Verse of the Day (September 25, 2020)

Verse of the Day (September 25, 2020) #BMSeminary – John refers here to both the “righteous” life of Christ and his “propitiating” death, which together are the grounds of a believer’s justification (cf. Rom. 3:24–26; 2 Cor. 5:21). It is on these grounds—his sinless life and substitutionary death—that Jesus stands as our “advocate” before the Father. The word “propitiation” appears only rarely in the New Testament, but at crucial points (e.g., Rom. 3:25). Moreover, the reality expressed in the word “propitiation,” with its profound gospel significance, reverberates throughout the whole Bible. This key term refers to a sacrifice which satisfies the just wrath of God for sin. As it is applied to Christ, we learn that through his death Jesus absorbed the just wrath of God toward us for our sin and thereby opened the way for God’s full favor to be shown to all who believe. This profound change of our situation provided by Christ’s propitiation for our sin produces in our hearts a deep gratitude, a note clearly sounded by John when he says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us” (1 John 3:1). [Gospel Transformation Study Bible]