Propitiation

When I published my first book: "Great Words of the Faith", one of the words with which I dealt was "propitiation". I also looked at the word "expiation" which has a similar, but not identical, meaning. I state: "Expiation refers to that which is judicial; propitiation refers to that which is relational.  Expiation removes a barrier; propitiation removes the barrier, and restores a relationship."

Today, Sept. 20th, is the Jewish "Yom Kippur" - "Day of Atonement". The Complete Jewish Bible translates these words from the First Letter of John as "Also, He [the Lord Jesus] is the kapparah [the atonement] for our sins — and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world." (2:2). 

Two other places where the word is found are: Romans 3:25 - “Whom [Jesus] God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].” (Amp), and I John 4:10 - "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath]." (Amp).

In any case, the action of the Lord Jesus in submitting His body to be a substitutionary sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins and to endure God’s wrath against all the sins of the world, thereby enabling Him to be reconciled to us - to be made "at one" with Him, with Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to our account, is seen in these three verses to be a basic theme of this great truth of Christ’s propitiatory work on the cross. And surely, as John says: “In this is love,” that God would so love us that He would offer up His Son, and the Christ would so love us that He would die for us. Surely, this is love! 

The answer waits!

 After last week's post on the subject of death, I received an email from a very dear young friend. In it, she informed me that she related very much to the post as her cousin, a young woman of only 38 years of age, looking forward to a wedding that had had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 restrictions, had died during the early hours of the previous day, after "a horrendous battle with cancer". She went on to inform me that her mother was struggling to come to terms with the situation, asking the question that most people would ask: "Why her?"

I was able to share with my friend that I could relate to her current situation. I, too, had a cousin who died from cancer (leukaemia, to be precise), and at only 21 years of age. She was, officially, my cousin but, to me, she was the sister I never had. She too was looking forward to her wedding day - indeed, her father and her fiancé went together to cancel the wedding cars, and order the funeral cars. My maternal grandmother was the only surviving grandparent and, at 84, she could only ask, "Why not me?"

A pastor tells of an experience in his youth when he went on a holiday with some friends. he didn't take as much care with his money as he ought to have done and, before the holiday was ended, he had nothing left. He wrote to his father (this happened in the days before mobile 'phones, and WhatsApp!) requesting that he be sent some more cash. However, his father decided that he should teach his son something about the value of money (this definitely happened in an earlier era!), and did not respond to the request. The young man's companions wondered why he had been turned down, but were told, "I'll wait until I get home. Then he'll tell me himself"!

Many of us go through experiences that we don't understand, but the attitude of that son is the attitude that we ought to have towards our heavenly Father - if, indeed, we are His adopted children! Life holds many unanswered questions, but we may have the assurance that the Sovereign God is in control, and that He is working all things out in accordance with His divine plan. He has already said: "... as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isa 55:9). That's why we cannot comprehend all that He is doing in our lives.

We may have to wait until we enter His nearer presence before we receive explanations for many of the difficulties that we face, the trials through which we pass, and the wounds that can bring so much hurt. But even that is not guaranteed. Almighty God is not bound to explain His dealings with us and, I suspect that, in His presence, we will no longer be concerned. We will know, as we cannot know here, that He was right.

Of course, even all of that depends on us being in a right relationship with Him now, through accepting the salvation that was gained for us, at such great cost, at Calvary. And let us remember that, at Calvary, even Almighty God was, for a brief moment of earthly time, separated from the Son. Paul tells us that "For our sake He [the Father] made Him [the Son] to be sin Who knew no sin," (II Cor 5:21). When I shared this thought, in a different context, last Sunday in Lamonzie-St Martin, I said "It is an incredible thought! In the plan and purpose of Almighty God, Jesus, the beloved Son became, for a moment, Sin - sin in all its blackness, its grossness, its wickedness and its sheer evil. And the Father, Who is pure, and without sin, could not look upon this evil and had to turn away His holy eyes. And I often wonder if this was the moment when the Son cried out what we often call "the cry of dereliction," "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46)". The eternal bond was, for that brief period, severed. He knows; and He understands! 

