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; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:25-26
So earlier the Apostle Paul taught us, what and why Christ is the good news for us all. Today the Apostle Paul teaches us how Christ is the good news. Jesus took your place on that cross, as Paul said “God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His (Christ) blood” It’s interesting when you look at the other English translations NIV states “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of His blood” The Amplified Version says this “whom 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” As you look at the different translations, you get the understanding Christ died for your sins on the cross, and by our faith in Christ and his sacrifice we are declared righteous with God
The word propitiation is very interesting, Gotquestions.org says the word means this “The word propitiation carries the basic idea of appeasement or satisfaction, specifically toward God. Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of an offended person and being reconciled to him.” The only way we can be reconciled or redeemed to God is by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, this is why Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) This is what Christ has done for you, because He loved you and chosen you before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)
Consider these scriptures about propitiation “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) The Apostle John states Christ is the propitiation or atoning sacrifice for us and the entire world! Remember what John the Baptist stated about Jesus “Behold The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)
The author of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, stated the same thing “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17) Jesus Christ, our Lord, our King, our High Priest, made the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice for our sins, the sins of the people, the world. This is a difficult concept for us to grasp, that the Son of God loves us enough to die for our sins, to redeem and forgive us
What did Christ do for guilty sinners like me and you? As the Apostle Paul says here “That He (Christ) might be Just and the Justifier of him (Us) who believes/has faith in Jesus” We are redeemed and justified by our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the propitiation for our sins, who has reconciled us back to our Father, and given us the Holy Spirit, to be Children of God, Amen!
