In the last few weeks we have been looking at some of the great words of the Gospel. In the first message, we looked at salvation and we saw that it was based solely on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Because we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour we have our sins forgiven and we are in right relationship with God – both for now and all eternity.

In the second message of the series we looked at Redemption and we saw that is all about a price being paid to purchase us back. Because of the price being paid by Jesus’ death on the cross, we are free from being slaves to sin, free from the power of sin and death, and free from the punishment for sin.

This week I want to look at two very closely related words – Reconciliation and Propitiation. These two words finish the triangle of salvation as I call it. But before we talk about that, let us pray.

Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Message Points

Today I want to share 6 things about reconciliation and propitiation.

1. There is a need for reconciliation

Reconciliation means bringing together of two parties that are estranged or in dispute. In a worldly sense, we understand what reconciliation means. We have all probably experienced a breakdown of a relationship where one party is aggrieved and there is a tension between us when we are together. There is a wall or a barrier between and we are not relating the same as we once were. It is not until someone takes the initiative to sort it out or apologise that things get sorted out and the relationship returns to normal.

The Greek word in the Bible used for reconciliation is kat-al-lag-ay. It means exchange or change of status, restoration, or reconciliation. It is about making things right again.

In the Bible Reconciliation involves a change in the relationship between God and man. It assumes there has been a breakdown in the relationship, but now there has been a change from a state of enmity and fragmentation to one of harmony and fellowship.

As we saw several weeks ago in my message in salvation there is a need, a provision and a response required for salvation to take place.

The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God in Romans 3:23. It also tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. 1 John 1:8 says that, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Isaiah 59:2 reminds us that our sin separates us from God.

One of my favourite tracts I give out to people is Billy Graham’s “Steps to peace with God”. As you can see from the pictures on the screen (PDF version to see images used on screen), he uses very simple illustrations to show the need for reconciliation. He shows people looking towards God off in the distance, they are separated by sin and they try to find ways to God, but nothing works.

As we can see from these simple pictures there is a definite need for reconciliation. This brings us to point number two.

2. God is the Reconciler

In the ancient biblical world where a relationship had broken down the initiative for reconciliation was usually made in one of two ways.

Firstly, the one who caused the offense tried to reach out to the offended party. Secondly, a third party could intervene and try to broker peace and bring the two parties together. It was very rare for the injured party move towards the one who had offended them. It was often seen as a matter of pride and saving face.

However, in the Bible, restoration of relationship between God and humanity, reconciliation occurs with an unexpected twist. God, the injured party, takes the initiative.

This initiating, reconciling action from God is contrary to expectations. The removal of alienation, created by man’s sin, is the work of God. He is the one who initiates, He is the one who provides the way and He is the one who accepts us.

John 3:16 is a key reminder of this when it says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.

Coming back to the Billy Graham tract, God provides the bridge to life and bridge to Himself through the cross of Christ.

3. The death of Jesus Christ accomplishes reconciliation

The death of our wonderful Saviour accomplishes all that was required.

Romans 5:10 – For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

The results of Christ’s work of reconciliation has four parts…

a. Removal of the offense of sin – God is no longer offended by our sin because it is gone. As I said several weeks ago, the Father looks at us through the lens of Christ. Like I look through that window and see outside. He looks through Christ and His shed blood as us.

b. Restored favour with God – we are right with God. The enmity between God and mankind is gone. We are adopted into His family and are co-heirs with Christ. We are spiritually seated at the right hand of the Father with Christ.

c. Fellowship is regained – we are in right relationship with God. We are no longer slaves forced to work for someone in a worldly sense, but we are friends with God as Jesus says in John 15:15. He is with us and we are with Him.

d. Justified with God – we are justified before God. We have right standing with Him. We can boldly come into His presence because of the blood of Christ as Hebrews 10:19 tells us.

The work of reconciliation has been completed. Christ did His part on the cross when He died for us. Jesus’ last words were “It is finished”. Our part in the salvation process is to accept what Christ has done for us.

4. Now we are reconciled to God, we need to help others be reconciled too.

In the last part of our reading today it talks about us being given the task of helping others come to Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation”.

Believers have been commissioned by the resurrected Lord to have a message and ministry of reconciliation. In this sense reconciliation is not only a reality of life for believers, but it is also a purpose of their kingdom ministry. It is one of the main reasons why this church exists.

I remember years ago I got up early on morning in Perth to do my devotions. I went to my study and closed the door and began to pray. Before long God told me to open my Bible to 2 Corinthians 5. As I scan down the page these verses from 18 and 19 almost jumped off the page. It was like size 10 font changed to size 32 font like on the screen. It was like a light shone on the page too. For me this was a key moment in my life and it was a moment where I felt the call of God to bring people back to Himself. He gave me the task of reconciliation.

These verses along with 1 Peter 3:15 and Matthew 28:18-20 remind us that sharing our faith and bring people to Christ is a key part of our life on earth.

1 Peter 3:15 – “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”.

Matthew 28:18-20 – Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Our job is to help people get to “here”. As someone who has blessed to bring quite a few people to Christ, it is one of the greatest joys of my life.

