JESUS: OUR PROPITIATION by William Gray
Introduction
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
We live in a time in history when there is an abundance of information everywhere; Google, Wikkipedia, radio, television, computers, phone apps, multiple social media and other sources, yet despite this abundance of information there seemingly is a widespread lack of real knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom, of course, comes from God! “For the Lord gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright…” (Proverbs 2:6 – 7 NKJV)
It is disheartening that so few people and organizations have any true knowledge or wisdom, but then, it is not surprising because of the great lack of the knowledge of God's Word and the knowledge of the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
The greatest expository preacher of the 20th century, according to many, Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd- Jones said in his work on “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" that “the most obvious feature in the life of the Christian Church today is, alas, its superficiality." (D. Martyn Lloyd -Jones Studies in the Sermon on the Mount circa 1959)
Not only are our many sources of information superficial, but many church services are also superficial. Even the so-called “news" stations which give around-the-clock “news" have no real “news" of any value. What is frequently used is not real reporting of facts at all, but rather a reference to “feelings" and pictures obtained in many cases from social media! Such programs are almost totally without any analysis or in-depth reporting. This is also true of many so-called “seeker friendly" church services. These services are often designed to appeal to the pagan intellect as “entertainment" rather than a spiritual or worshipful experience for Christians. It seems to be popular today that many churches rarely sing any of the great hymns of the faith, and if they do, the hymns are “jazzed up" to “rock music" and frequently one cannot distinguish the 30 or so minutes of so-called “worship music" from a rock concert. Frequently these “warm-up sessions" are loud, boisterous, and lacking in biblical content! Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said in his introduction to his work on studies in the “Sermon on the Mount" that “one main cause of this “superficiality" is our attitude to the Bible, our failure to take it seriously… It is our textbook, it is our only source, it is our only authority. We know nothing about God and about the Christian life in a true sense, apart from the Bible.” (D. Martyn Lloyd- Jones: Studies on the Sermon on the Mount page 10 circa 1959) It is my hope that the reader of this article may come to know the only true God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “No man can come to the Father except he come by Jesus”. (John 14:6). Scripture gives us the fact that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. We will take a look at the fact of this propitiation; the meaning of this propitiation; and the implication of this propitiation.
Read more: http://www.worldviewweekend.com/article/jesus-our-propitiation