In our current series we will slice substitutionary atonement (The “substitutionary atonement” refers to the fact that Jesus Christ died on behalf of all sinners) into 3 sections:Propitiation preached by JD – Propitiation is the turning away of God’s wrath. The idea is that Jesus took the wrath of God that we deserve.
Expiation preached by Patrick – Expiation is the removal of sin.
Justification preached by Cameron – Justification is the act whereby God imputes the righteousness of Christ to us. We are made holy by His act.
While justification is not as much a ‘cross issue’ as propitiation and expiation, it is essential to our relationship with God in light of His perfect justice. Let me explain:
We are sinners deserving the wrath of God.
To enjoy God’s presence we must have propitiation. Our sin requires a just penalty. If God ‘overlooks’ the penalty, then he is not just. Jesus took the penalty.
Still – God is holy and cannot fellowship with unholy sinners. Though his wrath was appeased in Jesus, sin still had to be dealt with. In expiation Jesus takes our sin upon himself – he who knew no sin became sin our behalf.
Propitiation and expiation remove wrath and sin, but at best leaves us neutral. We need holiness in order to enjoy His holy presence. Justification is the act of God that declares us holy in Christ. With all three in place, God remains perfectly just and we are able to enjoy Him forever. In Christ, God has met every requirement for our relationship with Him. He has done in Jesus what we could never do ourselves!
A beautiful picture of propitiation and expiation can be seen in Leviticus 16:
15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17 No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 18Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.
20"And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
Two goats were used ceremonially on the Day of Atonement.
One goat was killed for the sins of Israel and its blood sprinkled over the Mercy Seat. This goat served as a picture of the propitiation that would ultimately be completed in Jesus. The goat spilled his blood and sacrificed his life, ceremonially enduring God’s wrath for His people.
The priest laid hands on the Second goat, ceremonially placing the sins of the nation on that goat. The goat was then set free in the wilderness, taking with it the sins of Israel – expiation.
The Day of Atonement served as a picture of what God would do for His people in Jesus.
So -
Propitiation is Jesus taking God's wrath for us.
Expiation is Jesus taking our sins from us.
Justification is the imputation of Jesus' righteousness to us.
On Easter Sunday we will talk about how all of these beautiful provisions hinge on one thing - the Resurrection.
