PASSAGE: Romans 3:25 ESV
[Jesus Christ] 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.
Let me begin this exhortation by reminding us of two things about God:
First, God is love and so he doesn’t want anyone to perish.
Second, God is just and justice demands that penalty for every sin.
Since God is just, it is but right that he should be wrathful against sin. But to save his people whom he loves he gave his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus shed blood and gave his life— he died on the cross to provide what? “Propitiation”. This word basically means a sacrifice that turns wrath into favor.
Why did God do this? The second half of the verse says that is is meant to show that God is righteous. For in the ages past particularly in the Old Testament times, God in his forbearance just passed over sins. But how could a just God ignore sins? How could he be righteous if he allows sins to go unpunished? Is he like a trial court judge paying lip service to justice then acquits the wrongdoers? Of course not!
The penalty for sin has been paid for, but it is God himself who provided the payment for sin. He sent his Son Jesus, the Sinless One, to take upon himself all the punishment that the sins of his people deserve.
God is love; it is proven at the cross.
God is just; also proven at the cross.
It is for these proven truths that we could altogether sing:
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me (2X)
(~Before the Throne Above)
No comments:
Post a Comment