and everything. God is high and lifted up above all persons and all things. He is qualitatively superior to everyone and everything. He is Lord and there is no one, absolutely none, like Him. Yet, His people are close to Him because He allows them to be! What a Giver He is!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
“Dominion and awe belong to God;
he establishes order in the heights of heaven.
God is so great, so high and so lifted up, we humans are like worms to Him!
GTheod is eternal.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
He always has been and He always will be.
Abraham called Him the Eternal God in Genesis 21:33.
David prayed in 1 Chronicles 29:10:
David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, O Lord,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
The Giver of Propitiation gave us the Gift of Propitiation.
The Gift of Propitiation
The Gift of Propitiation
An interesting thought here to help us further understand, propitiation is also known as atonement. What exactly did this atonement do for us? God as the Giver gave us the Gift. God allowed the gift to be the One that took our griefs and sorrows.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
Ever personalized this verse?
He took up MY infirmities (my sickness and separateness).
Think about this, Jesus was God. He had to ability to heal, yet He took on my bodily diseases so I would not have to for eternity!
He carried MY sorrows.
He had the ability to raise the dead and make all wrongs right, yet He took them own so I could spend eternity in joy and peace.
He had blows and bruises.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
He was pierced for my transgressions.
He was crushed for my iniquities.
The bent-ness of human nature is the blame we carry. Jesus took my blame.
He took my punishment and because of His wounds and stripes I am healed. Healed means that I am restored and completely whole.
The Servant took all the wrongs that have ever been done and all the abuses that have ever been given, the worst times of anyone’s life. There is evidence during the crucifixion.
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
By taking on these horrible and dark acts, He also took them away. The Giver gave the ultimate gift.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
The idea of the word “laid” means that it was done with a purpose. It literally means caused to make happen. God took all our blame, placed it on one substitutionary victim. The Servant was and is the solution of the Lord for every bit of blame and need of you and me as sinners.
These verses stress that what the Servant did, He did alone. He was the agent and we are the beneficiaries.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
So what does that mean for us?
The Gifted of Propitiation
The Gifted of Propitiation
It means 3 things:
First, we are fully forgiven.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
Secondly, we are forever redeemed.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Thirdly, we are finally free.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
We do not ever have to be enslaved by the burden of blame and the guilt that comes with it! We are set free in Christ when we say yes to Him and follow His ways! Why?
Simply put, Jesus Paid It All.
