JESUS SET FORTH AS PROPITIATION BY GOD

JESUS WAS SET FORTH AS A PROPITIATION
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Romans 3:25 25Godpresented Christas a sacrificeof
atonement, through the shedding of his blood-to be
receivedby faith. He did this to demonstratehis
righteousness, becausein his forbearancehe had left
the sins committed beforehandunpunished-
Christ Set Forth As A Propitiation
“Christ Jesus whom Godhas set forth to be a propitiation through faith
in His blood”
Romans 3:25
We commencedthe services in this place by the declarationthat here Christ
shall be preached. Our Brother who followedus expressedhis joy that Christ
was preachedherein. He did rejoice, yes, and would rejoice and our friends
must have observedhow throughout the other services there has been a most
blessedadmixture not only of the true spirit of Christ but of pointed and
admirable reference to the glories and beauties of His Person.
This morning, which is the beginning of our more regular and constant
ministry we come againto the same noble theme. Christ Jesus is today to be
setforth. You will not charge me for repeating myself–you will not look up to
the pulpit and say, “Pulpits are places oftautology.” You will not reply that
you have heard this story so often that you have grownweary of it, for well I
know that with you the Person, the Characterand the work of Christ are
always fresh themes for wonder. We have seenthe sea, some ofus hundreds of
times and what an abiding sameness there is in its deep greensurface–butwho
ever calledthe sea monotonous?

Traveling over it as the mariner does, sometimes by the yeartogether, there is
always a freshness in the undulation of the waves, the whiteness of the foam of
the breaker, the curl of the crested billow and the frolicsome pursuit of every
wave by its long train of brothers. Which of us has ever complained that the
sun gave us but little variety–that at morn he yokedthe same steeds and
flashed from his ear the same goldenglory, climbed with dull uniformity the
summit of the skies, thendrove his chariot downward and bade his flaming
coursers steeptheir burning hooves in the westerndeep?
Who among us has complained of the monotony of the bread that we eat? We
eat it today, tomorrow, the next day, we have eatenit for years that are passed
and though we have other savory matters therewith, yet still the one
unvarying food is servedupon the table and the bread remains the staff of life.
Surely I know that as Christ is your foodand your spiritual bread–Christ is
your sun, your heavenly light. As Christ is the sea of love in which your
passions swimand all your joys are found, it is not possible that you as
Christian men and women should complain of a monotony in Him. “He is the
same yesterday, today and forever,” and yet He has the dew of His youth.
He is the manna in the goldenpot which was always the same, but He is the
manna which came from Heaven which was every morning new. He is the rod
of Moses whichwas dry and changednot its shape, but He is also to us the rod
of Aaron which buds and blossoms and brings forth almonds. I come, then,
now to preach Christ crucified, as God has setHim forth to be a propitiation
for us through faith in His blood.
To begin at once, then, we shall notice first, what is meant here by God’s
setting forth Christ as propitiation. Secondly, we shall dwell upon the Truth
which may very naturally be drawn from the first–Christ the propitiation, as
lookedupon by the believer. And then, thirdly, putting the two together, I
mean inverting the two thoughts, we shall look at Christ as set forth by us and
lookedupon by God.
1. First then, the text says of Christ Jesus, “WHOM GOD HAS SET
FORTHTO BE A PROPITIATION THROUGHFAITH IN HIS
BLOOD.”
The words “setforth” in the original may signify “foreordained.” But
according to eminent critics it has also in it the idea of setting forth as wellas
a “fore-ordaining.” Barnes says, “The wordproperly means to place in public
view. To exhibit in a conspicuous situation, as goods are exhibited or exposed
for sale, oras premiums or rewards of victory were exhibited to public view in

the games ofthe Greeks.”So has God the Father setforth, manifested, made
conspicuous the Personof the Lord Jesus as the propitiation of sin.
How has He done this? He has done it first by ordaining Him in the Divine
decree as the propitiation of sin. Christ did not take upon Himself the office of
High Priestwithout being chosenthereunto as was Aaron. As surely as every
member of Christ’s body is electaccording to the foreknowledgeofGod, as
certainly as in God’s Book all His members were written which in
continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them, so certainly
was the Head Himself ordained the chosenof God. As our poet puts it–“Christ
be My first electHe saidThen chose our souls in Christ our Head.”
Perhaps some might saythere could be no electionwhere there was no room
for choice. Buthow do we know that there was no room for choice? We can
scarce imagine that angelor archangelcouldhave been setforth as
propitiation for sin. Who can tell whether the Almighty mind might not have
devised another plan? Who shall dare to limit the Holy One of Israel? At any
rate there was this choice betweenthe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Divine Wisdom conjoined with Divine Sovereigntyand chose and
appointed and determined that Christ Jesus, the Secondof the Mysterious
Three, should be the propitiation for our sins.
When Christ comes into the world, He comes as One of whom all eternity had
spoken–He is the Child born–born from the womb of destiny. He is the Lamb
whom God had appointed from before the foundation of the world. Long
before this world was made, or Adam fell, Christ had been setforth. In the
volume of the Book it had been written of Him, “I delight to do Your will, O
God.” I think those who are afraid of looking back upon the greatdecrees of
God because they saythey are secrets have a fear where no fear is
appropriate. There is never fear, my Brethren, of our meddling with secret
things. If they are secret, it is quite certain that we shall not meddle with
them. Only let it be announced once and for all that they are secretand there
is no one who can betray the secrets ofGod.
But things that are revealedbelong to us and to our children and this is one of
the things that is revealed, this is the decree and we will declare it. The Lord
said unto Christ, “You are My Son, this day have I begottenYou and He has
said unto Him moreover, I will make Him My First-born, higher than the
kings of the earth.” And all this that He may be the “propitiation for our sins
by faith in His blood.”
And next, God had set forth Christ to be a propitiation for sins in His
promises before the advent. Did He not set Him forth most plainly in the

garden where we fell? Was He not plainly revealedafterwards in the ark in
which Noah was saved? Did not God speak constantly, not only by verbal
promises, but by typical promises, which are just as sure and certain as those
which are spokenin words? Did He not to a hundred seers and to multitudes
of holy men and women, constantly revealthe coming of Him who should
bruise the serpent’s head and deliver His people from the powerof the curse?
It is wonderful to see how engagedthe Holy Spirit was through every age and
era in ordaining types, in bringing forth representations and symbols in which
Christ should be set forth as being the appointed propitiation for sins through
faith in His blood. But the greatsetting forth was the actual doing of the deed
when Jesus Christ came forth from the chambers of mystery and revealed
Himself in the manger–whenGodset Him forth by angelic messengers
appointed to be His attendants–setHim forth by the starin the Eastwhich
should guide the distant strangers to the place where the young Child was.
He set Him forth afterwards by preserving His life in the midst of imminent
perils, fulfilling promises made concerning His infancy in the place where He
was hidden from Herod’s fury and in the spot where He was educatedand
brought up. Throughout the life of Christ, how constantlydid His Fatherset
Him forth! The voice of God was in the voice of John–“Beholdthe Lamb of
God which takes awaythe sins of the world.” And on the Cross itself, “when it
pleasedthe Father to bruise Him and put Him to grief,” what an exhibition
was there of Christ to the eye of Jew and Gentile, of prince and peasant, of the
learned Greek, ofthe ruler Roman–thatGod had appointed Christ to be the
full propitiation for sin.
I think, my dear Friends, while we must always regardthe Cross as being the
representationof Christ’s love to His Church, we must also view it as being
God setting forth to man the way by which He will acceptman, pardon his sin,
hear his prayer and be reconciledwith His erring creatures.
But, O my dear Friends, this is not all, God the Fatherset forth Christ since
then by signs following. What a setting forth that was of Christ the
Propitiator, when the Holy Spirit came down on Pentecost!And what have all
conversions beensince then? Have they not been repeatedseals to the
testimony that Christ is the appointed Redeemerof men and that through
Him the faithful are justified and accepted? You, I trust–many of you–had
such a specialsetting forth of Christ in your own hearts. You can setyour seal
to the text before us for Him has God set forth in you as being the
propitiation.

By effectual grace your eyes have been opened–by infinite love your stubborn
heart has been melted. You have been turned from every other hope and
every other refuge. You have seenChrist to be the Powerof God and the
Wisdom of God. Constrainedby an omnipotent influence which you neither
could nor would resist you have receivedHim as the Sent of God, have taken
Him as being God’s Messiahand your only refuge. God in you, then, has
graciouslyfulfilled the text, “Him has God set forth to be a propitiation.”
But now, to change the subjectfor a moment and yet to continue on the same
point–what is it that God has so manifestly setforth? We have seenhow he
has done it–we turn now to what? Sinner, listen and if you have already
acceptedthat which the Father has revealed, let your joy become full. God has
setforth Christ as being a propitiation. The Greek word has it ilasthrion
which, being translated, may mean a mercy seator a covering. Now God has
said to the sinner, “Do you desire to meet Me? Would you be no longer My
enemy? Would you tell Me your sorrows? Wouldyou receive My blessing?
Would you establish a commerce betweenyour Creatorand your soul? I set
forth Christ to you as being the MercySeat, where I can meet with you and
you canmeet with Me.”
Or take the word as signifying a covering–asthe mercy seatcoveredthe tables
of the Law and so covered that which was the cause of Divine ire, because we
had broken His commandment. “Would you have anything which can cover
your sin? Coverit from Me, your God, so that I need not be provoked to
anger? Coverit from you so that you need not be cowedwith excessive fear
and tremble to approachMe as you did when I came in thunder and lightning
upon Sinai? Would you have a shelter which shall hide altogetheryour sins
and your iniquities? I set it forth to you in the Personof My bleeding Son.
Trust in His blood and your sin is coveredfrom My eyes–no,it shall be
coveredfrom your own eyes, too. And being justified by faith, you shall have
peace with God through Jesus Christ your Lord.”
Oh that we may have grace to acceptnow what God the Father sets forth! The
Romish priest sets forth this and that, our own Romish hearts setforth such-
and-such-another thing but God sets forth Christ. The preacher of doctrine
sets forth a dogma. The preacherof experience sets forth a feeling. The
preacherof practice often sets forth an effort. But God puts before you Christ.
“Here will I meet with you. This is the place of My rest–glorious to Me, safe to
you. Come to Christ! Come to Christ and you will come to Me.” The Lord
Almighty comes to Christ and there He comes to you. God, then, has setforth
Christ Jesus–made Him conspicuous as being the mercy seatand the great
hider of sin.

