Propitiation is a big word that doesn’t come up in our every day conversations: “Hey Meredith, I propitiated my wrath against Asher before he received a spanking.” It does not even show up in some Bible translations (The NIV, NLT translate it as ‘atonement’). While those translations are not entirely incorrect, there is definitely something missing when you leave out ‘propitiation.”
Propitiation literally means “to satisfy God’s wrath.” The reason it is important to keep this word in our Christian jargon is that we don’t want to lose sight of what really happened on the cross.
In fact there are many things that happened. Among them:
1. Our sin was removed from us: Atonement
2. We were set free from sin: Ransom
3. We were made right with God: Reconciliation
4. God’s wrath was satisfied in Christ: Propitiation
Of course the application of all these benefits happens at our conversion when we repent of our sins, ask for and receive forgiveness and commit to follow Christ in faith.
But of all the things Christ accomplished on the cross we tend to focus on our sin being removed and sometimes forget that our sins are not merely removed and forgotten by God. Oh yes, they are are removed and they are now forgotten, but God’s holiness demands that they be punished. This application of God’s holiness is his wrath.
In order for us to be fully reconciled with God, we had to be saved. This is not a new concept, I know. But saved from what? From our sin? Not exactly. It is our status as rebellious sinners that puts us at enmity with God, but it is his wrath that we need saving from.
In Christ’s death our sins were removed from us and placed on Christ (atonement). He then bore our punishment; He received the full measure of God’s wrath that was meant for us (Propitiation). This is important. This leads us to a deeper understanding of God’s grace toward us. God did not just make his wrath against us go away; He directed it toward his Son.
Romans 3:23-26 reads a little differently when you understand that God’s wrath toward us because of our sin was not deleted… it was directed toward Christ:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 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. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
And notice the reason for Christ’s death I put in italics. Jesus had to die to satisfy the holiness of God because in his mercy he chose to forgive the Old Testament saints. But you see, God cannot merely forgive our sins. His wrath must be satisfied. His wrath for ever sinner will either be satisfied on the cross for those who believe in his Son, or on the last day when the Rider of the white horse whose name is Faithful and True comes down from heaven to judge and make war on the nations. A sword will come from his mouth and He will tread the winepress of his fury pouring out the full measure of his wrath on all those who have rebelled against Him.
Oh how sweet it is that God has graciously saved us from his own wrath in Christ. LORD, I thank you and praise you for your wonderful grace. May your Church be motivated by your great grace and mercy toward us to go into the nations and proclaim the Good News that salvation is possible through faith in Christ alone!
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