Propitiation
The Apostle Paul said, “…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:24-26)
The White Horse Inn is calling for a “Romans Revolution”! On the most recent (4/22) WHI podcast one of the hosts makes reference to an article by Robert Peterson that will be published soon in Modern Reformation magazine where he deals with the passage quoted above. The host said the article will point out that “whereas the problem from our point of view is how a loving God can be filled with wrath, the problem as from Paul’s point of view is how a just God can justify the wicked [us].”
Near the beginning of the show they play a score of responses to the question “What are Christians saved from?” sampled at a national pastor’s conference. The responses are shocking! As go the shepherds, so go the sheep!
Haven’t yet listened to the comments, just reflecting on the akwardness of the question: “What are Christians saved from?” How is that the right question for us to be asking? I think that here lies one of my fundamental wrestlings with modern evangelicism. We tend to be more concerned with avoiding perdition than really engaging what it might mean to enter the Kingdom. The better question might be: what is humanity saved for? It seems that Jesus only refrences outer darkness etc, when he is talking about eventually removing from his Kingdom those who have refused and resisted the breaking in of the reign of God that was announced by the ministry of Jesus. I have a similar problem with the images invoked when the term “holiness” is used. The minds of most people that I talk to gravitate towards the removal of sin when they here this word. Fundamentally though, isn’t holiness the full devotion or “set-apartness” to the purpose of God unfolding in the world? Granted, a turning from things that are not in the heart of God is involved. I just think that there can be general lack of understanding of what the Kingdom of God is really about, therefore, we tell people what it isn’t, assuming that the absence of sin equals holiness and the recognition of some idea of atonement equals life in the Kingdom.
Billy, Thank you for this comment. I have a reply ready and will write when I have a free moment.