What has He set forth? He has set forth Christ before every one of you, in the
daily preaching of the Word and in yon Inspired Book as His anointed to do
His work, suffering in the place of all who believe on Him. He has setHim
forth as nailed to Calvary’s Cross that your sins might be nailed there. Set
Him forth as dying, that your sins might die–no, buried that your iniquities
might be buried–risen, that you might rise to newness oflife. Ascended, that
you might ascendto God. Receivedin triumph, that you might be receivedin
triumph, too. Made to reign, that you might reign in Him foreverloved,
forever crowned, that you in Him may be foreverloved and forever crowned,
too.
Christ has God the Fatherset forth, that by faith in His blood your sins being
put away, you might enjoy the blessing of complete justification. “Who is he
that condemns, Christ has died, yes rather, has risen again and sits at the
right hand of God, who also makes intercessionfor us.” “Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God’s elect?” Thus, then and in these respects, has
God the Father set forth Christ.
II. And now I proceedin the secondplace–andmay the Spirit of God descend
more visibly into our midst than at present–to speak upon a duty, a privilege
rather, which so naturally rises out of God’s having shown forth His Son as
being the propitiation through faith in His blood. That privilege is that WE
SHOULD LOOK TO CHRIST AND LOOK TO CHRIST ALONE AS THE
PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS AND TAKE CARE THAT OUR FAITH
IS SIMPLE AND FIXED SOLELY ON HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD.
A very common mistake is to look to our sense of need as being at leastin
some degree a propitiation for sin. Repentance is an absolute duty and a
Christian grace–a gracewithoutwhich there can he no salvation. But there
has been a strong temptation upon many minds to make repentance a
preparation for Christ and to regard a sense ofneed as being a kind of
wedding garment in which they may approachthe Savior. How many read
that promise, “Come unto Me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I
will give you rest,” and they fondly imagine that if they could be more weary
and more heavily laden then they would have rest?
Whereas, being weary and heavy laden gives no man rest. It is coming to
Christ that gives him rest. It is not the being weary and the being heavy laden.
And I have known some ministers who preach what is calleda deep
experience and lawwork and preach very rightly, too, because many of the
people of God have to endure this. But I think they lead the people into error,
for the people imagine that this law-work, this deep experience has something
to do with the propitiation of their sins. Now, my Hearers, the sins of God’s

people are takenaway by the blood of Christ and not by any repentance of
their own.
I have already guarded my statement and now I will make it as bold as
possible. I saythat repentance of sin does in no way contributes to the removal
of that sin meritoriously. I saythat our sense ofneed does not take awayour
guilt, nor help to take it away. But the blood, the blood, the blood alone, pure
and unmixed, has forever washedthe people of God and made them whiter
than snow. So, poor Heart, if your soul is as hard as a nether millstone, if your
conscienceseemsto yourself to be searedby long habits of sin, if you cannot
force tears from your eyes and scarcelycangeta groanfrom your heart–yet
you are groaning today because you cannotgroan, weeping because you
cannot weepand sorrowing becauseyou cannotsorrow–hearyou, then, this
Gospelmessage. Godthe Fatherhas set Christ forth to be your propitiation!
Not your tender conscience, notyour groans, not your sense of need, not your
law-work, not your deep experience. He is enough without any of these–have
faith in His blood and you are saved!
But again–manyhave fallen into another mistake. They make their
propitiation depend upon their evidences. I would be the lastto say, “Away
with evidences, awaywith evidences,” forthey are goodthings in their proper
place. But there are too many persons who always judge of their past
conversionand ultimate salvationby present evidence. Judge Brethren,
whether you could ever form a proper estimate of the world by its appearance
on any one day. If I had takenyou out a month ago into the fields, you would
have declaredthat the trees were dead. What signs of life would you have
perceived? The bulbs were buried in the ground–you might have takena
solemn oath that flowers were banished and you might have imagined that
because there were none, there never would be any.
But what was your evidence of the world’s state worth? Look at it now–the
buds are bursting on the trees. The flowers are springing from the sod.
Everything is hastening on towards spring and summer. Why as it is absurd
and ridiculous for us to judge of the world’s estate by the factthat there was a
cloud today and there was a showerof rain yesterdayand therefore infer that
the sun has lost its force and will never shine–it is just as ridiculous to judge of
our standing before God by our present standing, according to our evidences
on some one day.
The right way to read evidences is this. First, my Soul, whether you are saved
or not, look to Christ as a poor guilty sinner. When you have done this, then
read your evidences–then–nottill then. Then the blessedevidence will be a
confirmation. The witness of the Spirit will confirm your faith. But if you look

to your evidences first you will be foolish indeed. It is as in a reflector–first, let
us have the light, then will the reflectorbe of use to us to increase and reflect
back the light. But I take my reflector into a dark place and look for light in it,
I shall find none. I must first see to the light itself and then to the reflection of
it.
Our graces are the reflectionof Christ’s love. They are the tokens of it but we
had better go to Christ first and then look to the tokens afterwards. Iam sure
if you, as a spouse, had offended your husband you would find but very sorry
comfort in looking at those little tokens of love which in the past he had
conferredon you. You would go to him first, ask him whether his love was still
firm, whether he had forgiven the fault and when you had receivedthe
assurance ofhis unabated and pure affection, could you go upstairs to the
secretdrawerand look over the love notes and the love tokens–butthey would
have afforded you sorry comfort before.
So with any child who has been chastenedby his parent–if he thinks that his
father is angry with him he will not, if he is a wise child, a simple-hearted
child, go up to the nursery and look at the gifts which his father gave him–but
going to his father’s knee he will look up, with a tear in his eye and say,
“Fatherdo you love me? Can you forgive your child?” And, when he has had
the personaltoken, the kiss of acceptance, then may the child go back and see
in every mouthful that he eats and every garment which he wears, the sure
tokenof his father’s continued affection. Evidences are good as secondthings,
but as first things they are usurpers and may prove anti-Christs to Christ.
Whatevermy evidences may say, if I believe in the precious blood, there is not
a sin againstme in God’s Book and in the teeth of everything which might
make me tremble–
“Justas I am, without one plea,
But that His blood was shedfor me
And that He bids me come,”
I come againand come afresh to Him whom God has setforth to be the
propitiation for our sins.
Friends, I may surprise you by what I am about to say, but there is another
fault into which we sometimes fall, namely, looking to God’s promises instead
of looking to Christ as the propitiation of sin. The text does not say that God
the Fatherhas setforth promises. Indeed He has given us exceedinglygreat
and precious promises and they are true in Christ. We often err by going to
promises instead of going to Christ. I know many Christians who, when they
are in distress, take up the Bible to find a promise–a very goodand a very

admirable plan, if, mark–it is precededby something else. It they go to Christ
first, they may come to the promise afterwards.
“Yes,” says one, “but suppose a promise is fulfilled.” Very good. You have
comfort out of it, but I say suppose the promise is not fulfilled? What then?
Why it is just as sure for all that–whether the promise is fulfilled or not.
Fulfillment is not my duty–my business is to take Christ whom God the
Father has set forth as the propitiation of my sins and if in searching this
Book through there is not a single promise which I dare lay hold of, if I cannot
find one bottle filled with the rich wine of consolation–ifI can lay hold on no
bunch of the grapes of Eshcol, still, God the Father has set forth Christ
whateverelse He has not setforth–and my eye looks to Christ and to Christ
alone,
There is a man who very much desires an estate. At the same time his heart is
smitten with the beauty of some fair heiress. He gets the title deeds of her
estate. Well, the title deeds are good, but the estates are not his though he has
got the title deeds. By-and-by he marries the lady and everything is his own.
Get the heiress and you have got the estate. It is so in Christ–promises are the
title-deeds of His estates. A man may getthe promise and not get Christ and
then they will be of no more use to him than the deeds of another man’s estate
would be to me, if I am not the lawful proprietor.
But when my soulis married unto Christ, then I am heir of all things in Him
and with Him. Why, Christian, what right have you to say, “that promise is
not mine because it is not fulfilled.” Your right to the promise does not lie in
its being fulfilled, nor yet in your powerto lay hold of it. Every promise that is
in the Bible belongs to every man who is in Christ and belongs to him as much
one day as another day, because Christis his at all times, evermore the same.
Oh, I do not know whether I can put this exactly as I mean it. What I mean is
that the devil has often tempted me with, “You have not had a promise sent
home to your heart for months, you are no child of God, you cannot getthat
sweetness outof such-and-such a passagethat some men can.”
I reply to Satan in this way, “Well, God has never said He has setforth the
promise to be a propitiation through faith but He has setforth Christ and my
soul accepts thatwhich God has set forth and if ever a promise is applied to
me, the promise is mine for all that and in faith I will lay hold on it and defy
you to rob me of it when my soul has laid hold on Christ.” Oh, that we lived
more on Christ and less on anything but Christ–nearerto Christ’s Person,
more surely resting on Christ’s blood–more simply accepting Him as our All
in All.

I have not yet done on this secondhead–A remark or two suggestthemselves
to me now. God has setforth Christ to be the propitiation through faith in His
blood and we ought to acceptChrist as being an all-sufficient propitiation. I
believe in Christ today. But if some sin lies upon my conscienceand I am
worried and troubled about it, ought I not to perceive at once that I have
failed to acceptChristas an all-sufficient propitiation? Whether my sin is
little or it is great, whether it is fresh or old, it is the same sin and blessedbe
God, it has all been atonedfor through Christ the propitiation!
We ought to take Christ as being the death of every sin and of all sin–as
having expunged and wiped out the great debt as well as the little–the ten
thousand talents as well as the one hundred pence. We have never gottenthe
full idea of Christ till we know that every sin of thought, of word, of deed that
the believerhas ever been guilty of finds its death, its drowning, its total
annihilation in the propitiation which Godhas set forth. Oh, we want to come
where Kent was, whenhe said–
“Now free from sin I walk at large
My Savior’s blood’s my full discharge.
At His dear feet my soul I lay
A sinner savedand homage pay.”
Well, but when we have come as far as this we need to add a secondthought.
God has setforth Christ to be not only an all-sufficient but an immutable
propitiation for sin. Christ is as much my soul’s propitiation when my soul
has fallen almost Antinomian way.“ I cannot help it. It is true–it is true that
the propitiation of Christ is never more, never less. It cannot be more, it is
complete. It cannot be less, for it is the same yesterday, today and forever.
That man who has been washedin blood is spotless. His doubts and fears have
not spoiledhis appearance. His powerlessnessyesterdayin prayer, his
despondencya week ago, his all but complete unbelief lastmonth do not mar
the perfectionof Jesus'righteousness–do nottake awayfrom the complete
achievementof the pardon of his sin by precious blood. I do believe and hold
and rejoice in that precious Truth–that our standing before God, when we
have believed in Jesus–depends no more upon our frames and our feelings
than the sun itself in its native glory depends upon the clouds and darkness
that are here below.
The same–the same in all its splendor, the same undimmed, as full of glory, as
full of majesty, the righteousness andblood of Christ abides. And we, standing
before God in Him–not in ourselves, are ever complete in Him. Ever accepted
in the Beloved–nevermore so, never less so. “Strong meat this,” says one. Be it