5. God is satisfied

Now we come to the other great word of the gospel – Propitiation. Propitiation means the turning away of wrath by an offering. For the Christian, the propitiation was the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. It turned away the wrath of God so that He could pass “over the sins previously committed” (Romans 3:25).

As we know it was the Father who sent the Son to be the propitiation. 1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins”, not only our sins, but for the sins of the world. 1 John 2:2 tell us that Jesus died not just for us, but for all mankind.

Propitiation is a legal word that means satisfied. The Heavenly Father is satisfied with Jesus death on the cross. It was Fathers idea and the Son carried it out. God is satisfied. If you have trusted Christ for your salvation, it is done. God’s wrath is turned away and we will not face it again.

If we were to summarise propitiation, we would say…

a. God is the object of propitiation – His justice need to be satisfied before a sinner can be acceptable in His sight.

b. Christ is the provision for propitiation – His death satisfies the Father’s offended holiness.

c. God is satisfied – From the Father’s view point He is justified in forgiving sin and bestowing righteousness on us.

6. The triangle of salvation

If I was to summarise the first four great words of the gospel we have looked at so far – Salvation, Redemption, Reconciliation and Propitiation – I could do it with this diagram which I call the triangle of salvation.

On the left-hand side Jesus died to pay the price for sin and redeem us. As a result, on the right-hand side we are reconciled to God. On the top, God is completely satisfied.

Summary

Today we looked at six things…

1. There is a need for reconciliation because of sin.
2. God is the Reconciler and the one who took the initiative.
3. The death of Jesus accomplishes reconciliation.
4. We are given the task of reconciling others to Christ.
5. God is satisfied with the work of Christ (Propitiation).
6. The triangle of salvation is complete – saved, redeemed, reconciled and propitiated.

Let us pray.

In last weeks’ message in our Great Words of the Gospel series we looked at the topic of salvation. We looked briefly at Old Testament salvation and how God used the word Yeshua’ah to describe the salvation and deliverance He gave the Israelites. We also looked at the animal sacrifices that were required to temporary cover the peoples sin and guilt until Christ came.

We then looked at New Testament salvation and how that is wrapped up completely in the finished work of Christ. We saw the three aspects of salvation that there is a need, a provision in Christ and a response that we all need to make. We also looked at some verses of assurance and a simple salvation prayer.

In this week’s message I want to look at another of the great words of the gospel – redemption. This word hangs dependently on the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is a key word that is wrapped up in our faith and trust in Christ.

I want to start with a definition of redemption and then share four things that redemption offers us.

Let’s pray

Loving Heavenly Father,

Let Your people hear the good news of Your love, the good news of Your forgiveness and the good news of Your acceptance in my words today.  Let me show them afresh Jesus and all He has done for them.  Amen

What is Redemption?

Redemption is an important word in the Christian faith. Redemption is about the buying back or release of an object or person. In the Bible redemption refers to God’s ransoming of believers through the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross and to all the benefits that this brings. So Jesus paid the price on the cross to redeem us back to God.

1. We needed to be redeemed because we could save ourselves.

As we saw last week in my message about salvation we saw that in our natural state without Christ we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and that this sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

Some people and some religions think they can redeem themselves by good works. They think if their good deeds out way their bad deeds, then God will accept them. The Bible tells us that salvation is not by good works, so no-one can boast. It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

This is where Christ comes in with His work on the cross. In Christ we have been freed. Through His death on the cross as a payment for our sin the price has been paid.

Colossians 1:13-14 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Ephesians 1:7 tells us that, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”.

Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

1 Timothy 2:5-6 tells us that, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time”.

Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. It is by Christ’s shed blood that our sins are forgiven. We celebrate this each week in communion. His death opened the way to God. He is the one mediator between God and mankind. Our redemption is 100% totally and completely paid for by the death of Christ. As Jesus said in John 19:30 before He died – it is finished. Three words that ring out for all eternity.

2. We are freed from being slaves to sin

The Bible tells us that without Christ we were slaves to sin. John 8:34 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”  So in our natural state apart from Christ we are slaves to sin and we need redeeming.

In the New Testament there are three main Greek words used to describe redemption. In keeping with the thought of being a slave to sin these words give us a picture of being bought and sold in a slave market.

The first word is Agorazo – this means to “purchase in the market”. This is like a slave bought and sold in the slave market. They are always a slave and can be re-sold at any time. They are kept and made to work for the owner and once they are finished with them they can be re-sold to someone else.

The second word is Exagorazo – this means to “purchase out of the market”. This is like someone buying a slave and taking them as their own property and never being sold again. They keep the slave to serve them as their own property. It is a long term deal for the life of the slave.

The final word is Lutroo – this means “to loosen” or to “set free by paying a price”. The slave is permanently purchased out of the market and set free from the market forever. This is what we have in Christ as believers and disciples.