Are you in a right relationship with Father God, through the reconciling sacrifice of the Son, by the power of the Spirit? Before those words already quoted, Paul wrote: "... in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (II Cor 5:19-20).

With Paul, I beseech you, if you are not already so, be reconciled to God.

Making up!

It may surprise some folk, but not all of my reading is Biblical or theological. Indeed, I enjoy a good novel as much as anyone and, with a Kindle, I can now read almost anywhere! Last week I read a series of books from one of my favourite genres: Science Fiction. Like most such books, there was much more of the "fiction" than there was of the "science". However, as long as one takes everything with the proverbial "pinch of salt", there should be no harm done.

My reason for mentioning all of that is that the story I read last week actually started me thinking along theological lines! Without trying to provide a synopsis of a four-volume tale, there was one woman, named Deirdre, who had been responsible for a terrible catastrophe that had struck mankind. She was now experiencing great guilt, and was seeking some way by which she might make up to the survivors for what she had done. In theological terms, she was seeking atonement. Sadly, she was unable to do so. Nothing was sufficient to enable her to make up for, to atone for, her terrible deed.

The English-language word "atonement" provides its own definition: "at-one-ment"! Atonement refers to the 'coming together' of God and man. Our sin has created a barrier between us and our loving Creator. Atonement has to do with the breaking down of that barrier. It has to do with reconciliation. So Paul writes that the Father “… through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (II Cor.5:18-19).

At the beginning, of course, there was a close relationship between Father God and the humans He had created - so much so that He walked with them in the beautiful garden in which He had placed this first couple. However, as we read in Gen.3, the serpent deceived the humans, and sin entered the fresh, new world. The close relationship between the Creator and the crown of His creation, was broken - and there was nothing that man could do about it.

In his latest book (A.S.K.) David Robertson writes: "When we do something wrong against a friend or someone in our family, I guess we can make up for it – we can atone for it. I once kicked a ball through a window – and I atoned for it by paying for the glass to be replaced. But when we sin against a pure and holy God, it’s not just a small matter…and it's nothing we can atone for." (ch.17: Forgiveness)

Praise God, He could do something - and He did! He established a ritual of animal sacrifice as "... without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Heb.9:22). You may read all about that in the book of Leviticus. That system led, in time, to a unique sacrifice by which full restoration might be accomplished.  It was in the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, that atonement was fully realised.  It was as He gave Himself, willingly, in fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies, that reconciliation was made.

One of the old hymns that I love begins: "Not all the blood of beasts, on Jewish altars slain, could give the guilty conscience peace, or wash away one stain. But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, took all our sins away; a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they." (Isaac Watts). As I type these words I am listening to a more modern song that proclaims the wonderful truth that "My sins, they are many; His mercy is more."!

Like Deirdre in the story, I can never, however hard I may try, make atonement for my sins. Praise God that He loves me enough that, in the Persona of the Son, He paid the price. It was in the unique sacrifice of the Lord Jesus that restoration was accomplished.  It is in Him that Father God is able to again have a loving relationship with you and with me.  In His humanity, He bore the punishment that we deserved; in His deity, He provided the perfection that alone could satisfy the righteous wrath of the Holy One. "He paid a debt He did not owe, because I owed a debt I could not pay."

Have you responded, positively, to that amazing grace? Have you accepted the reconciliation that was gained for you at Calvary? Are you "at one" with Father God? The offer is there and, as soon as you accept it, you will enter into that new relationship with your Creator that will last throughout eternity. 

[There is a full chapter on the word "atonement" in my first book: "Great Words of the Faith", which I recommend to you (as well as the other two currently available!). Remember that I have no hesitation in promoting these books because (a) I think that they are well worth having (or giving to a friend!) and (b) ALL royalties go directly to the bank account of Release International, in support of the persecuted church. Links available to both paperback and Kindle versions, at the top of the page.]

Shalom.