strong–nothing short of this will ever satisfythe tried Christian in the hour
when sin rolls over his head. If any man canmake a bad use of the doctrine of
the realsubstitution of Christ and the standing of Christ’s people in Christ’s
place every day–if any man canmake a licentious use of that, his damnation is
just. He has no part nor lot in this matter.
But I know this–I am not to be restrained from the comfort of a doctrine
because some licentious vagabondchoosesto destroy his soul with it. Still
there stands the glorious Truth. And nothing short of this is the full glory of
Christ’s atonement–thatwhen once He shed His blood and when once that
blood has been applied to us, by it and it alone we stand completely pure and
are as pure one day as anotherday–perfect, complete accepted, made secure
and safe in Christ Jesus the Lord. “Him has God the Father setforth to be a
propitiation for sin.” My soul accepts Him today as it did yesterdayand
knows that the sin is put awayforever.
III. Now I shall come to my third and last point. Turn the thoughts over. We
have said God sets forth Christ and we lookedat Him. Now, as a matter of
duty and privilege, we must SET FORTHCHRIST and GOD WILL LOOK
AT HIM.
The preacher, standing here as he does today before this immense assembly
knows that without God’s looking upon the ministry it will be vain and void.
How shall God’s eye be secured? How shall His presence be guaranteed? If in
this pulpit Christ is setforth, God will look down upon that Christ set forth
and honor and bless the Word. Brethren, I might preach cleardoctrine, but
God might never looks downupon doctrine. For I could point you to churches
with a tear in my eye, because I am able to do so, where conversions are rare
things. The doctrine is high, high enough–perhaps so high as to have become
putrid.
I will not say that, but I do know some churches where there has not been an
addition to the church by the stretchof ten or a dozen years togetherand I
have known the reason. Christ was not set forth and therefore God did not
look down on what was setforth. I have known, too, churches–andwith equal
sorrow do I mention them–where practice has been preached, but not Christ.
People have been exhorted to do ten thousand things. Moralduties presented
before the people in pleasing and well-polishedessays have takenthe place of
the Cross ofChrist and there have been no conversions. Bydegrees the
attendance has become very slender–forwhere Christ is not preached, it is a
strange thing–there are some exceptions to the rule, but still the rule is–there
are not many to listen.

Only preach Socinianismand what a splendid hunting-ground this tabernacle
will be for the spiders! Give up Christ and preachphilosophy–you need not
have an organ and a skillful person to play the people out of the church–they
would never need that. They will never come in. So is it. Those flimsy
doctrines never canprevail because no one will listen to them–they are not
attractive. They look as if they would attractall–but none can receive them.
The secretbeing that God will not look down on any man’s ministry unless
that man sets forth what God sets forth–Christ Jesus as the propitiation of our
sins.
It is not a question as to whether there will be conversions whenChrist is set
forth. That is certain. Some goodbrethren quote the text, “Paulmay plant
and Apollos may water, but”–and they are a long while upon the “but,” and
they pervert the text a little, “but God gives the increase.” Now the text does
not sayany such thing. It says, “Paulplants and Apollos waters, Godgives the
increase.”Theyare all linked together–Pauldoes not plant in vain–Apollos
does not waterin vain. God gives the increase–sure to do it and if there are
not souls savedthere is always some reasonfor it. And the reasonto which I
would look–leaving now the inscrutable sovereigntyof God out of the question
for a moment–the reasonwould be either that Christ is not preachedor else
He is preachedin such a way as He never ought to be preached–withcold-
heartedness, with want of zeal, with want of tenderness.
Only let Christ be preached by an earnestheart–though there be no eloquence
or though the elocutionis defective–Christbeing setforth, God the Holy Spirit
will come forth and the Word must and will be blessed. His Word shall not
return unto Him void. It shall prosper where He has sent it.
But again, as in the ministry we must set forth Christ if we would have God’s
smile, so you, my Brothers and Sisters, in your pleadings for the souls of men
must set forth Christ. What a mass of wickedness is hereabouts. Whattens of
thousands in this immediate neighborhood who know nothing of God. Here is
a city with very nearly three millions inhabitants. It is not a city but an empire
in itself. What shall we do when we are on our knees? I confess I have
sometimes found myself utterly unable to express my desires in prayer to God
for this city. When you once geta notion of its sin, its infamy, its dens, its
innumerable missionaries teaching Satanic doctrines, its multitudes of men
and women whose likelihoodit is to ensnare the simple ones, it is an awful
burden to carry before God!
You cannot pray for London exceptin sighs and groans. Goodold Roby
Flockhart, who stoodfor many years in the streets of Edinburgh used to be
much laughed at. But he preached every night in the week and had during the

winter months a little lantern which he put upon a stick and then stood in a
corner and preached to the passers-by. He preached with a greatpower, but
much eccentricity. That goodman was eminent in his prayers when alone. A
gentleman told me that he went one night to see poor Robert, he was
extremely poor. The candle had been blown out and he stumbled his way up
two or three pair of stairs and came at lastto Flockhart’s room.
He opened the door and he could not see the goodold man, but he could hear
him say, “O Lord, dinna forgetEdinboro, dinna forgetEdinboro, turn not
awayYour hand from auld Reekie, dinna forget her, Lord. Your servant will
never give You rest till You pour out Your spirit upon Edinboro.” My friend
stoodstill and there was that old man alone with his God–my friend had never
heard such groaning and crying. It seemedas if he could even hear the falling
of his tears while he prayed for Godto bless Edinburgh and to pour out His
Spirit upon that city. He made some noise and the old man said, “There is
somebody there I suppose.”
He struck a light and found he had taken one of the pillows of his bed to kneel
upon by the side of an old chair which was about the only furniture, with the
exceptionof the bed. He would pray for Edinburgh by the hour togetherand
then go out to preach, though many laughed at and hooted him. Oh, one wants
to feel like that for London, too, kneeling there till one’s knees are sore,
crying, “Do not forgetLondon, do not forgetLondon. Lord do not turn Your
face from London. Make bare Your arm in this greatcity.”
But how are we to make our prayers prevail with God? Brethren, we must
show forth Christ in prayer and then God will look upon our prayers. The
Methodist cry which was once heard at the prayer meeting when a poor
Methodist brother could not go on and someone atthe far end of the chapel
cried out, “Pleadthe blood, Brother, plead the blood”–thatold Methodistcry
has force and powerin it. “Pleadthe blood.” God cannot, cannot, cannot
resistthe cry of the blood of Christ. Abel’s blood demanded vengeance and it
had it. Christ’s blood demands pardons and shall have it, must have it–our
God cannot be deaf to the cry of His own Son’s blood. And if you and I and all
of us togethercanplead the precious blood of Christ for London, a revival
must come, will come, shallcome and the face of the times shall be changed.
God’s arm shall be revealedand, “all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth
of the Lord has spokenit.”
Yet once againand here with affectionate earnestness–Icome to plead
personally with eachof you. Soul, are you this morning sick of self and
longing to be saved? Do your sins condemn you? Do the lusts accuse you, does
your conscienceflog you? Have you been to God in prayer? Have you sought

for mercy and has no mercy come? Have you read the Bible to find a
promise? Has no promise dropped with honey to you? Come, I pray you and
obey the Word of God which I utter in your hearing–come andtake CHRIST
and show Christ’s blood to God and He will, He must smile upon you. If you
cannot take the promise, take the BLOOD. If you cannot come before God
with any feelings come with CHRIST in your hands.
“MayI trust Christ?” says one. May you?! You are commanded to do it! He
that believes not has made God a liar because he believes not. He that believes
has setto his sealthat God is true. Sinner, God is satisfiedwith Christ. Does
He satisfy God and will He not satisfyyou? The eternal Judge has accepted
Jesus and do you refuse Him? The Lord has opened the door and stands at it.
Is the door goodenough for the king and yet not goodenoughfor a rebel like
yourself? “But.” Away with your “buts!” You want to bring something to add
to Christ–is He enough to reconcile Godand not enoughto reconcile you?
“But,” “but,” again. So God thinks the precious blood to be a sufficient price
and you think it is not?
Oh fooland slow of heart, how dare you think that God has not setforth
enough but you must add to it! Insteadof this, I pray you in Christ’s stead,
believe in Christ as you are. Whoeveryou may be, whateveryour past life has
been, whateveryour present feelings now are–entrustyour soulwith Christ
and God declares that your sins are put away. Put your soul as it is–I care not
how black with sin, it matters not how depraved it is–put it here on that
mercy seatwhich God has set forth and you have put it where God
commanded you put it and its salvationrests no more with you. You have put
your salvationinto Christ’s hands, it is His business to save you and He will
do it–
“I know that safe with Him remains
Protectedby His power
What I’ve committed to His hands
Till the decisive hour.”
I do not know how it is, but this simple doctrine is the hardestdoctrine to
make clear. It seems so easyand yet many will mystify and doubt it. “What,
no goodworks, no goodfeelings!” All these things are fruits of grace–but
salvationdoes not depend upon goodworks–theyare a result so salvation.
Salvationis in Christ, wholly in Christ–in Christ alone–andthe moment any
of you do trust Him genuinely to be your sole and only Savioryou have
acceptedGod’s propitiation and God has acceptedyou. It is not possible for
the Lord, unless He could reverse His nature, stain His honor, belie His
Character, make His Word a farce and the atonement of Christ a falsehood–

to rejectany man under Heavenwho believes in Christ and takes Him to be
His All in All.
This day is calledGoodFriday–may it be a goodFriday to some of you.
Perhaps I have some here to whom I have preachedthese last sevenyears and
yet you have remained unsaved. I am clearof your blood if you had only
heard but this one morning sermon, for Godwitnesses I know not how to put
the plan of salvationmore clearly than I have done. “God has set forth Christ
to be a propitiation through His blood.” I bid you look to Christ bleeding, to
Christ sweating drops of blood, Christ scourged, Christnailed to the Cross
and if you believe in Christ’s blood He is the propitiation of your sins.
But I cando no more than this. It is mine to preach, it is mine to pray and
mine to plead. Oh may God the Holy Spirit give you grace to receive, to
accept, to yield to this blessedproclamation of free mercy. Other salvation
there is none. You may rack your soul with pain and wearout your bones
with toil, but there is rest nowhere but here, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and you shall be saved.” “He that with his heart believes and with his mouth
makes confessionshallbe saved.” “Forhe that believes and is baptized shall
be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned.”
What shall I say? Instead of pleading further with you I would plead with
God in private that many of you may now try whether Christ cannotsave you.
Restyourself on Him, trust yourself with Him and He will be as good as His
word and save you now and save you even to the end. The Lord add His
blessing, for Jesus'sake. Amen.
BIBLEHUR RESOURCES
A Remedy For A Universal Need
Romans 3:23
S.R. Aldridge
To assertthat the righteousness ofGod manifested in Christ was "apart from
the Law" relegatedthe Law to its proper position, as the servant, not the
master, of religion. And the apostle's substantiationof his further assertion,
that this new method of righteousness was notso entirely unheard of as that

