Understanding Salvation: Justification, Redemption, and Propitiation
Summary
In our journey through the Bible, we have arrived at the book of Romans, a profound text that encapsulates the essence of the entire Bible. Romans offers a clear explanation of the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This salvation is from the wrath of God, which is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The pressing question is: who needs this salvation? The answer is everyone, as all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Today, we focus on three pivotal words from Romans 3:21-26: justification, redemption, and propitiation. These terms, though complex, are crucial to understanding what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ's death on the cross. Propitiation refers to the appeasement of God's wrath through Jesus' sacrifice. Just as a legal settlement satisfies an offended party, Jesus' sacrifice satisfies God's justice, allowing His wrath to be spent on Christ instead of us.
Redemption signifies the price paid for our freedom. Like a boy who buys back his lost boat, Jesus has purchased us with His blood, making us twice His—by creation and by redemption. This act of redemption underscores our value and the depth of Christ's love for us.
Justification is the legal declaration of righteousness. Through faith in Jesus, we are justified, meaning our case is closed, and we are declared not guilty. This justification is not based on our merit but on Christ's work on the cross. It is a gift of grace, received through faith, and it assures us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ.
These truths invite us to live in the freedom and joy of our salvation, knowing that our standing before God is secure because of Jesus' finished work. As we partake in communion, we remember and celebrate this profound gift of grace.
Key Takeaways:
- Propitiation and God's Wrath: Propitiation is the act of appeasing God's wrath through Jesus' sacrifice. It is a divine transaction where God's justice is satisfied, allowing His wrath to be spent on Christ instead of us. This profound truth assures us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ, as the wrath due to us was exhausted on Jesus. [11:23]
- Redemption and Our Value: Redemption means being bought back at a price, and in Christ, we are redeemed by His blood. This act of redemption highlights our immense value to God, as we are twice His—created and purchased by Him. It is a reminder of the depth of Christ's love and the assurance of our belonging to Him. [16:41]
- Justification and Assurance: Justification is the legal declaration of righteousness, granted to us through faith in Jesus. It is not based on our merit but on Christ's work on the cross. This assurance allows us to live without fear of condemnation, knowing our case is closed and we are declared not guilty. [19:17]
- Faith and Grace: Our justification is received through faith, which is simply the open hand that receives Christ and His gifts. It is by grace that we are saved, not by the strength of our faith, but by the strength of our Savior. This understanding shifts our focus from our efforts to Christ's finished work. [31:23]
- The Strength of the Savior: Our salvation is not dependent on the strength of our faith but on the strength of our Savior. Like standing on solid ice, our security is in the unshakeable foundation of Christ's work. This truth invites us to trust fully in Jesus, knowing that His sacrifice is sufficient for our salvation. [36:50]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:14] - Introduction to Romans
- [00:46] - The Power of the Gospel
- [01:19] - Salvation from God's Wrath
- [02:08] - Key Verses in Romans 3
- [02:23] - Justification, Redemption, Propitiation
- [04:34] - Understanding Propitiation
- [05:19] - Illustration of Propitiation
- [09:28] - God's Satisfaction in Christ
- [13:26] - The Meaning of Redemption
- [16:41] - Twice Mine: A Story of Redemption
- [19:17] - Justification Explained
- [24:23] - Justification by Faith
- [31:23] - Grace and Justification
- [36:50] - The Strength of the Savior
- [37:33] - Invitation to Trust in Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Romans 3:21-26
Bible Reading:
- Romans 3:21-26
- Ezekiel 7:8
- Romans 5:9
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the three key terms discussed in Romans 3:21-26, and how are they defined in the sermon? ([02:23])
2. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of propitiation using the story of Neil and Sally? ([05:19])
3. What analogy is used to explain the relationship between faith and receiving Christ's gifts? ([26:02])
4. According to the sermon, what is the significance of God putting forward Jesus as a propitiation? ([11:42])
