Appeasing God.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26 ESV)

Last night I was blessed to preach at the new ministry at which I serve the Lord. God always works his will, and it was a great night preaching what I believe to be the most important verse in the Bible. It was my very first post on this blog, but loving the purity of the words of Paul; I cannot help but post on it again.

Romans 3:23-26 is important for several reasons. One, it clearly identifies the gospel of Christ Jesus. Paul writes to us about what Jesus did for us. He starts by reminding us that we are all sinful in nature. “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” We all sin; even after being saved, we sin, but we repent our sins after being gifted our salvation. We understand we cannot be holy on our own.

Top Floor Please

God is Holy. Holy means separate from. God is elevated so far above us by His purity, righteousness, and holiness that He exists on a level we can never reach. God’s holiness poses what I like to call a divine dilemma. What does a good God do with an unholy man?

If we read Proverbs 17:15 ESV, the author writes, “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” So, how can God justify the wicked and not be an abomination?

Will the Real God Please Stand Up

Today’s society rejects a Biblical view of our God. Preachers only teach a God of love, and few teach about God’s wrath or anger. But I put it to you that there cannot be one without the other. Our God is a God of Anger, Love, and Justice. In my view, one cannot love without hate. Many people say God hates the sin, not the sinner. Well, this idea is not biblical. We see in Psalm 5:5 ESV, “The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.” God hates sin and those who commit it. If you love Jesus, you must hate Satan. If you love African Americans, you must hate racism and slavery. If you love Jewish persons, you must hate Antisemitism and the Holocaust. If you are indifferent, you are no different than those who do these things.

Paul wrote we are: “justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, who God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

Whats That Mean

First, let’s look at the word propitiation. Jesus has been called a ransom, a sacrifice, a substitution, and many other things depending on which translation of the Bible you read. Here is why propitiation is the proper word to describe Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Propitiation means appeasement of God. Jesus appeased the wrath of God against our sins. Jesus placed our sins on His back, was nailed to a tree, becoming a curse, and died so that His blood, the blood of Christ Jesus, would cleanse us of our sins.

Another Big Church Word

Second, let’s look at the word forbearance. Forbearance is the postponing of a payment. God postponed the sins of the past found in the Old Testament. So, what sins did God delay payment on? How about Noah, a drunk and a sinner; Abraham, a liar who did not believe in God’s words given to him by an angel; David, a murderer and adulterer; the Israelites, idol worshipers who constantly turned their backs on God? The list goes on and on.

In my mind, I can see Satan, the great accuser standing before God and asking Him. How could you cast me out of heaven and not punish these so-called servants? Abraham, you call a friend; he was a liar. He never believed you. Noah was a drunk. Yea, he saved a lot of your animals and then got so drunk he passed out naked and had to be covered up by his sons. David, a man after your own heart, I laugh. David was a murderer. He got another man’s wife pregnant, adultery, and then had her husband murdered so he could have his wife and make the child look legitimate. I can see God looking at Satan and pointing to a hill, saying, do you see that cross up there? Right now, my Son dies not only for their sins but for anyone who believes in Him.

Who Really has the Power

Many look at the sacrifice of Jesus and wrongly say He was a payment to Satan. This idea is absurd. Jesus said, fear the one who has the power to throw you into hell. My friends that is not Satan; that is God. We are saved from God, by God, for God. God has the power to throw you into hell, and many will go there. Jesus, when he rose from the dead, unlocked the door to heaven for all who believe in Him. The gate to hell is vast; many will walk through that gate by choice. Narrow is the door that Jesus unlocked to heaven, and those who will walk through it are blessed.

If you don’t know Jesus seek Him. If you are seeking Him for the first time and do not yet know Him, reach out to us here at In Messiah through our contact page.

Blessed be the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. All praise Christ Jesus.

Peace and Grace