its novelty should be a strong prejudice againstits truth, but that, on the
contrary, the Law itself and the prophets contain intimations of such a Divine
manifestation, - this cut the ground entirely from under the feetof objectors
jealous of every innovation which could not be justified by an appeal to the
sacredwritings. And this righteousness throughfaith recognizedJew and
Gentile as alike in their need of a gospel, and their freedom of access thereto.
I. THERE IS NO DISTINCTIONAMONGSTMEN IN RESPECT OF
THEIR NEED OF THE GOSPEL. Menare declaredfaulty in two respects.
1. By positive transgression. They"sinned," they have done wrong, and they
wander continually from the right way. They are not adjudged criminal
merely on the ground of Adam's fall, but they themselves cross the line which
separates obediencefrom disobedience. Scripture, history, and conscience
testify to this fact.
2. By defect. They "fall short of the glory of God." Their past behaviour has
been blameworthy, and their present condition is far below what was intended
when man was formed in God's image, to attain to his likeness. Compare the
best of men with the example setby the Saviour of love to God and man, and
of conformity to the highest standard discernible. Now, unless perfect, man
cannot claim acquittal at the bar of judgment. Perfectionis marred if one
feature be distorted or one limb be missing or weak. This is not to be takento
signify that all men are equally sinful, that there are no degrees ofenormity,
and that all are equidistant from the kingdom of God. But it means that,
without exception, all fail in the examination which Divine righteousness
institutes, though some have more marks than others. Left to themselves, all
men would drown in the sea of their iniquity, though some are nearerthe
surface than their fellows. The misunderstanding of this truth has done
grievous harm to tender minds, fretting because they had not the same sense
of awful misdoing that has been felt by notorious malefactors. We neednot
gauge the amount of contrition requisite; it suffices if the heart turn humbly
to God for forgiveness. Thus the gospeldoes not flatter men. Soothing
messages maycomfort for a while till the awakening comes. Thenwe realize
that it is of no use to be in a richly decoratedcabin if the ship is sinking. To
revealthe true state is the necessarypreliminary to reformation. There is a
down-rightness about the gospelassertionswhich, like the deep probing of the
surgeon's lance, wounds in order to thorough healing. Alas! that the disease of
sin should so frequently produce lethargy in the sick!they feel no need of a
physician! Lax notions of sin lessenour sense ofthe necessityofan atonement.
We fail to discern a rebellion againstthe government of God, and an offence
againstthe moral universe. We treat it as if it only concernedourselves and

our neighbours. No sprinkling of rose-watercanpurge away the evil; it can be
cleansedonly by the blood of the Lamb.
II. THERE IS NO DISTINCTION IN RESPECT OF THE MEANS OF
SALVATION.
1. Justificationcomes in every case as a gift, not as a prize discoveredor
earned. "Being justified freely." Part of the beneficial influence of the gospel
is the blow it administers to human notions of desert, and pride is a chief
obstacle to enrichment by this gift of God.
2. To all men the kindness of God is the source of their salvation. God first
loved and sought the sinner, not contrariwise. His "grace" is the fountain of
redemption.
3. The same Divine method of deliverance is employed for all. "Through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus."There is but one way to the Father,
whether men walk thereon consciouslyorunconsciously, in heathen twilight
or gospelnoontide, in Jewishanticipation or Christian realization. The one
atonement cancover all transgression.
4. The same human mode of entrance into the kingdom is open to all, viz. by
faith. Weakness,ignorance,degradation, cannotbe pleaded as obstacles to
salvation. The study of the philosopher is no nearer heaven than the cottage of
the artisan. The capacityof trusting is possessedby every man; the remedy is
not remote, therefore, from the reachof any of the sin-sick race. - S.R.A.
Biblical Illustrator
Whom God hath setforth to be a propitiation:
Romans 3:25
Propitiation through faith in Christ's blood
W. Wilson, M. A.
I. CHRIST, A PROPITIATION.Sin draws on the sinner the holy angerof
God, although it cannot quench the love of God. And that it could not quench
His love is shownby His providing and setting forth as a propitiation His own
Son, through whom He can look on us with angerno more, but with
complacency. This He has done. It often costs us much, we have often got
much to getover in order to let the affectionthat there is in our heart towards
some human being have its way, to help and succourhim on accountof some

waywardness in him. What would not the father or mother of a profligate
child give to be able to lavish on the degradedbeing tokens ofaffection as
freely as they did when they folded him in their arms a happy innocent child,
if they felt they could do so without their goodness being abused by him to his
own hurt and to their shame, or being regardedby him as a proof that they
did not look on his vices with any greatdetestationor sorrow? Whatthe
sacrifice of God's only-begottenand well-belovedSon involved to Him, we
vainly attempt to conceive. "He sparednot His own Son, but gave Him up to
the death for us all." Mark that it is not said here that the Saviour has made
propitiation, but that He is a propitiation. So speaks also the Apostle John:
"He is the propitiation for our sins." In the Saviour Himself, in the living
person of the God-man, is found the ground of pardon and acceptance. The
virtue of His obedience and death is centred in His person, and radiates from
it.
II. THE WAY IN WHICH PROPITIATION IS EFFECTED.Christis a
propitiation "through faith in His blood." By His blood and by faith — not
faith in His blood — but by His blood, by which He expiated sin, He is a
propitiation by faith as the subjective means of appropriation of this
propitiation. You must look, on the one hand, to Christ's sacrificialdeath, and
on the other to faith in Christ, in order to accountfor the sinner being
receivedinto the favour of God and being reconciledto Him.
1. It was by the giving of His holy life in sacrifice thatJesus propitiated God
on our behalf, or appeasedthe wrath, and delivered us from the curse of God
due for sin.
2. Christ is only actually and effectually a propitiation to you and to me, if we
believe in Him. He is a propitiation only through faith. In this the
righteousness ofGod is also seen. It were unrighteous to justify any but him
who believed in Jesus, orfor God to be propitiated through Christ on behalf
of anyone who did not believe on Christ. For through faith we come into a life-
union with the Son of God.
III. CHRIST, AS OUR PROPITIATION, IS SET FORTHBY GOD. That
type of Christ of old, which furnishes the name and explains the aspectunder
which Christ is setforth here, the propitiation, propitiatory, or mercy seat,
was hid in the innermost shrine of the dwelling place of God. It was seenby no
mortal eye but that of the high priest, and that only when, once a year, he
entered with awedspirit behind the veil. But Jesus Christ, the great reality, of
which that golden throne of grace was the sign and shadow, is not hidden, but
is openly setforth. In word and ordinance He is exhibited.

1. There is the Bible, about which such daring opinions nowadays are
ventured, and of which, in their secrethearts, many have doubts and
sentiments which they would not dare to utter; which many, who read so
much that is deleterious, never or rarely open; which many read so carelessly
and to so little purpose! My friend, hast thou ever thought that in that Book
God has setforth His Son as a propitiation? This is the greatend for which it
is written.
2. There is the everlasting gospel, whichis of small accountwith many, a
weariness,a superfluity, which even in their view might be banished from the
sanctuary; or, if it cannotbe banished, may be thrust as far as possible into a
corner, and its place supplied very pleasantlyby something that will soothe
and regale the senses andthe taste. But oh! see that you are not blind to what
is set forth in the garb of His words and thoughts — Jesus Christ the
propitiation through faith in His blood. See above all that you do not forget
that, though with man's voice, and in man's language, and often with much
weakness,yet Godis really setting forth Christ as a propitiation.
3. In the sacraments Godso sets forth His Son.
(W. Wilson, M. A.)
Christ the propitiation
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. AS SET FORTHBY GOD.
1. The words "setforth" signify "foreordained";and also "places in public
view"; as goods are exposedfor sale, or as rewards of victory were exhibited
in the GrecianGames. So has God made conspicuous Jesus as the propitiation
of sin.(1) By Divine decree. Christ did not take upon Himself the office of High
Priestwithout being chosenthereunto. But this was not independent of His
own choice, for in the volume of the Book it is written of Him, "I delight to do
Thy will, O God."(2)In His promises before the Advent did not God speak
constantly, by verbal and typical promises, to multitudes of holy men the
coming of Him who should bruise the serpent's head, and deliver His people
from the powerof the curse?(3)When Christ came God set Him forth by
angelic messengers, andby the star in the East. ThroughoutHis life, how
constantly did His Father setHim forth! The voice of God was in the voice of
John, "Beholdthe Lamb of God which taketh awaythe sin of the world." And
on the Cross itself, "when it pleasedthe Father to bruise Him, and put Him to
grief," what an exhibition was there to the eye of Jew and Gentile of the

propitiation!(4) When the Holy Ghost came down on Pentecost!And what
have all conversions beensince but repeatedseals to the same testimony?(5)
In you God has graciouslyfulfilled the text.
2. What it is that God has so manifestly setforth. The Greek wordmay mean
—(1) A mercy seat. Now Godhath said to the sinner, "Do you desire to meet
Me? would you be no longerMy enemy? would you receive My blessing? I set
forth Christ to you as being the Mercyseat, where I can meet you and you
Me."(2)A covering;as the mercy seatcoveredthe tables of the law, and so
coveredthat which was the cause of Divine ire, because we had brokenHis
commandment. "Wouldstthou have anything which can coverthy sin from
Me, so that I need not be provoked to anger;from you so that you need not
tremble? Wouldst thou have a shelter which shall hide altogetherthy sins? I
setit forth to thee in Jesus. Trustin His blood, and thy sin is covered."
3. God has set forth Christ before every one of you, in the preaching of the
Word, and in the Inspired Book, as dying, that your sins might die; buried,
that your iniquities might be buried; risen, that you might rise to newness of
life; ascended, that you might ascendto God; receivedin triumph, that you
might be receivedin triumph too; made to reign, that you might reign in Him;
forever loved, forevercrowned, that you in Him may be forever loved and
forever crownedtoo.
II. AS LOOKED UPON BY THE BELIEVER.
1. We may mistake the proper object of faith. We may look on —(1)
Repentance as a grace, indeed, without which there can be no salvation, but
an act which may be substituted for faith in the propitiation.(2) Evidences.
Evidences are goodas secondthings, but as first things they are usurpers, and
may prove anti-Christs.(3) God's promises. I know many Christians who,
when they are in distress, take up the Bible to find a promise — a very good
plan, if they go to Christ first. There is a man who very much desires an
estate, atthe same time his heart is smitten with the beauty of some fair
heiress. He gets the title deeds of her estate. Well, the title deeds are good, but
the estatesare not his, though he has got the title deeds. By and by he marries
the lady, and everything is his own. Get the heiress and you have got the
estate. It is so in Christ; promises are the title deeds of His estates.A man may
get the promise and not get Christ, then they will be of no use to him.
2. God has set forth Christ to be the propitiation through faith in His blood,
and we ought to acceptthat as being —(1) An all-sufficient propitiation. We
have never got the full idea of Christ till we know that every sin of thought, of
word, of deed finds its death.(2)An immutable propitiation. Our standing

