Propitiation
A Sermon on Romans 3:25
Originally preached March 15, 1957
Scripture
25Whom 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;
Sermon Description
Jesus saves sinners, but how are they redeemed in Christ and why did it have to happen in that way? In Romans 3:25, Paul says that God was a “propitiation” for our sins in order to declare His righteousness to the sinner. In the sermon titled “Propitiation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that this word means to appease and avert anger or wrath. The cross of Jesus Christ was needed to appease God’s wrath. Propitiation implies four things: an offense to be taken away, an offended person who needs to be pacified, a guilty person, and a sacrifice of atonement for the offense. Also in this message, Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns about various translations of the Bible. Many who have translated this specific passage have misplaced the word “propitiation” with “expiation,” giving the verse a completely different context. This happens because personal prejudices can sway the translations. In either case, it is to be clear that without propitiation, the Lord cannot have a personal relationship with a person when there is sin present. This is the reason that Christ had to be the ultimate sacrifice to pay the atonement for sins.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul begins a new subsection in Romans 3:25, describing the redemption available through Jesus Christ.
- Verse 25 introduces the idea of propitiation, meaning the appeasement of God's wrath. This is a controversial concept, with some translations using "expiation" instead.
- The word "propitiation" refers to the mercy seat in the Old Testament, where the high priest would sprinkle blood to atone for the people's sins.
- Propitiation implies four things: an offense, an offended person, an offending person, and a means of atonement. Jesus's death on the cross appeased God's wrath against sin.
- Some reject the idea of propitiation, seeing God's wrath as unworthy or blasphemous. But the Bible refers to God's wrath over 580 times. Jesus himself warned of God's wrath.
- God's wrath refers to his settled opposition to sin because of his holy nature. It is not uncontrolled passion. Sin separates us from God, so his wrath is personal.
- Arguments against propitiation are inconsistent. If sin needs to be expiated, why? If God's wrath is automatic, so is his mercy. An advocate suggests a broken relationship.
- Jesus's death did not persuade God to forgive us or change his mind. God himself provided the propitiation through Jesus's blood.
- Removing God's wrath removes the need for the Bible. Objections come from Greek philosophy, not Scripture.
- We must choose between philosophy and biblical revelation. Philosophy rejects God's wrath, propitiation, atonement, and the meaning of Jesus's death.
- The sermon closes with a prayer for understanding, faithfulness to Scripture, and deliverance from worldly wisdom.
Sermon Q&A
What is Propitiation in the Bible According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Romans 3:25, here's an explanation of propitiation and its significance.
What does propitiation mean in the Bible according to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, propitiation means "to appease, to placate, to avert anger or wrath." He references John Owen's definition that propitiation involves four essential elements:
- An offense to be taken away
- A person offended who needs to be pacified
- An offending person guilty of the offense
- A sacrifice or means of making atonement for the offense
Lloyd-Jones states that this means "what our Lord did by his death upon the cross was to appease God's wrath. This is a statement to the effect that God's wrath has been appeased, that God has been placated as the result of the work which our Lord did there by dying upon the cross."
Why does Lloyd-Jones reject the translation of "expiation" instead of "propitiation"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones rejects the substitution of "expiation" for "propitiation" for several reasons:
- The concept of God's wrath appears throughout Scripture (580 times in the Old Testament alone and 10 times in Romans)
- Expiation merely means "canceling the guilt of sin" while propitiation addresses the personal relationship between God and sinners
- The very idea of needing expiation logically leads to propitiation - if sin needs canceling, it's because it affects our relationship with God
- Those who reject propitiation are often inconsistent, accepting God's mercy as inherent to His character while refusing to accept His wrath as similarly inherent
What misconception about propitiation does Lloyd-Jones address?
Lloyd-Jones addresses the misconception that propitiation means humans (or even Christ) are somehow persuading or bribing God to change His mind about sinners. He emphasizes:
"We are not even teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ has changed the mind of God... This is not a teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ, by dying, has persuaded God to forgive us. Don't you notice what Paul says? 'Whom God set forth?' It's God, the Father himself, who's doing it."
Lloyd-Jones stresses that "it is God himself providing the propitiation in his own son and by his blood. It is God contriving away whereby his own wrath upon sin has its full vent and yet the sinner is saved."
Why does Lloyd-Jones believe some theologians reject the concept of God's wrath?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that rejection of God's wrath stems from substituting Greek philosophy for biblical revelation:
"The Greek philosophers didn't like this idea of wrath. They regarded the whole notion of wrath as something weak and discreditable... They said that wrath even in a man is a terrible thing. But God, well the God of the Greek philosopher is impassive. He doesn't feel anything at all."
He warns that when people start with a philosophical idea of God rather than the biblical revelation, they end up rejecting key biblical concepts like wrath, propitiation, and atonement, undermining the central message of salvation.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.