15/06/2022 Wednesday
BIBLE BASICS
Review of Election
What does it mean that God is sovereign?
He answers to no one. He is over all.
Describe human responsibility
God created man to make responsible choices.
What is an Arminian?
Opposite Calvinism, can lose salvation.
List the points of Calvinism: TULIP
Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, Perseverance
Aspects of Salvation, p.1
Propitiation, Substitution, Redemption, Remission
Propitiation
▰ “God is holy, and therefore he is always opposed to evil. The Bible describes this opposition to evil as the wrath or anger of God (Deu 11:16-17; Joh
3:36; Eph 5:6).” Bridgeway Bible Dictionary, Propitiation, theWord edition
▰ Propitiation means, to pacify, to appease, to satisfy God’s anger toward sin. Christ became our propitiation when he died on the cross for the
human race. “The work of Christ is satisfaction of the necessary judgment on sin. When Jesus died on the cross, he satisfied the justice and
holiness of God.” Towns, Elmer, What the Faith is all About, – The Atonement, theWord edition
Propitiation
▰ Sacrifices belonging to the Old Testament system had real meaning for genuinely repentant sinners. The sacrifices enabled people to see that God
was acting justly in dealing with their sins, and gave them a way of expressing their faith in God’s forgiving love (Heb 9:22).
▰ But the blood of animals could not take away sins (Heb 10:4). Only the blood of Jesus Christ – his death on the cross – can do that. In view of
Christ’s death, God was able to ‘pass over’, temporarily, the sins of Old Testament believers. God forgave them on credit, so to speak, for their sin
was not actually removed till Christ died (Rom 3:25-26). Bridgeway
Propitiation
▰ It becomes clear, now that the climax of God’s plan of salvation has been reached through Christ, that the only thing that propitiates God is the
death of Christ. Again, God provides the way. He himself becomes the sacrifice that secures the propitiation.
▰ A loving God willingly pays the penalty on behalf of those under his judgment (2Co 5:19; 1Jn 4:10). God’s holy wrath against sin has been satisfied
by Christ’s death, and therefore he can show mercy on the believing sinner. He can forgive the sinner, yet still be just in doing so (Rom 3:25-26; Heb
2:17; 1Jn 2:2). Bridgeway
Substitution
▰ Though the word substitution is not found in the Bible, it describes an important part of God’s salvation.
▰ “In the Old Testament, God required the sacrifice of lambs and other types of animals as a substitute for the sins of the people.” E. Towns Animal
sacrifices only covered the sinner’s sin.
▻ (Hebrews 10:4) “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
Substitution
▰ Christ came to earth as the Lamb of God to take away man’s sin. Christ became our substitute. He died on the cross in our place.
▻ (2 Corinthians 5:21) “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
▻ (Romans 5:8) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
▻ (Hebrews 9:12) “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us.”
Substitution
▰ The full meaning of the substitutionary death is understood by examining the two Greek words translated “for” as they are used in the phrase
“Christ died for our sins.”
▻ The first Greek word, anti, is usually translated “instead of,” as “Christ died instead of us for our sins.” (Mat 20:28; Mar 10:45).
▻ The second preposition, huper, is sometimes used when the sufferings and death, of Christ are spoken of “in behalf of” our sins (Joh 10:11, Joh 10:15; Joh
11:50; Rom 5:8; Rom 8:32; 1Co 15:3; 2Co 5:14; Gal 2:20; Gal 3:13; Tit 2:4). E. Towns
Redemption
▰ The word “redeem” means to release by paying a ransom. Thus, it means to purchase. God’s holiness demands a ransom (payment for release) of
shed blood to redeem from sin.
▻ (1 Peter 1:18-19) “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; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
▻ (Titus 2:14) “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (cf., Heb
9:22)
Redemption
▰ Not only did Christ redeem us to set us free from the bondage of sin, but also so that we might become His own people.
▻ (Galatians 3:13) “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
▻ The word translated “redeemed” in this verse means to buy up for one’s self.
Redemption
▰ “The substitutionary atonement of Christ’s redemption was sufficient for all. Therefore, the message of redemption is that Jesus Christ has paid
the price for all who receive it by faith.” E. Towns
▻ (1 Timothy 2:6) “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
Remission
▰ The word translated “remission” is closely related to redemption but it emphasises the release. “Remission” means to release from bondage or imprisonment.
▻ (Matthew 26:28) “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” It is sometimes translated forgiveness.
▻ (Ephesians 1:7) “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
▰ When Christ, by His blood, set us free from sin’s bondage, He forgave us completely. This is available to all who come to Him in repentant faith.
Review of Aspects of Salvation, p.1
Define Propitiation
to pacify, to appease, to satisfy God’s anger toward sin
When were the sins of O.T. believers propitiated?
They were covered by sacrifices, but propitiated by Christ on the cross.
What two primary meanings are behind the words “for us”?
“instead of” and “in behalf of”
Define the word “Redeem”
to release by paying a ransom
What does the word “remission” emphasise?
The release from bondage
Let’s Get Practical
▰ What are some of the benefits we receive from Christ’s propitiation?