This evening, at Café Church (now known as Café Christian Fellowship), Bergerac, I had the privilege of bringing the message.  It was based on John 20:19-31, and was titled Being a Peacemaker.  We looked at the wonderful Hebrew word, 'shalom', which is translated 'peace' in English-language translations.  The Greek word in the passage that we read is 'eirene' - but that word is translated by 'shalom' in the Greek-language version of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament).

Okay, so that's the linguistic introduction!  'Shalom' is, however, much more than 'peace' in the sense of 'absence of hostility.  It is, in fact, the peace of Almighty God - an absolute, and total, contentment - and it's available to you, and to me!  It's a personal peace.

However, it is also a relational peace.  I quoted Charlie Brown (from the Snoopy cartoon strips) this evening.  In one particular strip, he said: "I love this beautiful world that God has made.  It's just the people I can't stand!"  I also quoted the older 'jingle': "To be above with saints we love, will be the purest glory.  To be below with saints we know - well, that's a different story"!   Most of us live in some sort of community or other, and it's important that we develop a strategy to cope with this togetherness.  At least part of that strategy is given by the Lord Jesus in the passage.  It's to do with forgiveness!  Is it easy?  Absolutely not!  But if we are partakers of the 'shalom' of God, that will make it easier!   If we are at peace with ourselves, we can be at peace with others, and we can gladly forgive.

The third aspect of 'shalom' is the eternal one, as we find ourselves at peace with God.  That, after all, is the most crucial objective of the coming of the Lord Jesus into the time-space continuum in which we live out our mortal lives.  Paul wrote: "... if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them..  And He has committed to us, the message of reconciliation." (II Cor.5:17-19).  Indeed, it is out of His forgiveness of us, that we are called to forgive those around us!

Jesus said: "Blessed (and the word means 'Happy'!) are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the sons of God."(Matt.5:9).  But I can't be a peacemaker if I don't know peace with God myself!

Shalom!  It's a great word: speaking of peace within, as I experience forgiveness of my personal sins; peace with others, as I am enabled, by the grace of God, to forgive them in turn; peace with God, as I am reconciled to my Father in heaven, through the precious blood of Jesus, shed for me at Calvary.

Do you know that 'shalom' in your own life?  If not, do you long to experience it?  I would be delighted to be of some assistance to you.  Please feel free to contact me using the e-mail address at the top of the page.  Alternatively, if you go to 'My favourite links', you will find a coupls of links that may be of help.

Blessings, and shalom.

Easter Day

"The Lord is risen"  "He is risen, indeed"
The traditional Easter greeting appears, at least in the circles within I move, to have gone somewhat out of fashion.  Yet those eight words encompass the greatest message that has ever been told among mankind.

It's a message of victory.  Paul writes to the early disciples of Jesus in Corinth: "... thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Cor 15:57).

It's a message of hope.  In the same letter Paul says "... Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died." (I Cor 15:20)  In other words, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is not a stand-alone event, but the forerunner of the resurrection to eternal life for all who have placed their trust in Him.  "Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when He comes back." (I Cor 15:22-23).

It's a message of power.  "... the end will come, when He will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power.  For Christ must reign until He humbles all His enemies beneath his feet.  And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.  For the Scriptures say, "God has put all things under His authority." (Of course, when it says "all things are under His authority," that does not include God Himself, who gave Christ His authority.)  Then, when all things are under His authority, the Son will put Himself under God's authority, so that God, Who gave His Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere." (I Cor 15:24-28).

It is a message of reconciliation.  "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation."  (II Cor 5:19).

There's only one relevant question!  It was asked of the people of Jerusalem, by the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate.  "... what should I do with Jesus Who is called the Messiah?" (Matt 27:22).  On your personal answer to that question, hangs your eternal destiny.  Come to Him, "... Who is the living cornerstone of God's temple." (I Peter 2:4) and, confessing your pwn sinfulness, fall before Him, like Thomas, and acknowledge Him to be your Lord, and your God. (see John 20:28).