before God, when we have believed in Jesus, depends no more upon our
frames and feelings than the sun depends upon the clouds and darkness that
are here below.
III. AS SET FORTHBY US AND LOOKED UPON BY GOD.
1. If in this pulpit Christ be set forth, God will look down upon that Christ set
forth, and honour and bless the word. I might preach cleardoctrine, but God
might never look down upon doctrine, nor upon moral essays,nor upon
philosophy. Godwill not look down on any man's ministry unless that man
sets forth what God sets forth. Then His Word shall not return unto Him
void; it shall prosper in the thing whereto He hath sentit.
2. As in the case ofthe ministry, so you in your pleadings for souls must set
forth Christ. Abel's blood demanded vengeance;Christ's blood demands
pardons and must have it.
3. As in pleading for the souls of others, so in pleading for our own we must
setforth the propitiation.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ the propitiation
R. Wardlaw, D. D.
In the only other place where the word occurs in the New Testament
(Hebrews 9:5) it is rendered "mercyseat."
I. TO THE INSTITUTION OF THE "MERCYSEAT," therefore, we must
look, that we may rightly understand the allusion (Exodus 25:17). It is from
this description that the appellation is given to Jehovahof the God that
"dwellethbetweenthe cherubim," an appellation, therefore, equivalent in
import to "the God of mercy," "the God of all grace,""the God of peace":
and the position of "the mercy seat" orpropitiatory, upon "the ark of the
testimony," seems to indicate that His appearing, in this benign character, to
commune with guilty creatures, was in full consistency with the claims and
sanctions of His perfect law; so that when Jehovahthus manifested Himself.
"Mercyand truth met together, righteousnessand peace embracedeach
other." All this cannot fail to remind us of Him who receivedfrom God the
Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the
excellentglory, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased." It is in
Him, as the subject either of promise, of prophecy, of type, or of direct
testimony, that God has from the beginning made Himself known to men in

the characterof"the God of peace." It is "in Him" that He "reconciles
sinners to Himself, not imputing their trespassesunto them."
II. Had nothing more been said of the "mercyseat," we might have been led
to conclude that Jehovah appeared there in the exercise ofmere mercy, apart
from any satisfactionforsin. We must, therefore, connectthis description of
the mercy seatwith THE ACCOUNT GIVEN OF THE MANNER IN
WHICH IT WAS TO BE APPROACHED by the worshipper (Leviticus 16:2,
11, 12). It was to be approachedwith the blood of "atonement" (vers. 6, 30,
34), which was sprinkled on and before "the mercy seat";and while the
sacrificialblood was thus presented, the burning incense was to diffuse its
grateful odour, in emblematic testimony of the Divine satisfaction;which is,
accordingly, elsewhereexpressedin connectionwith the sacrifice ofChrist,
and the offerings by which it was typified, by Jehovah's "smelling a sweet
savour" (cf. Genesis 8:21 with Ephesians 5:2; Revelation8:3; and see also
Psalm141:2). The "mercy seat," then, in order to Jehovah's appearing there,
consistentlywith the glory of His name, as the God of grace, must be stained
with "the blood of sprinkling," the blood "that maketh atonement for the
soul";and in this is set before us the necessityof the shedding of the blood of
Christ, in order to God's being "in Him well-pleased." And, agreeablyto this,
the Divine declaration"from the excellentglory," of satisfactionin His well-
beloved Son, was made in connectionwith the subject of conference onthe
holy mount — "the deceasewhichJesus was to accomplishat Jerusalem."
III. THE PROPER IDEAOF "PROPITIATION"IS, RENDERINGTHE
DIVINE BEING FAVOURABLE.
1. We must, beware, however, ofunderstanding by this anything like the
production of a change in the Divine character;as if God required an
inducement to be merciful. We ought to conceive ofJehovahas eternally
compassionateand merciful. But while God is infinitely and immutably good,
He is at the same time infinitely and immutably holy and just and true. Never
ought we to speak of Him as acting at one time according to mercy, and at
another according to justice. His attributes, though we may speak ofthem
distinctly, are inseparable in their exercise.
2. What, then, is the light in which the idea of atonement places the Divine
Being? As a righteous Governor Jehovahis displeasedwith His guilty
creatures;while, at the same time, from the infinite benignity of His nature,
He is inclined to forgiveness. Butif His government is righteous, its claims, in
their full extent, must of necessitybe maintained inviolate. The greatquestion,
then, on this momentous subjectcomes to be: In what manner may
forgiveness be extended to the guilty, so as to satisfy the claims of justice? The

rendering of the Divine Being propitious, in this view, refers, it is obvious, not
to the production of love in His character, but simply to the mode of its
expression. The inquiry is, How may God express love so as to express at the
same time abhorrence of sin; and thus, in "making knownthe riches of His
mercy," to display the inflexibility of justice and the unsullied perfection of
holiness? When we say that God is displeasedwith any of His creatures, we
speak of them not as creatures, but as sinners. He hath "no pleasure in the
death of the wicked," but He hates sin; and the punishment of it is required
both by the glory of His righteousness andby a regardto the general
happiness of the intelligent creation, which sin tends directly to destroy. It is
in this view that the blessedGod is said to be "angrywith the wickedevery
day," to "hate all the workers ofiniquity"; to have "revealedfrom heavenHis
wrath againstall ungodliness and unrighteousness of men": and when He
forgives iniquity He is, in consistencywith such expressions, describedas
having "His angerturned away." This is propitiation; and it is in Christ
Jesus, in virtue of His atoning sacrifice, that God is thus propitious to sinners.
The animal sacrifices ofthe Old Testament, of which the blood (because it was
the life) was declaredto be "the atonementfor the soul," were all intended to
prefigure the true "propitiation for sin."
(R. Wardlaw, D. D.)
The history of God's relations with human sin
J. OswaldDykes, D. D.
I. ANTECEDENTLYTO THE DEATH OF CHRIST, THE SINS OF MEN
WERE PASSED OVER IN THE FORBEARANCEOF GOD, i.e., God
suffered them to go by unavenged. He "winkedat the times of ignorance." So
far was this strange tolerationcarried, that the very justice of the Divine
Judge came in some danger, and were there no judgment to come, men really
could not affirm that the world was ruled on principles of perfect
righteousness. In the providence of the world vengeance limps but tardily in
the footsteps ofcrime; while, not to speak of the impenitent who go
unpunished, what shall we say of pre-Christian penitents who askedpardon
for their sins, yet found no expiation for them? The blood of bulls and goats
could never take awaysin. The Divine policy was to leg sin pass, neither
avengednor atonedfor, leaving still an open reckoning.
II. AT LAST GOD CLEARED HIS CLOUDED ADMINISTRATION AND
VINDICATED HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (ver. 25). He held forth to public gaze
an expiation of sin which did satisfyjustice and demonstrate the severe

impartial rectitude of the Divine judgments. The death of Jesus Christis "set
forth" as a public act done by God Himself for the illustration of His own
justice. The word "propitiation" (or propitiatory) may either mean a victim
offered in sacrifice forthe recoveryof Divine favour, or it may refer to the
golden lid of the ark in the holy of holies, where God satenthroned and
propitious because onit was yearly sprinkled the blood of an atoning sacrifice.
The death of Christ is in either case the one Sacrifice through which the sins
of the world have been expiated and God has been enabled to extend favour to
His guilty creatures. And this solemnand unparalleled act is at the same time
the most impressive exhibition of the Divine vengeance againstsin. Rather
than that sins passedoverso long should go altogetherunavenged, God
offered His Son for their expiation. By this He has cut off from men the
temptation to misconstrue His earliertoleration of sins, or His unwillingness
to forgive them. He did pretermit sin in His forbearance;but it was only
because He had purposed in His heart one day to offer for it a satisfaction
such as this. Forthis He could hold His peace through long centuries under
injurious suspicion, because He knew that one day the awful Cross of His own
Son would silence every cavil and give to the universe emphatic demonstration
that He is a just God, who will by no means clearthe guilty.
III. Let us look at THE BEARING OF CHRIST'S DEATH ON "THIS
PRESENTSEASON." The same public satisfactionforsin is adequate to
justify Godin forgiving sin now (ver. 26). Before His attitude to sin was one of
forbearance. More than that it could not be, because no proper satisfaction
for sin had as yet been offered. But now, since Christ has died, God has no
need to "wink at" sin, and pass it by. He no longer holds out to penitents as
He used to do a hope that it will one day become possible for Him to blot their
sins. For He is now able to deal finally and effectually with sin. Justice has
receivedall the satisfactionit needs or canask for. No shade of suspicion,
whether of feebleness orof injustice, can restupon the Divine character, in
acquitting at once any man for whose guilt Christ has made complete
atonement. Now, therefore, God is in a position, not to pretermit sins only, but
to remit them; not to promise forgiveness merely, but to conferit. This new
attitude it is worth while to trace out in detail.
1. This propitiation having been amply adequate to vindicate Divine justice,
Christ's death becomes obviously our redemption; i.e., it serves as a ransom,
an offering in considerationofwhich we who were held in custody as
sentencedprisoners of justice may now go free. The Son of Man has given His
life as a ransom price in the steadof many; and that atoning ransom being
adequate, we have "redemption through His blood — even the forgiveness of

