Romans 3:25,
"Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
past, through the forbearance of God;"
This morning, different Biblical subjects are
difficult to wrap our minds around as finite creatures
cannot fully fathom the mind of an infinite God.
Therefore, certain facets of His work go beyond my
full comprehension, but by faith, we understand some
things that natural reason cannot discern. In the
case of redemption that was made through the blood of
the Son of God, there are things that we know (such as
atonement and redemption being finished and complete), and there are some things we do not know (the
fullness
of the suffering that He underwent). In the case of
regeneration, we understand some things (such as it
being identical in each of God's children), and there
are some things we do not know (exact time and
circumstance). Therefore, even though we have to
admit our own fallibility, let us dig to find some
rich nuggets of God's wonderful story of salvation and
redemption for His people.
While the verse above is in the middle of a
sentence, the context surrounding this verse is
showing forth that the work of Christ is where true
hope and comfort is found. One cannot look to the law
(as it points out our guilt), and one cannot look to
self (as by nature all sin and come short of the glory
of God). Therefore, Paul gives rich and glowing
phrases for the work of Christ that show forth what He
accomplished in our room and stead. He brings out the
rich grace and mercy that Christ freely gave us by
manifesting His righteousness and offering Himself to
God for us. This is the basis for the next facet of
justification that Paul will in depth about at the end
of this chapter and into chapters 4 and 5. Without
this work of Christ, justification by faith would be
non-existent, and any hope of ours would be vain and
foolish.
The verse brings out that God set His Son forth not
only as a manifestation of the righteousness of God
but also as a propitiation for His people. The word
propitiation means "mercy seat" or "place of
atonement." Therefore, we need to understand that
this is God's work that makes Him our mercy seat and
atonement, not our choice for it to be so. The
offering made by Christ was not "to" man but "for"
man. It was not made "for" God but "to" God. (Hebrews
9:14) Therefore, when one needs comfort and
consolation, this is the only place to go for rest.
When one desires to see that full atonement has been
made, there is no other that can suffice. While our
knowledge and sight of the thing is not what makes it
a reality, Paul is using this firm and foundational
premise for the basis of where to look for our sight
and knowledge (justification by faith).
In the discussion of Christ bearing our heavy load,
manifesting the righteousness of God, and giving full
justification to God by His grace and blood, Paul
makes the interesting statement in our verse about
"through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God." To understand what
this is teaching (in my humble opinion), we need to
understand some other foundational points of theology
and doctrine. If language means anything at all, the
verse states that God had faith in the blood of His
Son. This faith that God has was specifically on the
basis that His blood would be shed, and that people
would be beneficiaries of something that had not yet
manifestly come to pass.
Now, inevitably, the question arises, "Why would God
have faith? Faith is imperfect." To address this, we
need to understand that faith is not imperfect. God
does not give gifts that have flaws and problems, but
rather, He gives gifts to people that they themselves
have flaws and problems. The faith is not imperfect,
but our exercise of it is very lacking at times. When
the disciples were upbraided by Christ for having
"little faith," their faith had not shrunk, but
rather, their exercise of it had dried up and
disappeared. Consider the analogy of a muscle. The
smallest-framed individual has the same number of
muscles as the largest body-builder that has ever
lived. The difference in their appearance is that one
has exercised his muscles to a greater degree than the
other. God has dealt to every man (His children in
regeneration) the measure of faith, but not all of us
exercise to the same level as others (and certainly
not to the perfect level of God).
So, if God not only has faith but exercises it
perfectly, what is the need for the faith? Paul said
that the faith of God was in the blood of His Son for
the remission of sins that are past. Now, these sins
that had to be paid for are descriptive of the sins of
Old Testament saints. David's adultery and murder
must be atoned for, Moses sin in smiting the rock must
be paid in full, and all the countless other crimes
must be put away and purged by the only thing that
could do the job. So, if these saints entered into
heaven's pure world (in soul and spirit) before the
blood of Christ was shed, how was that accomplished?
Paul says that the Father exercised His faith in His
Son's blood and work as their mercy seat and place of
atonement.
Furthermore, what exactly do we say happens when
someone is regenerated? Paul describes it in Titus 3
as the shedding on us abundantly of the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. This
washing, shedding, and renewing that we experience is
the application of the blood of Christ to our soul and
spirit that changes them from a state of death in sin
to life in Christ. The body is, at this time, still
unchanged waiting for that day when it too will be
fashioned and changed like unto the glorious body of
Christ. So, our inward parts are changed and given
vital application of the blood of Christ. So, this
begs the question: How was David, Moses, Solomon, and
all the others regenerated? They are regenerated the
same way a little lamb is today. (John 3:8) How was
the blood of Christ applied to them in regeneration
even though it had not been shed? Through the faith
of God for the remission of those past sins.
Finally, consider the longsuffering and forbearance
of God. While today we look around and marvel at His
longsuffering, consider all the saints rejoicing in
heaven around His throne that, at that point, still
had not been legally paid for. While they were in no
danger of being lost or cast away, God was looking at
those around Him that were legally not yet redeemed.
His forbearance for them based on the coming work of
His Son is beyond my feeble ability to understand,
much less explain. Yet, that woeful day that my
Saviour died brought forth one of the most beautiful
pictures that has ever been described.
Zechariah prophesies about that day when he talks
about living water going forth from Jerusalem. It
goes in two different directions, and half of the
water goes to the former sea and half to the hinder
sea. (Zechariah 14:7-8) All those past sins that
saints already in heaven committed were legally paid
for as that living water reached back to the former
sea all the way to righteous Abel, but glory of glory,
it also reached forward to the last heir of grace that
will come into this world. God's faith in the blood
of His Son is no longer necessary as that blood has
been manifestly shed, and the legal work accomplished.
One day we will no longer need faith as the realities
of heaven and the fulfillment of redemption are
manifest to us. May we press by faith to that day
ever looking to exercise ourselves more unto godliness
than we have in the past.
In Hope,
Bro Philip |