Mr Xolani Roy Zaca this is a response from me to you regarding your question about Atonement or as it is mentioned in the bible in certain places as Propitiation. The meaning of Propitiation: Propitiation means to appease or satisfy someone; to make amends for a wrong that has been committed. It speaks of how God is completely satisfied with Jesus Christ atonement. The word propitiation is found 3 times in the scriptures. Once in the book of Romans 3 vs 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; and twice in 1 John 2vs2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Lastly again in 1 John 4vs 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The Scope of propitiation(meaning the area which it works and covers.) The basis on which God saves a believer is the propitiation sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God through Jesus appeased His own wrath against the sinner by paying the penalty His justice demanded Himself. As a result, God can justify a believer without compromising His righteousness; He can accept him into His family without accepting his sin! The old testament sacrifices were a shadow of Jesus Christs coming atonement(Hebrews 10). To receive remission of sins then, a person had to apply the blood of bulls and goats on the mercy seat of the tabernacle(or temple). The mercy seat, which was on the ark of covenant, was the place of atonement, the place where sins were forgiven and Gods wrath appeased(leviticus chapters1 to 16). These elaborate sacrifices however could not take away sin; they could only cover it(Hebrews chapters 9 and 10). They had to be offered continually because there was no offering yet available which could take the sins away. God had no pleasure in the animal sacrifices. He established them to show man that he is a sinner, that sin requires payment(death), and that the payment could be paid by a substitute(Heb10:5-8). These sacrifices continued for hundreds of years, yet the thousands of animals offered could not permanently satisfy Gods wrath. They were to prepare mankind for the one to come who could( Rom3:20; Gal 3:24) When the fullness of time came God sent to earth the only personin the universe who could propitiate His wrath for eternity. It was His only begotten son(john1:18). He came to shed His sinless blood and die a substitutionary death to take away the sins of the world(John 1:29). Jesus took the place pf the world, and God poured all the wrath He had towards the world out on Him. JESUS ONE SACRIFICE FULLY MADE AMENDS FOR ALL ITS SINS (ROMANS 3:25;HEB9:26,HEB10:12). Though Jesus died for the whole world, the world will not be saved(Matthew7:13-14). Each individual must personally accept Christ for His atonement to apply to him(john1:12-13). Under the law God showed mercy at the mercy seat. Now, Jesus Christ is the mercy seat- the place of atonement. The only way a person can receive atonement for their sins is to go to the mercy seat(Jesus) and accept his work on our behalf. The believer will never experience Gods wrath; the sacrifice of his indwelling substitute(Jesus Christ) has eternally satisfied the Lord and his laws curse against him.(gal3:13).. Now I hope this helps you Xolani..without the Atonement that Jesus made we would still be slaughtering bulls and goats...eish.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 14:37:08 +0000
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