Propitia-What? Part 2

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Easter. Do you remember that?
It was a beautiful Sunday morning, there were gorgeous, sweet smelling flowers decorating the sanctuary, everyone was all dressed up…It was a great day!

But, wouldn’t Easter be a nicer holiday if it didn’t involve death? Follow me here.

Christmas is great, right. It’s all about God’s love come to earth, we’re giving gifts and everyone is merry. But Easter comes and there’s torture and death, sadness and grieving. Wouldn’t it be great if we just remembered the life of Jesus, then celebrated his glorious ascension into heaven.

Be like, Palm Sunday, “Whoahoo!!”, parades and parties, Hosanna, “Hosanna to God in the highest.” Then Jerusalem is kicking it all week, like when the Pens won the Stanley Cup last year. Then comes Sunday and we’re all like, [ looking upward ] “Yeah, alright Jesus, you’re the man! You killed it here! Thanks for coming! Gosh, I can’t wait till the sequel.”

But that’s not how it goes, right?

No.

You see, with our sin comes death, our death.

Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…”

That means, the punishment for our disobedience towards God is that we must die.

It’s the reality of the disobedience in the Garden when God said, Don’t eat the fruit or you will die. What did we do? We ate the fruit. And we’ve been dying ever since.

But Easter isn’t about a good man, doing good things. It’s about the Son of God dying as the obedient, perfect and sufficient sacrifice for my sin. And you’re sin. In fact, John says, that Jesus was the Propitiation, not just for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world.

You see, Jesus is our PROPITIATION, that means he is “[THE] offering that turns away the wrath of God directed against sin. (According to the NT,)[What we believe is that] God has provided the offering that removes the divine wrath, [because] (for) in love the Father sent the Son to be the propitiation (or atoning sacrifice) for human sin (1 Jn 4:10).”
​Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). In Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 96). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

In other words...

We celebrate the SACRIFICE of Jesus, because it’s the SACRIFICE that frees us from sin.

We celebrate the RESURRECTION of Jesus, because it’s the RESURRECTION that
frees us from the death that comes with it.

​We celebrate the ASCENSION of Jesus, because it’s the ASCENSION that
puts Jesus at the right hand of God the Father to serve as our advocate.

So what does this all mean for us?

Well, I think all of this leads to what John says in verse 6.
6. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
That is, we are to live as Jesus lived. How did Jesus live? He was OBEDIENT. He did what God desired of him to do. He kept the commands of God. He loved as God loved. He did all of the things that we were suppose to, but didn’t.

So how does one know that they are getting it right? THEY KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.

Look at verses 3, 4 and 5.
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

So, let’s get a little uncomfortable.

Too often, when we think about sin, we down play sin.

We think of phrases like…

• God hates the sin but loves the sinner…that in someway our sin is okay because God still loves us… OR
• That’s just the way God made me…meaning that I do what I do because for some crazy reason God wanted you to do the things I do… OR
• Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven, or I’m just a sinner saved by grace…like we’re excusing away sin and exploiting God’s mercy and grace… OR
• Judge not, lest you be judged…closing our eyes to the sin around us for fear of being labeled intolerant.

But here’s the truth. Sin is SIN, and ALL sin leads to death, and the eternal separation of God and man. 

And as believers, Christian’s who profess a relationship with Jesus Christ, who claim God’s Grace and His gift of forgiveness and life as there own, we, YOU and I, we are called to live our lives—rejecting sin, striving for obedient lives, keeping his word, as God’s love is perfected in us.

John is calling us to clean up our acts. To stop going through the motions, looking away, and  living a lackluster life. Instead, live as God is calling you to live, passionate, obedient, loving, and loved.

John knows that on this side of heaven, there is sin. Guys, we’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to say the wrong things, we’re going to do the wrong things. Sin is going to be a something we struggle with till the day we die. But what John is reminding us is that we are called to live our lives differently. That when temptations come, we turn away from them.

Do you know that you can do that? That when we’re tempted, we can say no?

It’s crazy, but there’s this obscure little verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that says, “13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (NIV)

Think about that, in the midst of our temptations, God provides an opportunity for escape. We don’t have to give into the lure of sin. We can ask God to help us. And if Paul’s words are true, he will provide a way out!

You see, that us, learning how to walk in the light.

2 Corinthians 5:17…
​17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)

We no longer live as those who don’t know Christ; we live as disciples, being made new because of what Jesus has done.

But, when we do sin, it doesn’t mean that all is lost. No, we have the atoning sacrifice, the PROPITIATION, who’s death pays our debt. On the cross, Jesus carried all of our sin, taking upon him all the guilt and ​shame. He bore the wrath of God towards sin, and extends to us God’s grace and forgiveness.

How would you evaluate your journey with Jesus? Where would you place yourself in the diagram?

Are you moving inward in belief? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to make you more and more like Jesus?

Are you moving upward in obedience? Are doing the things that bring honor and glory to God as you keep his commandments?

Or are you still stuck in yourself, fighting with God to do what you want, when you want, how you want?

By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

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