sins." So that it is so far from being unjust in God to acquit those for whom
Christ's death is pleaded, that it would be plainly unjust to do anything else.
The Delivererhas paid the price of blood for forfeited lives of guilty men; and
Justice herselfwill now fling wide open her prison gates, tearacrossher
handwriting of condemnation, and proclaim the ransomedto be justified from
sin. This St. Paul terms "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (ver. 24).
2. On the ground of this redemption, such a justifying must be entirely
gratuitous (ver. 24). It must be so, because it is obviously independent of any
actionof men's own. It manifested the judicial impartiality and uprightness of
the Lawgiver;but it was done at the bidding of love for the condemned, and
its issue is free, unstinted grace to the undeserving. God must be just; but He
chose this way of manifesting His justice, that through it He might also
manifest mercy; and mercy rejoicethover judgment.
3. A way of being justified which is so entirely gratuitous must be impartial
and catholic. It is offeredon such easyterms, because onno harder terms
could helpless and condemned men receive it. Heathen or Jew, there is no
distinction betweenmen (ver. 22) such as could limit a gratuitous
righteousness to one set of them rather than to another. All of them alike
sinned; therefore they must be justified on a ground which cuts awayevery
distinction of better or worse among them, of more deserving or less
deserving. A righteousness whichis given awaygratuitously must be meant
for all.
4. Yes, to all who will trust in it (ver. 26). For our justification is limited to
faith, and that just because it is limited to the work of Christ. Our faith is the
natural counterpart to Christ's atonement; it is our response to His sacrifice;
it is our acceptanceofGod's terms. God offers to justify us, but He does so
only because Christhas propitiated for our sins. If we acceptHis offer, we
consentto be justified on that same ground of Christ's propitiation, for
nothing else is offered. The very terms on which God historically vindicated
His justice and wrought redemption tie us down and limit us to such faith as
rests on Christ as the instrument of our justification.
(J. OswaldDykes, D. D.)
Through faith In His blood.
The blood of Christ
E. B. Pusey, D. D.

Listen, apart from all argument, to what Christ says of it, and think, Is it
possible that all this can mean no more than what men say who do not believe
in its atoning power, as shed for us? They will sink deeperin your minds, if
studied in God's Word. But look at this barest outline of them. They will be
the meditation and praise and thanksgiving of eternity; and in all eternity we
shall long to thank more and more for them, when our whole being will be
thanksgiving and love. "We were far off [from God], but were made nigh [to
Him] by the Bloodof Christ" (Ephesians 2:13); "we were justified by His
blood" (Romans 5:9); "He suffered, that He might sanctify us by His blood"
(Hebrews 13:12); "we have," as a continual possession, "redemptionthrough
His blood, the remission of sins" (Ephesians 1:7); "the blood of Christ who,
through the EternalSpirit, offered Himself without spot to God, purifieth our
consciencesfrom dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:14); "the
blood of Christ cleansethus from all sin" (1 John 1:7); "we have been
redeemedby the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter1:18, 19); "He has
purchased the Church with His own blood" (Acts 20:28); "Godmade peace
through the blood of His Cross, through Him, as to the things on earth, and
the things in heaven" (Colossians 1:20):"Christ, by His own blood, entered
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).
"We," too, eversince "have boldness to enter the holiestby the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He hath consecratedfor us through His flesh"
(Hebrews 10:19, 20). We are "elect, according to the foreknowledgeofGod, in
sanctificationof the spirit, unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ" (1 Peter1:2). "We are come to Jesus, the Mediator of the new
Covenant, and the blood of sprinkling which speakethbetter things than that
of Abel" (Hebrews 12:22-24). And when the beloved disciple saw heaven
opened, he saw "the Faithful and True, the Word of God, clothedwith a
vesture dyed with blood" (Revelation19:13), and he heard the new song of
those who sang, "Thouwastslain and didst purchase us to God by Thy blood
out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Revelation5:9); and he
heard that they had "washedtheir robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb" (Revelation7:14), and had "overcome the accuserby the blood of
the Lamb" (Revelation12:11). And St. John's doxologyis, "To Him who
loveth us and hath washedus from our sins in His own blood, to Him be glory
and might forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation1:5).
(E. B. Pusey, D. D.)
COMMENTARIES

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(25, 26) The death of Christ had a twofold object or final cause:—(1)It was to
be, like the sacrifices ofthe old covenant, an offering propitiatory to God, and
actualisedin the believer through faith. (2) It was to demonstrate the
righteousness ofGod by showing that sin would entail punishment, though it
might not be punished in the person of the sinner. The apparent absence of
any adequate retribution for the sins of past ages made it necessarythat by
one conspicuous instance it should be shownthat this was in no sense due to
an ignoring of the true nature of sin. The retributive justice of God was all the
time unimpaired. The death of Christ served for its vindication, at the same
time that a way to escape fromits consequences wasopenedout through the
justification of the believer.
Preciselyin what sense the punishment of our sins fell upon Christ, and in
what sense the justice of God was vindicated by its so falling, is another point
which we are not able to determine. Nothing, we may be sure, can be involved
which is in ultimate conflict with morality. At the same time, we see that
under the ordinary government of God, the innocent suffer for the guilty, and
there may be some sortof transference ofthis analogyinto the transcendental
sphere. Both the natural and the supernatural government of God are
schemes “imperfectlycomprehended.” In any case, Christwas innocent, and
Christ suffered. On any theory there is a connectionbetweenHis death and
human sin. What connection, is a question to which, perhaps, only a partial
answercanbe given. Some weighty remarks on this subject will be found in
Butler’s Analogy of Religion, Part II., Romans 5 (latter part).
(25) Hath setforth.—Rather, setforth, publicly exhibited, in the single actof
the death upon the cross.
A propitiation.—The Greek wordproperly means “that which renders
propitious.” Here, “that which renders God propitious.” In some way, which
is not explained at all in this passage, andimperfectly explained elsewhere, the
death of Christ did actso as to render God“propitious” towards men. He
became more ready to pardon as they became more anxious to be pardoned.
There is a remarkable use of the same Greek word in the LXX. version of the
Old Testamentto express the mercy-seat, i.e., the lid or covering of the ark
which was sprinkled by the high priest with the blood of the victim on the Day
of Atonement. Some have thought that there is a reference to this here. Christ
is the mercy-seatof the New Covenant. It is upon Him, as it were, that the
divine grace, drawn forth by His own atoning blood, resides. It would hardly

be a conclusive objectionto this view that, according to it, Christ would be
representedas at once the victim whose bloodis sprinkled and the covering of
the ark on which it is sprinkled; for a similar double reference certainly
occurs in Hebrews 9:11-12, where Christ is typified at one and the same time
both by the victim whose blood is shed and by the high priest by whom it is
offered. There seemto be, however, on the whole, reasons forsupplying
rather the idea of “sacrifice,”whichis more entirely in keeping with the
context, and is especially supported by the two phrases, “whomGod hath set
forth (i.e., exhibited publicly, whereas the ark was confined to the secrecyof
the Holy of Holies), and “in His blood.” We should translate, therefore, a
propitiatory or expiatory (sacrifice).
Through faith.—Faith is the causa apprehendens by which the proffered
pardon takes effectupon the soul of the believer.
In his blood.—Onthe whole, it seems bestnot to join these words with
“through faith,” but to refer them to the main word of the sentence. “Whom
God setforth by the shedding of His blood to be a propitiatory offering
through faith.” It was in the shedding of the blood that the essence ofthe
atonement exhibited upon the cross consisted. No doubt other portions of the
life of Christ led up to this one; but this was the culminating actin it, viewed
as an atonement.
BensonCommentary
Romans 3:25-26. Whom God hath setforth — Before angels and men: hath in
his infinite mercy exhibited to us in the gospel, to be a propitiation — Greek,
ιλαστηριον, a propitiatory, or mercy-seat, where mercy may be found by the
penitent, in a way consistentwith divine justice. The readerwill observe, the
coverof the ark, in the tabernacle and temple of the Israelites, was calledthe
mercy-seat, or propitiatory, and is termed by the LXX., Exodus 25:17,
ιλαστηριονεπιθεμα, a propitiatory cover, “because itwas the throne on which
the glory of the Lord was wont to be displayed, and receivedthe atonements
made by the high-priest on the day of expiation, and from which God
dispensed pardon to the people. In allusion to this ancientworship, the apostle
represents Christ as a propitiatory, or mercy-seat, setforth by God for
receiving the worship of men, and dispensing pardon to them. Or, if a
propitiatory is, by a common metonymy, put for a propitiatory sacrifice, the
apostle’s meaning will be, that, by the appointment of God, Christ died as a
sacrifice for sin, and that God pardons sin through the merit of that sacrifice.
Hence Christ is calledιλασμος, a propitiation, 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10. By

teaching this doctrine, the apostle removed the greatobjectionof Jews and
heathen againstthe gospel, that it had neither a priest nor a sacrifice.” —
Macknight. Through faith in his blood — Through believing that Christ’s
blood was shed to expiate our sins, and trusting therein for pardon and
acceptancewith God, and all other benefits which he has thereby procured for
us: to declare, εις ενδειξιν, for a demonstrationof his, God’s, own
righteousness:both his justice and mercy, especiallythe former, that thereby
it might appear he could pardon sin, without any impeachment of his
righteousness, inthat he did not pardon it without full satisfactionmade to the
law by the sufferings of Christ, who was wounded for our transgressions, and
on whom was laid that chastisementof sin which was necessaryto procure our
peace, and render our acceptancewith God consistentwith the divine
perfections, and the equity of his government. For the remission of sins that
are past— All the sins antecedentto their believing. Or the expression, δια
την παρεσιν των προγεγονοτωναμαρτηματων, may be properly rendered, on
accountof the passing by, or not instantly and adequatelypunishing, sins
which were before committed, that is, before the coming of Christ: the sins of
which both Jews and Gentiles had been guilty before the gospelwas
promulgated, and on accountof which both deserveddestruction, and were
unworthy of the blessings of God’s covenant. Now God’s righteousness or
justice might have appeareddoubtful, on accountof his having so long, in his
greatforbearance, thus passedby the sins of men, unless in the mean time he
had made a sufficient display of his hatred to sin. But such a display being
made in the death of Christ, his justice is thereby fully proved. Doddridge
thus paraphrases the passage:“The remissionextends not only to the present
but former age, and to all the offences whichare long since past, according to
the forbearance ofGod, who has forborne to execute judgment upon sinners
for their repeatedprovocations, in reference to that atonement which he knew
should in due tinge be made.” To declare, προς ενδειξιν, for a demonstration
of his righteousness (seethe former verse) at this time — εν τω νυν καιρω, at
this period of his showing mercy to sinners. As if he had said, When he most
highly magnified his mercy in finding out this way of reconciliation, he did
also most eminently declare his justice, in requiring such satisfactionfor the
transgressionof his law: that he might be just — Might evidence himself to be
strictly and inviolably righteous in the administration of his government, even
while he is the merciful justifier of the sinner that believeth in Jesus — Who
so believes in Jesus, as to embrace this wayof justification, renouncing all
merit in himself, and relying entirely on the sacrifice and intercessionof
Christ, for reconciliationwith God, and all the blessings ofthe new covenant.
The attribute of justice must be preserved inviolate; and inviolate it is

