Romans 3:19-26
M. Kelly
July 7, 2013
Paul spends nearly three whole chapters dealing with God's wrath. He is still dealing with God's wrath as he deals with justification and God's righteousness.
The first thing Paul articulates about the Gospel is God's righteousness.
Righteousness is obtained through faith which is a free gift of God. What is faith?
Faith is specific, particular, never blind, believes and trusts in Jesus for righteousness and the forgiveness of sins. We can not make faith anything we want it to be. Faith has knowledge.
Faith also learns and grows and perseveres through many difficulties.
Justification is different than pardon. It says you have the right to come. We have the right to heaven because of our righteousness that Christ has given us through faith.
When the Holy Spirit applies the gift of faith it believes in Christ's atoning work and His righteousness on our behalf.
Justification declares something about us and sanctification does something to us. Both are the work of God!
Justification took place in the past and we will see the full effect on the judgement day. We have a very vague idea of salvation in this life because it is not about the here and now. It is about the last day! We need to live in light of that verdict now.
Redemption is a ransom paid and accepted securing a release. The ransom was Christ and the price was His life. We have been purchased by Christ to be saved from God's wrath. It is finished.
What is propitiation?
God has provided a satisfaction of His wrath.
The Gospel is good news because there is a way to deal with the wrath of God on the great day of judgement!
All of these doctrines explain each other. Faith is further amplified when we look at righteousness, wrath, justification, etc.
Those who are given true faith will grow deeper and deeper in the meaning of faith. We are never "there" when it comes to faith. "O ye of little faith!"
Faith is the schoolhouse of God where we will learn and grow. Church is simply the beginning of the reality to come. We give people at church the truth of Scripture because that is the theme of Scripture. If we attract them with entertainment then we have to keep entertaining.
1. The Father and Son are united in salvation.
v. 24, 25 The purpose is from God and it is effectual. Men are saved by the sovereign activity of God.
Notice who men are at odds with? They scoff at the idea of wrath. To deny wrath is to hate the God of the Bible. Their anger is at God.
v. 25 What is propitiation. It means the removal of wrath because the means of it has already been accomplished.
It is the appeasement of wrath because the means of that appeasement has already been accomplished. Many reject this because they believe God is all a God of love that He has no wrath toward men.
God provide the propitiation for Himself through Christ.
Many translators won't use propitiation because the wrath of God is distasteful to them. This is a sinister feature of many modern translations.
The OT use of this word refers to the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies. The High Priest entered once a year to sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people. It always pointed to the atonement of Christ. It did't really atone for anyone's sins. It acknowledged what was to come.
Four elements:
1. An offense to be taken away
2. A Person offended
3. An offending person
4. A sacrifice, a means of making an atonement, a propitiation
The God of the Bible is a God whose wrath must be appeased. It's not that you need your sins forgiven so God can love you. That is not the Gospel. The thing that is closest to the truth is the biggest enemy of the truth.
John 3:36 wrath abides on him
Romans 5:8-9 saved from wrath of God
God is personally offended against sinful people not sin!
Many teach that we are the offended party by sin. Sin has affected us and keeps us from reaching our full potential. Forgiveness frees us from those chains so we can live to our potential. Hogwash! Sin is offensive to God. Is.52 1 Jn 2:1-2
What is the sacrifice? Or rather who is the sacrifice?
It's a person who has been offended and it can only be taken out on a person. The wages of sin is death and it was taken out on Christ.
Christ's death propitiates God. 1 John 4:10
Redemption is seen here too.
We've been redeemed by Christ Himself. God has made the propitiation. 1 Peter 1:17-19 Lamb of God...the blood of the Lamb. It pointed to death....a sacrifice for sin. Only death can atone for sins.
Acts 20:28 purchased with His own blood
Heb. 9:12 through His own blood
Great misunderstanding about the blood. There is no mysticism about it. Christ's blood is what washes our hearts clean and propitiates the wrath of God. Without the shedding of blood is no remission of sins. Sin always points toward death!
Heb. 9:22 without shedding of blood there is no remission
We often try to atone for our own sins by being better. Not a bad idea, obedience is pleasing to God. God is pleased with His own propitiation.
1 John 2:1-2 We had an advocate with the Father....He Himself is the propitiation for our sins.
Shall we sin that grace may abound? Of course not! When we sin we can't make up for it. It's not a balance. Christ has appeased God's wrath for sin. It's our union with HIm that gives us access. Let's go to God with what He is pleased with. Not our own efforts, but the work of Christ on our behalf!
Gen. 22:8 God will provide for Himself a lamb for the sacrifice
What is the channel of propitiation?
It is through His Son through faith in His blood and death. The faith of the gospel is a command. It's a summons. Repent and believe. God given faith is necessary for propitiation. Those who hear and acknowledge their sin and feel the burdening weight of sin and the wrath of God embrace the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We see our only hope in Him alone. We believe Him to be the object of wrath in our place. His righteousness is imputed to us. These are the objects of faith. Romans 10:16-17
John 3:24-36 speaks the words of God (Jesus speaks)
John 8:47 people do not hear because they are not of God
The one who hears the words of God is of God but the one who will not hear is not of God. Faith comes by hearing the truth not by telling men what they want to hear.
Do we believe God's wrath is appeased towards us? This is part of faith! Faith is not defined on it's own and then claimed. Faith is defined by God. True faith believes the Word of God.
***It's not believing in God that saves. It is believing God that saves***
Calling it sin in the community is easy. But calling it sin in our own life is difficult. We must see our own sin in light of the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ.
Ezekiel 33 The responsibility of the preacher of the Word of God. Preaching the gospel is not optional. Hearing the gospel is a very serious and solemn thing.
Men want grace without redemption and peace without propitiation. They want the blessings of God but they don't want the God who has set forth the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Men want peaceful existence without God. They don't want the God who defines what these things are. They want a God to give them what they need but what about the appeasement of God's wrath?
🌞🌻Marsha🌻🌞
He is the Α and Ω and everything in between. Îστιν ÏŒ Α Ω. (Revelation 22:13)
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