Whom 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. (Romans 3:25)
Romans 3:25 is a beautiful reminder of the love the Father has for us. God sent Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins. The Greek word for propitiation is hilasterion and means the atoning victim. It describes someone who pays the penalty or debt another owes so he can be free. Jesus became the mercy seat, the place where the sacrificed animal's blood was sprinkled in the temple. Now, Jesus’ blood is sprinkled on that seat and that blood has washed away our sins. In fact, the word mercy in Greek is eleos, and it means compassion.
God loves us so much He had compassion on us and sent Jesus to be our Savior. He is the only One who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and was qualified to bear all our sins and pay the price for them in hell.
Only One rose from the grave and is alive right now - Yeshua Hamashiach - Jesus the Christ. He is our mercy seat, and to reject Him is to reject God’s mercy for us. So, what does this mean for us today? It means that we can have hope and confidence in our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to fear punishment or death because Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. We can come to Him in repentance and faith, knowing that He will forgive us and make us new. But this also means that we have a responsibility to share the Good News with others. There are still people in the world who have not heard about Jesus or His sacrifice for us. It is not just in remote areas, but is in civilized first world countries as well. We must do whatever we can to get this news to the entire world: Jesus paid the penalty for your sins!
Practical Application
How can you be a part of sharing the truth of the Good News to the world? Do you regularly give to missions? Can you find opportunities to share the truth of God’s Word to those around you? Ask the Lord what He would have you do to be a part of His mission work and follow it.