preserved, if there was a real infliction of punishment on Christ. On this plan
all the attributes harmonize; every attribute is glorified, and not one
superseded, nor so much as clouded.
By just, indeed, in this verse, Taylor would understand merciful, and Locke,
faithful to his promises;but “eitherof these,” as Doddridge observes, “makes
but a very coldsense, when comparedwith that here given. It is no way
wonderful that God should be merciful, or faithful to his promises, though the
justifier of believing sinners; but that he should be just in such an act, might
have seemedincredible, had we not receivedsuch an accountof the
atonement.” This subjectis setin a clearand striking light by a late writer:
“The two greatends of public justice are the glory of God, and in connection
with it, the generalgoodof his creatures. It is essentiallynecessaryto the
attainment of these ends, that the authority of the government of God should
be supported, in all its extent, as inviolably sacred;— that one jot or tittle
should in no wise pass from the law; — that no sin, of any kind, or in any
degree, should appear as venial; — that if any sinner is pardoned, it should be
in such a way, as, while it displays the divine mercy, shall at the same time
testify the divine abhorrence of his sins. All this is gloriouslyeffectedin the
gospel, by means of atonement; — by the substitution of a voluntary surety,
even of him whose name is Immanuel, to bear the curse of the law, in the
room of the guilty. In his substitution we see displayed, in a manner
unutterably affecting and awful, the holy purity of the divine nature; for no
testimony can be conceivedmore impressive, of infinite abhorrence of sin,
than the sufferings and death of the Son of God. Here too we behold the
immutable justice of the divine government, inflicting the righteous penalty of
a violated law. It is to be consideredas a fixed principle of the divine
government, that sin must be punished; that if the sinner is pardoned, it must
be in a waythat marks and publishes the evil of his offence. This is effectedby
substitution; and, as far as we can judge, could not be effectedin any other
way. In inflicting the sentence againsttransgressiononthe voluntary and all-
sufficient Surety, Jehovah, while he clears the sinner, does not clear his sins;
— although clothedwith the thunders of vindictive justice against
transgression, he wears, to the transgressor, the smile of reconciliationand
peace;— he dispenses the blessings of mercy from the throne of his holiness;
and, while exercising grace to the guilty, he appears in the character —
equally lovely and venerable — of — the sinner’s friend, And sin’s eternal
foe!

“In this way, then, all the ends of public justice are fully answered. The law
retains its complete unmitigated perfection; is ‘magnified and made
honourable:’ the dignity and authority of the divine government are
maintained, and even elevated: all the perfections of Deity are gloriously
illustrated and exhibited in sublime harmony. While the riches of mercy are
displayed, for the encouragementofsinners to return to God, the solemn
lessonis at the same time taught, by a most convincing example, that rebellion
cannot be persistedin with impunity; and motives are thus addressedto the
fear of evil, as wellas to the desire of good. Such a view of the Divine Being is
presentedin the cross as is preciselycalculatedto inspire and to maintain (to
maintain, too, with a power which will increase in influence the more closely
and seriouslythe view is contemplated)the two greatprinciples of a holy life
— the LOVE, and the FEAR OF GOD; — filial attachment, freedom, and
confidence, combined with humble reverence and holy dread.” See Mr. Ralph
Wardlaw’s Discoursesonthe Principal Points of the Socinian Controversy,
pp. 211-213.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
3:21-26 Must guilty man remain under wrath? Is the wound for ever
incurable? No;blessedbe God, there is another way laid open for us. This is
the righteousnessofGod; righteousnessofhis ordaining, and providing, and
accepting. It is by that faith which has Jesus Christfor its object; an anointed
Saviour, so Jesus Christ signifies. Justifying faith respects Christas a Saviour,
in all his three anointed offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King; trusting in him,
accepting him, and cleaving to him: in all these, Jews andGentiles are alike
welcome to God through Christ. There is no difference, his righteousness is
upon all that believe; not only offeredto them, but put upon them as a crown,
as a robe. It is free grace, mere mercy; there is nothing in us to deserve such
favours. It comes freelyunto us, but Christ bought it, and paid the price. And
faith has specialregardto the blood of Christ, as that which made the
atonement. God, in all this, declares his righteousness. It is plain that he hates
sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would satisfy for it. And it
would not agree with his justice to demand the debt, when the Surety has paid
it, and he has acceptedthat payment in full satisfaction.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Whom God hath setforth - Margin, "Fore-ordained"(προέθετο proetheto).
The word properly means, "to place in public view;" to exhibit in a
conspicuous situation, as goods are exhibited or exposedfor sale, or as
premiums or rewards of victory were exhibited to public view in the games of
the Greeks.It sometimes has the meaning of decreeing, purposing, or

constituting, as in the margin (compare Romans 1:13; Ephesians 1:9); and
many have supposed that this is its meaning here. But the connectionseems to
require the usual significationof the word; and it means that God has publicly
exhibited Jesus Christ as a propitiatory sacrifice forthe sins of people. This
public exhibition was made by his being offered on the cross, in the face of
angels and of people. It was not concealed;it was done openly. He was put to
open shame; and so put to death as to attracttoward the scene the eyes of
angels, and of the inhabitants of all worlds.
To be a propitiation - ἱλαστήριονhilastērion. This word occurs but in one
other place in the New Testament. Hebrews 9:5, "and over it (the ark) the
cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat. It is used here to denote the lid
or cover of the ark of the covenant. It was made of gold, and over it were the
cherubim. In this sense it is often used by the SeptuagintExodus 25:17, "And
thou shalt make a propitiatory ἱλαστήριονhilastērionof gold," Exodus 18-20,
22; Exodus 30:6; Exodus 31:7; Exodus 35:11; Exodus 37:6-9;Exodus 40:18;
Leviticus 16:2, Leviticus 16:13. The Hebrew name for this was ‫תרּפכ‬
kaphoreth, from the verb ‫רפּפ‬ kaaphar, "to cover" or"to conceal."It was
from this place that God was representedas speaking to the children of Israel.
Exodus 25:22, "and I will speak to thee from above the Hilasterion, the
propitiatory, the mercy-seat. Leviticus 16:2, "ForI will appear in the cloud
upon the mercy-seat." This seat, orcover, was coveredwith the smoke of the
incense, when the high priest entered the most holy place, Leviticus 16:13.
And the blood of the bullock offered on the greatday of atonement, was to be
sprinkled "upon the mercy-seat," and"before the mercy-seat," "seven
times," Leviticus 16:14-15. This sprinkling or offering of blood was called
making "an atonementfor the holy place because of the uncleanness of the
children of Israel," etc. Leviticus 16:16. It was from this mercy-seatthat God
pronounced pardon, or expressedhimself as reconciledto his people. The
atonement was made, the blood was sprinkled, and the reconciliationthus
effected. The name was thus given to that coverof the ark, because it was the
place from which God declaredhimself reconciledto his people. Still the
inquiry is, why is this name given to Jesus Christ? In what sense is he declared
to be a propitiation? It is evident that it cannot be applied to him in any literal
sense. Betweenthe golden coverof the ark of the covenantand the Lord Jesus,
the analogymust be very slight, if any such analogycanbe perceived. We may
observe, however,
(1) That the main idea, in regard to the cover of the ark calledthe mercy-seat,
was that of God's being reconciledto his people; and that this is the main idea
in regard to the Lord Jesus whom"God hath setforth."

(2) this reconciliationwas effectedthen by the sprinkling of blood on the
mercy-seat, Leviticus 16:15-16. The same is true of the Lord Jesus - by blood.
(3) in the former case it was by the blood of atonement; the offering of the
bullock on the greatday of atonement, that the reconciliationwas effected,
Leviticus 16:17-18. In the case ofthe Lord Jesus it was also by blood; by the
blood of atonement. But it was by his own blood. This the apostle distinctly
states in this verse.
(4) in the former case there was a sacrifice, orexpiatory offering; and so it is
in reconciliationby the Lord Jesus. In the former, the mercy-seatwas the
visible, declaredplace where God would express his reconciliationwith his
people. So in the latter, the offering of the Lord Jesus is the manifest and open
way by which God will be reconciledto people.
(5) in the former, there was joined the idea of a sacrifice forsin, Leviticus 16.
So in the latter. And hence, the main idea of the apostle here is to convey the
idea of a sacrifice for sin; or to setforth the Lord Jesus as such a sacrifice.
Hence, the word "propitiation" in the originalmay express the idea of a
propitiatory sacrifice, as wellas the coverto the ark. The word is an adjective,
and may be joined to the noun sacrifice, as wellas to denote the mercy-seatof
the ark. This meaning accords also with its classic meaning to denote a
propitiatory offering, or an offering to produce reconciliation. Christis thus
represented, not as a mercy-seat, whichwould be unintelligible; but as the
medium, the offering, the expiation, by which reconciliationis produced
betweenGod and man.
Through faith - Or by means of faith. The offering will be of no avail without
faith. The offering has been made; but it will not be applied, except where
there is faith. He has made an offering which may be efficacious in putting
awaysin; but it produces no reconciliation, no pardon, except where it is
acceptedby faith.
In his blood - Or in his death - his bloody death. Among the Jews, the blood
was regardedas the seatof life, or vitality. Leviticus 17:11, "the life of the
flesh is in the blood." Hence, they were commanded not to eat blood. Genesis
9:4, "but flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not
eat." Leviticus 19:26;Deuteronomy 12:23;1 Samuel 14:34. This doctrine is
containeduniformly in the SacredScriptures. And it has been also the opinion
of not a few celebratedphysiologists, as wellin modern as in ancient times.
The same was the opinion of the ancient ParseesandHindus. Homer thus
often speaks ofblood as the seatof life, as in the expressionπορφυρεος

