Can you explain Romans 3:25?
“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;”Romans 3:25
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 necessity of appeasing God is something many religious belief systems have in common. In ancient pagan religions, as well as in many religions today, the idea is taught that man appeases God by offering various gifts or sacrifices. However, the harsh Biblical truth is that God Himself has provided the only means through which His wrath can be appeased and sinful man can be reconciled to Him. In the New Testament, the act of propitiation always refers to the work of God and not the sacrifices or gifts offered by man. The reason for this is that man is totally incapable of satisfying God’s justice except by spending eternity in hell. There is no service, sacrifice, or gift that man can offer that will appease the holy wrath of God or satisfy His justice. The only satisfaction, or propitiation, that could be acceptable to God and that could reconcile man to Him had to be made by God Himself. For this reason God the Son, Jesus the Christ, came into the world in human flesh to be the perfect sacrifice for sin and make atonement or “propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).
The word propitiation is used in several verses to explain what Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross.
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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;”Romans 3:24–25
These verses are a key point in Paul’s argument in the book of Romans and are really at the heart of the gospel message.
In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul makes the argument that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is under the condemnation of God and deserving of His wrath (Romans 1:18). Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All of mankind deserves His wrath and punishment. God has provided a way that His wrath can be appeased and that man can be reconciled to Him. That way is through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus the Christ, as the payment for sins. It is through faith in Jesus as God’s perfect sacrifice that man can be reconciled to God. It is only because of Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day that a lost sinner deserving of hell can be reconciled to God. The truth of the gospel is that Christians are saved from God’s wrath and reconciled to God..“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
God’s wrath against man can be appeased and reconciliation to God is through Jesus the Christ, specifically, directly and singularly.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
There is no other way. This truth is also communicated in 1 John 2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2
An important part of Christ’s saving work is deliverance from God’s wrath; Jesus’ propitiation on the cross is the only thing that turns away God’s condemnation of sin. Despite all arguments to the contrary, Biblically those who reject Christ as their Savior and refuse to believe in Him have no hope of salvation. They can only look forward to facing the wrath of God that they have stored up for the coming day of judgment (Romans 2:5). There is no other propitiation or sacrifice that can be made for the sins men.
