SimplyBeTheChurch

Chris Jones is 23 years old and has been saved by grace since 2005 and a member of LHBC since early 2006. He is married to Brittney Jones, his beloved gift from God.



After listening to Jason’s sermon and taking extensive notes, I came away with much in the form of a single yet weighty truth, the propitiation of Christ. Jason inspired me to go back and reexamine this essential doctrine of the Church more closely, and to plumb its depths. Thanks Jason!

Although Jason did not name the word “propitiation” in his sermon (to my memory, which is often in error!), he did explain its meaning and thus define it in reference to its usage for Christ (1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10, Rom. 3:24-26) and for atonement in the O.T.. Jason basically said that the example in the O.T. sacrifices and in the N.T. fulfillment is that Christ completely satisfied the just demands of a holy God for judgment on sin by His death on the cross. God, in foreseeing the cross, is declared righteous in forgiving sins in the O.T. period as well as in justifying sinners under the new covenant (Rom. 3:25-26). Hallelujah!

What a wonderful truth! The Gospel of Jesus Christ and it preached makes my heart flutter and melt within me, my Spirit cries out in worship and approval, my inner man dances! I must exclaim with the Seraphim in Isaiah's vision, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa. 6:3 NASB) I must also echo the words of Isaiah in the midst of that same vision, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” The revelation of Jesus Christ as put forward in the Gospel provokes two reactions from me, reverence and ruin. Reverence because He is Holy and ruin because I am not. This I have come to see, that He is utterly unlike me, but rather set apart, and there is nothing to compare Him with.

It is never a statement of, “God is love so He will save everyone,” but rather “God is love so He must condemn sin and punish.” If God is love, then He must hate sin, indeed, He does and hates all those who sin (Psalm 5). It would be contrary to say that I loved babies but did not simultaneously hate abortion, in the same way God has a holy hatred against all that is sin. Thus God put to death Jesus Christ, who fully became sin for us and fully satisfied the wrath due sinners, putting on display His greatness in holy Love. It is never “why does God send people to hell?” but rather “why hasn’t God sent everyone to hell? Why does God save anyone at all?” The answer is so that His name will be glorified and exalted. Do you see the cost?! It cost Him His Son, Christ crucified! In light of what Christ has done, that is, dying under the wrath of a holy God smitten and afflicted for the punishment of sin (Isaiah 53), God’s name is glorified and exalted. God has left no room for questions, He has vindicated Himself, He is just and the justifier of wicked, wretched, sinful people by the substitution of Christ. He has not left sin unpunished nor has He violated His righteousness by merely forgiving sinners (Rom. 3:24-26). Having come to grasp with this truth at my conversion four years ago, and then having it reiterated to me in Jason’s sermon, God has shown me once again what it is to be forgiven much. Sin is hatred of God in Christ Jesus, and it is a horrific offense against Him, worthy of the strictest censor. Yet in His mercies He has shown me the grievousness of my transgression, the great price at which I am purchased, the depth of forgiveness that I have been given in Christ Jesus, and the worthiness of Him who was slain to receive the reward of His suffering, that is, GLORY and HONOR!