θανατος porphureos thanatos, or "purple death." And Virgil speaks of
"purple life,"
Purpuream vomit ille animam.
AEniad, ix. 349.
Empedocles and Critias among the Greek philosophers, also embracedthis
opinion. Among the moderns, Harvey, to whom we are indebted for a
knowledge ofthe circulationof the blood, fully believed it. Hoffman and
Huxham believed it Dr. John Hunter has fully adopted the belief, and
sustainedit, as he supposed, by a greatvariety of considerations. See Good's
Book ofNature, pp. 102, 108, New York edition, 1828. This was undoubtedly
the doctrine of the Hebrews; and hence, with them to shed the blood was a
phrase signifying to kill; hence, the efficacyof their sacrificeswas supposedto
consistin the blood, that is, in the life of the victim. Hence, it was unlawful to
eat it, as it were the life, the seatof vitality; the more immediate and direct gift
of God. When, therefore, the blood of Christ is spokenof in the New
Testament, it means the offering of his life as a sacrifice, orhis death as an
expiation. His life was given to make atonement. See the word "blood" thus
used in Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14;Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews
9:14; Hebrews 13:12; Revelation1:5; 1 Peter1:19; 1 John 1:7. By faith in his
death as a sacrifice forsin; by believing that he took our sins; that he died in
our place;by thus, in some sense, making his offering ours; by approving it,
loving it, embracing it, trusting it, our sins become pardoned, and our souls
made pure.
To declare - εἰς ἔνδειξις eis endeixis. For "the purpose" of showing, or
exhibiting; to present it to man. The meaning is, that the plan was adopted;
the Saviourwas given; he suffered and died: and the scheme is proposed to
people, for the purpose of making a full manifestation of his plan, in
contradistinction from all the plans of people.
continued...
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
25, 26. Whom God hath setforth to be a propitiation—or "propitiatory
sacrifice."
through faith in his blood—Some of the best interpreters, observing that
"faith upon" is the usual phrase in Greek, not"faith in" Christ, would place a
"comma" after "faith," and understand the words as if written thus: "to be a
propitiation, in His blood, through faith." But "faith in Christ" is used in Ga

3:26 and Eph 1:15; and "faith in His blood" is the natural and appropriate
meaning here.
to declare his righteousness for the remission—rather, "pretermission" or
"passing by."
of sins—"the sins."
that are past—not the sins committed by the believer before he embraces
Christ, but the sins committed under the old economy, before Christ came to
"put awaysin by the sacrifice ofHimself."
through the forbearance ofGod—Godnot remitting but only forbearing to
punish them, or passing them by, until an adequate atonementfor them
should be made. In thus not imputing them, God was righteous, but He was
not seento be so; there was no "manifestationof His righteousness"in doing
so under the ancient economy. But now that God can "setforth" Christ as a
"propitiation for sin through faith in His blood," the righteousness ofHis
procedure in passing by the sins of believers before, and in now remitting
them, is "manifested," declared, brought fully out to the view of the whole
world. (Our translators have unfortunately missedthis glorious truth, taking
"the sins that are past" to mean the past sins of believers—committedbefore
faith—and rendering, by the word "remission," whatmeans only a "passing
by"; thus making it appear that "remissionof sins" is "through the
forbearance ofGod," which it certainly is not).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Whom God hath setforth; i.e. God the Father hath proposedthis Jesus, in the
eternal counsel, and covenantof redemption, Ephesians 1:9 1 Peter1:20,21;
or in the types and shadows ofthe old tabernacle;and hath now at last shown
him openly to the world.
To be a propitiation, or atonement, 1Jo 2:2. He alludes to the mercy seat
sprinkled with blood, which was typical of this greatatonement; and from
whence God showedhimself so propitious and favourable to sinners, Leviticus
16:2 Numbers 7:89.
Through faith in his blood: he goes onto show the instrumental cause of
justification, to wit, faith; i.e. the close adherence andmost submissive
dependence of the sinner; togetherwith the peculiarity of the objectof faith,
viz. the blood, @ i.e. the death and sacrifice, ofChrist; in contra-distinction to

his dominion, (with which yet on other accounts faith is so much concerned),
and in opposition to the blood of beasts slain and sacrificed.
To declare his righteousness;i.e. for the showing forth either of his goodness
and mercy; see 1 Samuel 12:7,8,10Psa 36:10;or of his faithfulness in his
promises, and fulfilling all types and prophecies;or else of his vindictive
justice, in the just proceedings ofGod againstsin, which he hath condemned
in his Son, though he justify the sinner. Or further, it may be understood of
the righteousnessoffaith, of which Romans 3:22, which is hereby shown to be
his; and to manifest itself in the forgiveness ofsins, which is so declaredas to
be exhibited.
For the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; he
means, either the sins committed before justification, while God bore so
patiently with the sinner, and did not presently take the forfeiture; or else the
sins committed under the Old Testament, before the proposedpropitiation
was exposedto the world, when God so indulged our fathers, as to pardon
them upon the accountof what was to come:see Hebrews 9:15-18.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Whom God had set forth to be a propitiation,.... Redemption by Christ is here
further explained, by his being "a propitiation": which word may design
either Christ the propitiator, the author of peace and reconciliation;or the
propitiatory sacrifice, by which he is so; and both in allusion to the mercy
seat, which was a type of him as such. The apostle here uses the same word,
which the Septuagint often render "the mercy seat", by; and Philo the Jew
calls it by the same name, and says it was a symbol, "of the propitious power
of God" (b). Christ is the propitiation to God for sin; which must be
understood of his making satisfactionto divine justice, for the sins of his
people; these were imputed to him, and being found on him, the law and
justice of God made demands on him for them; which he answeredto
satisfaction, by his obedience and sacrifice;and which, as it could not be done
by any other, nor in any other way, is expressedby "reconciliation", and
"atonement":whence Godmay be saidto be pacified, or made propitious; not
but that he always loved his people, and never hated them; nor is there, nor
can there be any change in God, from hatred to love, any more than from love
to hatred: Christ has not, by his sacrifice and death, procured the love and
favour of God, but has removed the obstructions which lay in the way of love's
appearing and breaking forth; there was, a law broken, and justice provoked,

which were to be attended to, and Christ by his sacrifice has satisfiedboth; so
that neither the wrath of God, nor any of the effects ofit, can fall upon the
persons Christ is the propitiation for, even according to justice itself; so that it
is not love, but justice that is made propitious: for this is all owing to the grace
and goodnessofGod, who "hath set him forth", for this intent, in his eternal
purposes and decrees;in the promises of the Old Testament, in the types,
shadows, and sacrificesofthe old law; by the exhibition of him in our nature,
and in the ministration of the Gospel;and this is said to be
through faith in his blood. The "blood" of Christ is that, by which Christ is
the propitiation; for without the shedding of that blood, there is no
redemption, no peace, no reconciliation, or remissionof sin; and "faith" in his
blood is the means by which persons become partakers of the benefits of his
propitiation; such as peace, pardon, atonement, justification, and adoption:
and the end of Christ's being setforth as a propitiation, on the part of God's
people, is,
for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance ofGod: by
"sins that are past", are meant, not sins before baptism, nor the sins of a
man's life only, but the sins of Old Testamentsaints, who lived before the
incarnation of Christ, and the oblation of his sacrifice;and though this is not
to be restrainedto them only, for Christ's blood was shed for the remissionof
all his people's sins, past, present, and to come; yet the sins of the saints before
the coming of Christ, seemto be particularly designed; which shows the
insufficiency of legalsacrifices, sets forththe efficacyof Christ's blood and
sacrifice, demonstrates him to be a perfectSaviour, and gives us reasonunder
the presentdispensation to hope for pardon, since reconciliationis completely
made: "remission" of sin does not designthat weaknesswhichsin has brought
upon, and left in human nature, whereby it is so enfeebled, that it cannot help
itself, and therefore Christ was setforth, and sent forth, to be a propitiation;
but rather God's passing by, or overlooking sin, and not punishing for it,
under the former dispensation;or else the forgiveness ofit now, and
redemption from it by the blood of Christ, "through the forbearance ofGod";
in deferring the execution of justice, till he sent his Son, and in expecting
satisfactionofhis Son; which shows the grace and goodness ofGodto his
people, and the trust and confidence he put in his Son: the other end on the
part of God, in setting forth Christ to be a propitiation, was
to declare his righteousness Psalm22:31;meaning either the righteousness of
Christ, which was before hid, but now manifested; or rather the righteousness
of God the Father, his faithfulness in his promises relating to Christ, his grace
and goodnessin the mission of his Son, the holiness and purity of his nature,

and his vindictive justice, in avenging sin in his own Son, as the surety of his
people: the execution of this was threatenedfrom the beginning; the types and
sacrifices ofthe old law prefigured it; the prophecies of the Old Testament
express it; and the sufferings and death of Christ openly declare it, since God
spared not his own Son, but sheathedthe swordof justice in him.
(b) Philo de Vita Mosis, l. 3. p. 668.
Geneva Study Bible
{10} Whom God hath setforth to be a propitiation through faith in his {x}
blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that {y} are past,
through the {z} forbearance of God;
(10) God then is the author of that free justification, because it pleasedhim:
and Christ is he who suffered punishment for our sins, and in whom we have
remissionof them: and the means by which we apprehend Christ is faith. In
short, the result is the setting forth of the goodness ofGod, that by this means
it may appear that he is indeed merciful, and faithful in his promises, as he
that freely, and of grace alone, justifies the believers.
(x) The name of blood reminds us of the symbol of the old sacrifices, andthat
the truth and substance ofthese sacrifices is in Christ.
(y) Of those sins which we committed when we were his enemies.
(z) Through his patience, and his enduring nature.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Romans 3:25. See on Romans 3:25 f. Ritschl, in the Jahrb. f. Deutsche Theol.
1863, p. 500 ff.; Pfleiderer in Hilgenfeld’s Zeitschr. 1872, p. 177 ff.; the critical
comparisonof the various explanations in Morison, p. 268 ff.
ὃν προέθετο κ.τ.λ[843]]whom Godhas openly setforth for Himself.[844]This
signification, familiar from the Greek usage (Herod. iii. 148, vi. 21;Plat.
Phaed. p. 115 E; Eur. Alc. 667;Thuc. ii. 34, 1, 64, 3; Dem. 1071, 1;Herodian,
viii. 6, 5; also in the LXX.), is decidedly to be adopted on accountof the
correlationwith εἰς ἔνδειξιν κ.τ.λ[845](Vulgate, Pelagius,Luther, Beza,
Bengeland others; also Rückert, de Wette, Philippi, Tholuck, Hofmann and
Morison); and not the equally classic signification:to propose to oneself,
adopted by Chrysostom, Oecumenius, Theophylact, Toletus, Pareus, de Dieu,
Elsner, Heumann, Böhme, Flatt and Fritzsche (Romans 1:13; Ephesians 1:9;
3Ma 2:27): “quem esse voluit Deus piaculare sacrificium,” Fritzsche.[846]In

JESUS SET FORTH AS PROPITIATION BY GOD

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JESUS SET FORTH AS PROPITIATION BY GOD