“19 Now we know that what things soever the law {Mosaic Covenant} saith, it saith to them who are under the law {Mosaic Covenant}: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law {Mosaic Covenant} there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law {Mosaic Covenant} is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law {Mosaic Covenant} is manifested, being witnessed by the law {the gospel in the Law} and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:19-26).

     We have seen the absolute essential of understanding the details of the gospel from the parable of the Sower and the Soils in Matthew chapter 13 before a person can make a proper and acceptable faith decision to be “born again.” We have looked at the objective facts of the message of the gospel in the death, burial, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ. We have also defined in some considerable detail what is involved in the five responses to the gospel message that define a faith decision: repentance of sin and “dead works,” believe the accomplished realities of redemption involved in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, confess Jesus to be Jehovah, receive Jesus as LORD, and call on the Name of Jesus to save from condemnation.

     After looking at all of these great Truths regarding the doctrine of salvation, we can see what the life and sacrifice of Christ accomplishes for the sinner. However, there is one more area of Truth regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that people fail to understand regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ and what He accomplished God ward. God is propitiated.

     Before we can comprehend the propitiation of God, we must understand the holiness of God. The word holy is translated in most cases from the Hebrew is the word qadash (kaw-dash'). The basic meaning of the word is perfectly clean. In its application toward God it means completely separated from sin. Sin is anything that is a contradiction against God’s will and, therefore, God’s character and attributes. God cannot condone or justify anything that is against His character or attributes. Because God is holy, He must condemn all that opposes His character and attributes. God must condemn and be separate from sin and all that sin defiles with uncleanness. Hence, when sin entered into the world, death gained entrance with sin. Death is God’s judgment/sentence upon sin. Death is separation from God.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12).

     The “wages of sin” (Romans 6:23) is separation from God (“death”). Separation from God is the judgment put upon all sinners procreated through the fallen seed of Adam. Everyone is born in sin separate from God condemned to eternal separation from God. Since God is both holy and righteous (He must always do what is according to His character and attributes), the “wages of sin” must be adjudicated (the judgment sentence must be executed and paid). What that simply means is that since God is both holy and righteous, He cannot simply allow a sinner into His presence (Heaven) without sin being cleansed and without the death sentence judgment upon our souls being righteously satisfied.

“13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (I Peter 1:13-23).

     Since we are born sinners in our relation to Adam, we cannot pay the wages of our own sin. Secondly, all of the first creation is condemned to separation from God as well in the end of the ages. Therefore, in order for God to rescue condemned sinners from this overwhelming predicament, God would need to enter humanity as the “last Adam” (I Cor. 15:45). As the “last Adam,” Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection opened a “door” (John 10:7 & 9) from the cursed first creation into a future “new creation” to “whosoever will” (Rom. 10:13). Jesus would open this “door” by satisfying God’s wrath upon sin by paying the penalty of death for all sinners (only sinners can be saved).

“22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (I Peter 2:22-25).

     Jesus bore “our sins in His body on the tree.” What does that mean? Jesus took the penalty for every sin ever committed in all time (and every sin that would be committed) and bore God’s wrath upon that sin “in His body on the tree.” That is what it means when the Scriptures say that God is propitiated. God’s holiness and righteous wrath is satisfied upon the sins of the whole world.

“1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:1-2).

     Some will try to say that if God’s wrath is universally satisfied, then all souls must universally be saved. No, that is not what the Scriptures say. The benefits of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are sufficient for all but beneficial only to those who make a faith decision to repent of sin and “dead works,” believe the accomplished realities of redemption involved in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, confess Jesus to be Jehovah, receive Jesus as LORD, and call on the Name of Jesus to save from condemnation. ONLY through this means can God “be just {righteous}, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom 3:26) Now, let’s read Romans 3:21-26 again.

“21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed {historical present; having been witnessed too} by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith {the fidelity, faithfulness} of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth {to expose to public view; used of the bodies of the dead} to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission {the passing over} of sins that are past {lit; past sins}, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:21-26).

     If you do not have the absolute assurance of spending eternity with God, it is simply because of unbelief, ignorance, or misplaced faith. Whatever is keeping you from absolute assurance of knowing that you have received God’s gift of salvation, make the right decision today.

“11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (I John 5:11-13).