View Video Blog right click here: I John 2:2
I John 2:2
He is the propitiation
for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
THE STUDY:
Today we are in Verse 2 and what a
verse it is! If any believer was to wonder on what grounds he might receive God’s
mercy after he has failed, the answer is found in this verse. So adequate is
Jesus Christ as God’s atoning Sacrifice that the effectiveness of His work
extends not merely to the sins of believers themselves, but also to the sins of
the whole world.
I cannot help but see two loving
features Christ displays in verses 1 and 2; advocate and propitiation. We have
already discussed the word advocate. Today I would like to expound on the
word propitiation. This word is one that is used by many of the old
scholars. It is a word that is rich in theology, however, in today’s language it
doesn’t have the same punch as it once had in the past. Some of the newer
translations use the phrase, “atoning sacrifice” so the reader may be able to
understand this act of Christ better. The bottom line is, when it comes to Christ
being the atoning sacrifice, it's for all who has sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God. Not just for the believers but the entire world.
This doesn’t mean we don’t have to do anything in regards to sin. We must
confess our sin’s and ask for forgiveness of them and once we do, we are
forgiven and cleansed from the guilt of them.
Propitiation is a similar word equivalent
to the Septuagint translators render in Ex. 25:17 “You
shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its
length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.” It means “covering,” and is
used to describe the lid of the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 25:21; 30:6). This Greek word
(hilasterion) came to denote not only the mercy-seat or lid of the ark, but
also propitiation or reconciliation by blood. On the great day of atonement the
high priest carried the blood of the sacrifice he offered for all the people
within the veil and sprinkled with it the “mercy-seat,” and so made propitiation.[1]
So we can conclude the fact that
Christ not only goes to the Father on our behalf (Advocate), he paid the price
for all of our sin’s, IN FULL (Propitiator)!
WHAT WE CAN WALK
AWAY WITH ….
- We can walk away this morning knowing that if we were to tell God, I am not going to do it YOUR way but MY way this morning. We have an opportunity to come back and seek forgiveness because of this atoning sacrifice Christ paid for us all. All we have to do is turn back, ask for forgiveness, and accept this blessing Christ has provided for us.
CONCLUSION:
I have
preached a multitude of sermons and in one way or the other I have shared this
illustration of our relationship with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
In this relationship Jesus is our intercessor to the Father. What does that look like? When God looks down on earth He doesn’t see Rod Kincaid. He sees
Jesus, the one whom I have asked into my heart and to forgive me of all my sins.
I don’t want God to see ME, this creature who has not come into the fullness of
His blessing (heaven) yet. I want him to see the one who paid it all for me and
whom through I can have access to this wonderful place called heaven someday.
This is why I do what I do! So that whoever I
may come in contact with through my preaching, teaching, video blogs, devotional blogs, facebook, Twitter, or just cross paths with on the street, I
might introduce them to the one who changed my life forever. My Advocate and
propitiator to the creator of the universe, JESUS CHRIST! I hope that is why
you do what you do as well.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
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