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of propitiation challenge or affirm your understanding of God's justice and mercy? ([09:28])
2. In what ways does the story of the boy and his boat help us understand the concept of redemption? ([16:09])
3. How does the sermon explain the relationship between justification and the assurance of salvation? ([21:55])
4. What does the sermon suggest about the role of faith in receiving justification and how does this impact one's view of grace? ([31:23])
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the weight of guilt or condemnation. How does understanding propitiation change your perspective on that experience? ([13:00])
2. The sermon describes redemption as being "twice His." How does this understanding affect your sense of identity and belonging in Christ? ([16:41])
3. Justification is described as a legal declaration of righteousness. How does this assurance influence your daily life and decisions? ([21:55])
4. The sermon emphasizes that our salvation is not dependent on the strength of our faith but on the strength of our Savior. How can this truth bring peace in moments of doubt or fear? ([36:50])
5. Consider the analogy of marriage used in the sermon. How does this image of union with Christ inspire you to deepen your relationship with Him? ([26:02])
6. How can you actively remind yourself of the grace and gift of justification in your everyday life, especially when facing challenges or temptations? ([31:23])
7. Identify one area in your life where you struggle to trust in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. What steps can you take this week to surrender that area to Him? ([37:15])
Devotional
Day 1: The Divine Exchange of Propitiation
Propitiation is the act of appeasing God's wrath through Jesus' sacrifice. It is a divine transaction where God's justice is satisfied, allowing His wrath to be spent on Christ instead of us. This profound truth assures us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ, as the wrath due to us was exhausted on Jesus. [11:23]
"For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4, ESV)
Reflection: Consider a time when you felt the weight of guilt or shame. How does knowing that Jesus has absorbed God's wrath on your behalf change your perspective on that situation today?
Day 2: The Cost of Redemption
Redemption means being bought back at a price, and in Christ, we are redeemed by His blood. This act of redemption highlights our immense value to God, as we are twice His—created and purchased by Him. It is a reminder of the depth of Christ's love and the assurance of our belonging to Him. [16:41]
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight." (Ephesians 1:7-8, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a personal possession that holds great value to you. How does understanding your value to God, as someone redeemed by Christ, influence the way you view yourself and others?
Day 3: The Gift of Justification
Justification is the legal declaration of righteousness, granted to us through faith in Jesus. It is not based on our merit but on Christ's work on the cross. This assurance allows us to live without fear of condemnation, knowing our case is closed and we are declared not guilty. [19:17]
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2, ESV)
Reflection: Think about an area in your life where you struggle with feelings of inadequacy. How can the truth of being justified by faith help you find peace and confidence in that area today?
Day 4: The Role of Faith and Grace
Our justification is received through faith, which is simply the open hand that receives Christ and His gifts. It is by grace that we are saved, not by the strength of our faith, but by the strength of our Savior. This understanding shifts our focus from our efforts to Christ's finished work. [31:23]
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a situation where you are relying on your own strength rather than God's grace. What steps can you take today to shift your reliance from self-effort to trusting in God's grace?
Day 5: The Unshakeable Foundation of the Savior
Our salvation is not dependent on the strength of our faith but on the strength of our Savior. Like standing on solid ice, our security is in the unshakeable foundation of Christ's work. This truth invites us to trust fully in Jesus, knowing that His sacrifice is sufficient for our salvation. [36:50]
"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25, ESV)
Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you feel uncertain or insecure. How can you actively place your trust in the strength of Jesus today, knowing He is your solid foundation?
