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‘He is the propitiation for our sins.’
1Jn_2:2
There are three great truths to be for ever written on our memories and hearts:—
I. The Divine propitiation is complete.—The whole, and every part, is completed for ever. In the typical sacrifices there were two parts in each typical propitiation—the death of the substitute, and the offering, or presentation, of the blood before one of the altars or the mercy-seat. The atonement was not completed by the death alone, but it was necessary that the death should be followed up by the presentation of the blood. Now, in the Divine propitiation both parts have been completed. The one sacrifice has been once offered, and the whole is finished. The blood was shed on Calvary, and sprinkled or presented, when, ‘by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.’
II. The Divine propitiation is final.—If there were the possibility of any repetition there is no room left for it. Do we not read (Heb_10:18): ‘Where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin’? If, therefore, remission is granted according to the covenant of God, if we are enjoying His promise, ‘their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more,’ and if, according to 1Jn_2:14, ‘by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified,’ what place is there for any further propitiatory offering of any kind whatever? Who can whiten that which is already white as snow? Who can perfect that which God Himself has already perfected? Who can by any means whatever either repeat, or continue, or perpetuate an offering which God Himself has pronounced to be once for all, as in the words (Heb_10:12): ‘But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God’?
III. The Divine propitiation is sufficient.—By this I mean that it is so complete and perfect in the covenant of God that those who are saved by it are made partakers of a complete reconciliation. There are many persons who appear to be satisfied with what I may call a partial reconciliation. They hope they are not in the position of an altogether unforgiven sinner, but still they dare not accept the position of one whose every sin has been blotted out, and to whom there is no barrier in the way of a full, free, unfettered enjoyment of the love of God. There is nothing of this half-and-half character in our heavenly Father’s provision for us. ‘His love unknown has broken every barrier down.’ When our blessed Saviour took on Himself the burden of our sin He took the whole; and when He paid the price He paid the whole. He did not leave His work half done. So the whole is taken out of the way, being nailed to His cross, and there is no barrier left between the restored sinner and the Father in heaven. The veil of separation has been rent from the top to the bottom, and as the curse of all sin has been completely and for ever borne, it is the privilege of every soul that is in Christ Jesus to approach the mercy-seat of our most holy God with the same peaceful, loving, filial trust that he would have felt if he had never known sin. Thus it is that we may realise the words of St. John: ‘Because as He is, so are we in this world.’
Rev. Canon Edward Hoare.
Illustration‘When Absalom returned from Geshur he remained three years at Jerusalem without being permitted to see his father’s face. In his case there was only a partial restoration. David could not see his way to a complete relaxation of law, for nothing had been done to satisfy it, so he adopted a compromise which satisfied neither love nor law. He allowed Absalom to return to Jerusalem, but did not allow him to see his face. Now the position of Absalom when he returned to Jerusalem was very much that of a multitude of those who have not practically received the blessed truth of a complete, final, and sufficient propitiation. They are not as he was when in Geshur, for they are in the midst of religious life as he was in Jerusalem, but they are not fully restored, they have not seen the face of the King, and their Father has not kissed them. The result is that their religion is one of little more than anxiety, and they begin to think that it was almost better with them when they were altogether in the world. But this is not the result of an all-sufficient Divine propitiation.’