This last word Lutroo gives us a clear picture of what we have in Christ. True freedom. We are no longer a slave to sin. We are forever released from the market of sin. The power of sin and death has been broken in our lives. We are set free and as John 8:36 says, “If the son has set you free, you will be free indeed”.

3. We are redeemed to live a new free life.

As we have seen we are redeemed by the work of Christ. There are four main things we have in our redemption.

a. Justified before God

Romans 3:24 tells us that we “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.

To justify or the term justification means “just as if I had never sinned”. We now have right standing with God. When God looks at you and I He looks at us through the lens of Christ – perfect, sinless and holy. He doesn’t see our sin, He sees Jesus. Isaiah 1:18 reminds us that, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” For those in Christ, it is a present reality.

b. Set free from the law

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons”.

The apostle Paul often used the idea of being slaves to the law because the people of the Old Testament lived under it and tried, and failed, to live up to it. Now as Christ followers we are free from the law and are adopted as God’s children. This verse says we have full right as God’s children. The same rights as Jesus as we are co-heirs.

c. Free from a pointless existence

1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”.

Before I came to Christ I thought my life was full and exciting. After coming to Christ, and the blinkers were taken off, I realised that I was deceived and my life was way more empty than I could have imagined. I filled it with pointless things like jobs, cars, sport, fitness. Not that they are bad, but I filled my life with them and gave them more weight or focus that they needed. Now my life is filled with Christ. Filled to the point of overflowing and streams of living water flow out that contain the love of Christ. It is a much better life than I could ever imagined.

d. We have a great future hope

Revelation 21:3-4 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

As I touched on in Communion recently. The hope we have in Christ is not just contained to the here and now. We also have a future hope. We have a hope of spending eternity with the Lord. It will be a place where there is no sickness or disease, a place where there will no wars or fighting only perfect unity, it will be a place where everyone feels good about themselves, it will be a place where we will not struggle with sin; and best of all, it will be a place where we will see our Lord face to face.

4. God redeemed us because of His love and mercy

What motivated the Creator of all things to redeem and save us? Here is an excerpt from a recent KYB study we did…

“God’s motivation comes from the nature of God Himself. It is expressed in four words – love, mercy, grace and kindness.

Can we imagine a love so great that it could give new life to those who deserved God’s wrath? Or mercy so tender that it would reach down to help the helpless? Or grace so full and free that it would pay the price that sinners could not pay? Where else could we find kindness so rich and full that it would embrace those who were, by nature, ‘the enemy’?” (from KYB Ephesians study page 21).

God redeemed us because He loved us. He redeemed us because of His mercy. He redeemed us because of His grace. He redeemed us because of His kindness. It also gave Him good please to do it.

A story

Before I close I want to share a story I read a little while ago that helped me to understand redemption. It goes like this…

There was a story of the little boy who built a small sailboat. He built the boat from a kit and had it all fixed up, he tarred and painted it. Once it was ready he took it to the lake and pushed it in hoping it would sail. Sure enough a wisp of breeze filled the little sail and it billowed and went rippling along the waves.

Suddenly before the little boy knew it, the boat was out of his reach, even though he waded in fast and tried to grab it. As he watched it float away, he hoped maybe the breeze would shift and it would come sailing back to him. Instead he watched it go farther and farther until it was gone. He searched up and down the banks for hours, but he could not find it.

Eventually when he lost all hope, he went home crying, his mother asked, “What’s wrong, didn’t it work?” And he said, “It worked too well.”

Sometime later, the little boy was downtown and walked past a second hand store. There in the window he saw the boat. It was unmistakably his, so he went in and said to the proprietor, “That’s my boat.” He walked to the window, picked it up and started to leave with it. The owner of the shop said, “Wait a minute, Sonny. That’s my boat. I bought it from someone.” The boy said, “No, it’s my boat. I made it. See.” And he showed him the little scratches and the marks where he hammered and filed. The man said, “I’m sorry, Sonny. If you want it, you have to buy it.”

The poor little guy didn’t have any money, but he worked hard and saved his pennies. Finally, one day he had enough money. He went in and bought the little boat. As he left the store holding the boat close to him, he was heard saying, “You’re my boat. You’re twice my boat. First you’re my boat ’cause I made you, and second you’re my boat ’cause I bought you!”

If you ever think that you aren’t worth much, just remember what God thinks of you. He thinks you’re His. Twice His. First you’re His because He made you. And second you’re His because He bought you on the cross. He paid a price to redeem you.

Closing summary

In today’s message we looked at the topic of Redemption. We saw that…

• We are redeemed by Jesus death on the cross for us.
• We are redeemed because we could save ourselves.
• We are redeemed and freed from being slaves to sin.
• We are redeemed to live a new free life.
• We are redeemed because of God’s great love and mercy.

Amen.

Let us pray.

Loving Heavenly Father, I thank You that You loved us so much that Jesus came on died on the cross for our sin. I thank You that He paid the price to redeem us and bring us back to You. I pray today that You will sink this truth deep into our hearts and minds. That You love, that You redeemed us and that You have brought us back into right relationship with You – both now and for all eternity. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen