Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20060205.htm

UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WORK AT THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST
Part IV: Understanding The Work Of Propitiation At The Cross
(Romans 3:25 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. At the heart of the debate over the meaning of Christ's cross is the issue of the meaning of the words in Scripture that are translated "propitiation", cf. John F. Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord (1969), p. 171.
    2. Liberal Theologians and now some Evangelicals deny the idea of an angry God and hold "God's love does not require satisfaction", so for us to define "propitiation'" as the "satisfaction" of God's wrath is to err, Ibid.; John H. Armstrong, gen. ed., The Coming Evangelical Crisis (1996), p. 33-36, 119-124!
    3. We view the word's use in Scripture to discern IF it means a satisfaction of God's wrath (as follows):
  2. Understanding The Work Of Propitiation At The Cross, Romans 3:25 et al.
    1. The Greek word hilasmos is used only in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10 of the New Testament (Arndt & Ging., A Grk.-Engl. Lex. of the N.T., p. 376) and it is rendered "propitiation" in the KJV; George Smeaton wrote of its use in secular literature, claiming: "The uniform acceptation of the word in classical Greek, when applied to the Deity, is the means of appeasing God, or averting His anger; and not a single instance to the contrary occurs in the whole Greek literature," Smeaton, The Apostle's Doctrine of the Atonement, p. 455, as cited in Leon Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, p. 126.
    2. That being so, 1 John 2:2 [with 4:10] reveals Christ is the hilasmos "for our sins", or the means of averting God's anger' in reference not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world!
    3. Now, just how Christ averted God's wrath is explained in the use of related word, hilasterion as follows:
      1. Though the Greek word, hilasmos means "propitiation," a related noun, hilasterion pictures "that which propitiates" or the "means" or "gift to procure expiation" itself, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich.
      2. Accordingly, Romans 3:25 reveals God set forth Christ to be an hilasterion, or means to procure the aversion of His anger' "through faith in his blood" as Christ bore our sin on the cross, 1 Peter 2:24.
      3. Thus, God's wrath was poured out on Christ in our place as our substitute when He bore our sins on the cross, and thus Christ's work on the cross appeased God's wrath against us sinners and our sin!
    4. Another use of the word, hilasterion confirms for us the substitutionary nature of Christ's atonement:
      1. The Septuagint "uses hilasterion of the lid on the ark of the covenant, which was sprinkled with the blood of the sin-offering on the day of atonement," Ibid.
      2. Well, Hebrews 9:5 also uses hilasterion to refer to the mercy seat over the ark of the covenant, Ibid.
      3. The way the blood of the sin-offering was used in reference to that mercy seat lid clearly illustrates the fact that Christ's death averts the wrath of God against us and our sin (as follows):
        1. Under the mercy seat, within the ark itself, were put the pot of manna, Aaron's rod and the tables of the law (Hebrews 9:5), and each of these objects acted as exhibits of Israel's sins in reference to each respective item involved [(1) Numbers 17:10a re: Aaron's rod; (2) Exodus 16:33-34 with 16:11-29 re: the pot of manna and (3) Exodus 25:21; 32:19 and 34:1 re: the tables of the law.
        2. As God's presence abode over the mercy seat (Ex. 25:21-22), He would be close to these objects that recalled Israel's sins, and His wrath would thus have cause to burn against Israel! (Num. 17:10)
        3. However, when the high priest entered once a year with the blood of the sin-offerings, and applied it to the top of the mercy seat, the blood would come between God and these objects that signified Israel's sin, and His wrath would be intercepted by that blood to the welfare of the people of Israel [as He anticipated the coming complete substitutionary atonement of His own Son, cf. Leviticus 16:14-16 (as related to the specific sin re: Aaron's rod, cf. Numbers 17:10) and John 1:29].
        4. Thus, as our "propitiation," Christ satisfied the demands of God that our sin's penalty be paid when our sin was laid upon Christ on the cross, and He bore as our Substitute God's punishing wrath against us and our sin. God can thus rightly forgive us, bestow His righteousness upon us, and pour forth all the blessings we have in Christ upon us, and that by faith in Him, Ibid., Walvoord, p. 177.
Lesson: The words rendered "propitiation" in reference to Christ and His work on the cross signify His death as our Substitute satisfied the righteous, penal demands of a holy God against us and our sin.

Application: May we avail ourselves by faith of the forgiveness available in Christ with all its benefits!