Life has been busy lately. I’m grateful for the transitions and growth that I’ve been able to witness in my adult-children’s lives, and I’m humbled to be privy to their walks with Christ. Not to mention, the splendid opportunities to tell them about Jesus’ love and never-ending mercy. My life is a constant and unrelenting reminder that my God is exceedingly, abundantly good and faithful.
That all leads me here… to once again point to Christ’s mercy and grace; of which, I can speak of until He calls me home.
Do you know what word I love? Propitiation.
I had never even heard it, until some years ago when my then-pastor was unpacking the book of 1st John. This past Sunday, my now-pastor touched on that verse again. Again, I love that word, it’s a good word.
So what does propitiation mean? Well, it’s defined as, “the action of propitiating or appeasing a god, spirit, or person” and, “atonement, especially that of Jesus Christ” that’s according to Oxford Languages.
Well, what does that mean? That means that Jesus, His sacrifice, was what God required to atone (or mend or repair) what was broken by our sin. God, because he is infinitely good, and just, and righteous, cannot neglect the debt sin perpetuates. He can’t just ignore it guys. He’s way too good for that. AND … not in the “good” worldly sort-of-way, but “good” in the bad-doesn’t-even-exist sort-of-way. I don’t think we can accurately fathom that kind of “good”. So, scripture tells us that the wages of sin are death, it also tells us that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In other words, you ain’t special… we all suck.
That wage must be paid because if not, then God would be like us… ever changing and ever wavering and well, not HIM. So, a sacrifice is needed to atone (or make right) that which we broke. Enter, Jesus. He paid our debt. He perfectly and forevermore satisfied a righteous and holy God’s requirement to mend what is broken. God’s wrath (fervent anger) over our sin, was forevermore satisfied by the perfect sacrifice which was Jesus on the cross. Jesus satisfied God. Propitiation. Beautiful.
Now, if you’re an unbeliever none of that makes any sense whatsoever. One could argue that if God were “so good” then why can’t He just forgive us?
Well, He is so good… that, that is what HE does. HE forgives.
God, being holy and good, made a way for us to be forgiven, and this is where it comes in… His grace, it is that gift of forgiveness that we do not deserve. That gift of forgiveness for our sins was purchased, (just like when you buy a gift for your beloved… you paid for it) well Jesus paid for our gift. Jesus, who IS GOD… don’t forget that! HE is God, HE paid for your gift of forgiveness. HE paid with HIS life. Here we have MERCY. Mercy, is withholding what is deserved.
Jesus paid for my gift of forgiveness with His perfect sacrifice: offered up as payment for my sin. HE atoned (or mended) what I broke… not because I deserve crap, but because I couldn’t do that myself, and most of all because, GOD IS GOOD.
The wages (what’s owed) for sin (what I’ve done) is death. Jesus, is the propitiation (the payor of my debt, the mender of what I’ve broken - from my past, present and future) for my sin. I cannot save myself. God’s grace (the gift of forgiveness) and God’s mercy (Jesus actually paying my forgiveness) is the most mind-blowing concept that this unbelieving world has ever encountered. With 1 very important caveat… those gifts of mercy and grace are for ALL … IF (and guys… it’s the IF that gets us) IF, we believe and put our faith in Jesus.
For an unbeliever, that faith in God, the understanding that we can’t save ourselves, the acknowledgement that we are sinners, unworthy, and unable to fix anything, proves to be too much. Too big of a leap for them to take. It was too big of a leap for me to make… 29 years I lived on this planet without knowing Christ. Too long… but HE saved me, and I accepted that HE is the propitiation for my sins. How can I not be blown away by that?
And yet…
We, the body of Christ, which should live daily lives in utter gratitude and humility for these gifts our LORD has given, fail to display those very attributes of grace and mercy to others.
How does an unbeliever reconcile that? The very people talking about “propitiation” are the very people that treat me like crap. Why would I follow that? Why would you?
Yes, I can speak of God’s grace and mercy forever… and ever. But… is that how I’m living? In utter submission to a God who made a way for me to be forgiven? Am I living like I’m grateful to Christ for the price He paid?
A self-proclaiming Christians’ lack of grace and mercy, is unacceptable. After all, if honoring God means loving HIM, and loving people: then, isn’t not extending mercy and grace a manifestation of our ingratitude?
Propitiation. It’s a really good word.
I pray that I live as if I’m grateful for the gifts God has so generously lavished upon me.