1 John 1:6-9  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Let’s learn from the example of Adam and Cain.  God provided us with this account that we should know, not only the difference of righteousness from unrighteousness, but also of the consequences of each. The revelation of these actions came soon after the account of the first rebellious act of man, and the consequences that rebellion brought forth.  This is a pattern that has been repeated by every person in every generation since the beginning, and we have been warned!

When we consider the acts of rebellion, we must ask the question – how does God value obedience verses disobedience – righteousness verses unrighteousness?  Adam did not place a very high value on being upright before God, neither did his son, Cain. While Adam realized that his actions were purposefully disobedient to God, Cain had come to the point in his life that he did not even consider his actions to be rebellious at all against the will of God!

Cain’s offering, while a perfectly acceptable offering of thanksgiving to God, but as the sin offering, it was an insult to the holiness, righteousness, and justice of God!  His offering assumed that his sin could be justified before God through his own efforts.  He counted his sin as being of no consequence to himself, and he chose to offer a simple payment to the owner of the land, the water, the seed, and the sun, fully expecting to receive from that owner, God, appreciative accolades for his sacrifices.  He was simply following the family religious rituals. Today we would see this lived out in teenagers going to church only because it is expected of them by their parents.  They have no real feelings for God in themselves.

Now –

God’s required offering for sin, the death and shed blood of the innocent animal, reveals how evil and corrupt sin, rebellion against God, is.  Sin is horrible, it is unsettling – “my actions caused that”, and even “my attitude caused that fear,  that being singled out and being separated out, led to the place of slaughter, that pain inflicted, , life draining out, that death!   

“my actions caused that”!  And my actions are the product of my being!

Which offering is ours –

The Haughty –  that which satisfies us, or

The Holy? – that which satisfies God.    Now –

God has gone to great lengths to reveal to us that which satisfies Him!  We read of this many times in His Word.  Tonight we are reading 1 John 2:1-3 and we will speak particularly to a word that explains the satisfaction of the justice of God.

Text:  1 John 2:1-3  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

This statement is a reference to the Old Testament plan for the satisfaction of God’s righteous judgment….

Isaiah 53:11-12  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. ……and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

And now we turn to –

I.  The Plan provided by God as set forth in His Word –

  A.  The People. 

Exodus 19:3  And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

  B.  The Promise

Exodus 19:5-6  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

  C.  The Places

    1.  The Altars

Exodus 20:24  An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me,…in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

    2.  The Ark

Exodus 25:10-22  And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: …..And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee…..

And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: (kap-po’-reth –  (καὶ ποιήσεις ἱλαστήριον) …..

The Apostle Paul used this word, translated into Greek in Romans 3 and Hebrews 9.  This is important for us to remember as we continue the message.

…..and thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

  D.  Pattern of the Atonement.

Hebrews 9:6-7  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

  E.  The Pardon, the Atonement for sin

This place of offering was sanctified as the place where the blood shed for the atonement of the people would be sprinkled, and where the satisfaction of God’s righteous judgement would be declared each year.  The blood of bulls and goats would cover the sin of men, the statement of the Law which copy was inside the box, under the lid.  When God looked at the Law, which was in the Ark of the Covenant, He saw the blood that covered the law, the revelation of  man’s sin, and was satisfied – His judgment was appeased temporarily. 

  F.  The Provisional nature, repeated every year.

  G.  Prediction of the Arks disappearance and the establishment of the

        Kingdom.

Jeremiah 3:16-17  And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

Refer also to –

Hebrews 9:1-5  And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

The truths have brought us to –

II.  The Perfection to come.

Hebrews 9:11-12  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 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.

  A.  Propitiation.

The most interesting word, used only four times in the New Testament, and not used at all in popular writings of the era.

    1.  The Place. 

We begin by learning of Paul’s use of the word –

Romans 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation,(ιλαστηριον), through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

And in –

Hebrews 9:5  And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat, (ιλαστηριον), of which we cannot now speak particularly.

God has revealed in the New Testament the place through Paul, and now he reveals through John –

    2.  The Person

1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation (ιλασμος ) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation  (ιλασμον )     for our sins.

In these instances, the gender is different than that used by Paul.  Paul’s usage was neuter meaning a place, and John’s usage is masculine, denoting a person.

John was eyewitness to both the place of mercy, but also the person of grace, the Lamb, grace and mercy meeting in Him on the cross. God the Father sent God the Son to be both.

  B.  The Praise –

Because he loved us, He sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins – the believer has assurance that he has permanent peace with God. 

Hebrews 10:11-12  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

When God sees the believer, He does not see a man trying to be righteous, He sees a man that has been forever declared to be righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Are you ‘in Christ’ tonight?   

If you are, praise Him!

If you are not, pray and call upon the Lord for salvation!  Propitiation