Quotes
"Now the first time I ever came to America, I was taken by a friend to see a game of baseball, and he talked to me for an evening about sliders, splitters, curveballs, and changeups. I did not have the faintest idea of what he was talking about. If you were to visit England, I could take you to see a game of cricket, and I could talk to you at great length about the bouncer, the yorker, the in swinger, and the googly which has nothing whatsoever to looking things up on the internet. Sports have their own distinctive vocabulary. People who love baseball learn the baseball words, people who love cricket, well we love learning the cricket words, and people who love Jesus learn the bible words and find great joy in all that they convey." [00:31:20]
"Propitiation is very simply a gift or a payment that is offered to placate the anger of a person who has been offended. It's a gift or it's a payment that is offered to placate the anger of a person who has been offended. Perhaps the best way to get at this is for me to give you an illustration so let me introduce in this story to two characters Neil and Sally. Neil was in his early twenties when he began dating Sally, a girl that he met in the office. Neil had a little bit of a reputation for being a bit on the wild side and there were certainly some times when Sally felt less than comfortable with him." [00:49:54]
"Now think about this: our sin is an offense against God, and what follows from that is that it is God who is the one to determine what the propitiation should be. The question that matters is what will satisfy God. We may have our ideas as to what should resolve the case; none of that is relevant. God is the offended party. There's really only one question: what will satisfy God? And the Bible gives us the answer right here: Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation. God presents His Son Jesus and says He is the propitiation." [00:09:00]
"Now the Bible speaks about the wrath of God being poured out and spent. Listen to this in Ezekiel chapter 7 and verse 8: God says, 'I will soon pour out my wrath upon you and spend my anger against you.' So the wrath of God can be poured out, and when it is poured out, it is spent, it is exhausted. The pouring out and the spending go together. John Stott puts it this way: what is poured out cannot be gathered again, and what is spent is finished." [00:10:26]
"Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we take in the marvel of this good news? Shortly we're going to come around the Lord's table and we're going to savor what He's done for us in Jesus Christ. Let's get it settled in our minds: in Jesus Christ, brother, sister, you are saved. All that was ever due to you for all of your sin put together was poured out on Jesus, spent, exhausted. There's nothing left for you. That is why there is therefore now no condemnation for you because you are in Christ Jesus." [00:29:01]
"Faith is simply your hand open to receive Christ and all that He offers, and Christ and all that He offers is yours freely as a gift. That is why again and again the New Testament says it is by grace that we have been saved through faith. Your faith didn't earn it; your faith simply received it, and it is the most marvelous free gift of God's grace." [00:31:23]
"Peace with God never comes from looking at your own faith. What faith is, is it's looking at Jesus, and that's where peace comes from. Peace with God comes from looking by faith at what Jesus accomplished on the cross. If I were ever to ask the question, 'Have I grown and progressed enough in the Christian life to the point where God could expect God to justify me?' the answer to that question is always going to be no, of course not." [00:33:28]
"Now notice how we are justified: it's on the basis of what Christ has done for us in the propitiation and the redemption that He accomplished on the cross. How does it actually become ours? Notice that we are just how we are justified is described in three ways in this passage and elsewhere in the New Testament. The first and by far the most frequent is by faith." [00:24:23]
"Faith joins you to Jesus so that all that He accomplished in His death on the cross actually becomes effective for you. Perhaps one way of thinking about this, an analogy that the Bible itself uses, is the analogy of a marriage. The Bible speaks about the relationship between Christ and His people being like the joining of a husband and a wife in marriage." [00:26:00]
"You're twice mine. You're mine because I made you, and you're mine because I bought you. My friend, that is what Jesus Christ can say of you and me. You're twice mine. You're mine because I made you, and your mind because I bought you. That's the meaning of the word redeemed: to be bought, purchased by Jesus Christ. You are redeemed, brother and sister in Christ, in other words, ransomed, bought back." [00:16:41]
"Justification very simply is a legal term. It means to declare righteous. Justification is a verdict such as would be passed by a judge. The opposite of justification would be condemnation, which is also a verdict that would be passed by a judge. God knows all things; no secret is ever hidden from Him, and every person who has ever lived will one day stand before the Lord who is the judge." [00:20:00]
"Don't ever get the idea that God loves you because Jesus died for you. No, Jesus died for you because the Father loves you. He gave His one and only Son; He put Him forward as the propitiation. In Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, and here we come to the very heart of the mystery of the Trinity because God was in Christ. God was bearing His own wrath; it was turned in on Himself." [00:12:00]
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