The Cross and the Message of Propitiation

Let's turn back now to that passage of scripture we read to the first epistle of John chapter number four and we can read at verse number 10 taken in the previous verses from verse seven but let's read verse 10 and this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent a son to be the propitiation for our sins and so on.

When we met last Lord's Day we were looking at Paul's second letter to Corinthians and chapter five and I made it clear that morning that we are going to be looking at some of the benefits of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and to do so to kind of build up a picture of the significance of the cross for our own personal experience and not only to be informed by what the Bible says about the cross,

but to learn to appreciate the great need that we have of the finished work of the Lord Jesus and we saw the way in which God reconciles us to himself by making Jesus the one in you know sin to be sin and that we those who do not know righteousness become the righteousness of God in him.

There is that transfer.

There is that transfer.

This evening we want to look at these verses and this whole book written by John.

It's a very warm letter that he writes.

It's full of a sense of the love of God and it's full of a sense of the church being the family of God.

And as we read through the letter, John has a particular focus in mind and perhaps there are two things in particular that he wants to bear in mind as he writes this letter to them.

And as we read at the beginning of the letter, we see that he refers to fellowship or communion, the fellowship that he has himself with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ,

and writing so that they may also have the same communion and the same fellowship.

And that kind of understanding of the church as the family of God is sharing in the very things that John himself shared in as somebody who experienced the life and witness of the Lord Jesus.

When we come to chapter 5, we see once more that he has the desire to write these things to them at verse 13,

so that you will know that you have eternal life.

What a great purpose.

We have the whole word of God and it is for that purpose.

But specifically in this letter, John makes it clear that he wants his hearers, as God wants us this evening,

to know that we have eternal life.

And as he writes the letter, perhaps we can notice by way of an adduction that in order to help them to understand

that they are the children of God, that they belong to God's family.

There are three particular tests that he pulls together through this letter to show to them what must be true

if they are the genuine children of God.

And there is the theology test or the Christology test,

the test of their understanding who the Lord Jesus is.

A crucial test.

If they get that wrong, and if you and I get that wrong,

then everything else is going to be a model.

But if we understand something about who Christ is and what God has done in him,

then we have the foundation for a life lived as the children of God.

The second or third test, the second we can look at as the kind of moral test,

how do you live your life if you're the child of God?

How do you live your life as the light of the world?

Your life must be different.

There is a moral test.

And thirdly, there is a social test which connects with the passage this evening.

That is that they are to live together as the people of God in a particular way.

And if these three things, if they pass these three tests,

then they can be assured that they are the people of God.

And for ourselves, as we worship God this evening,

if we ourselves pass these three tests,

we can go home with the confidence that God is telling us

that we are the children of God.

And so against that background, we want to think this evening of the cross of Jesus Christ

and the message of propitiation.

I want to think, first of all, of the design.

God is the great designer.

He has designed what the church should look like.

And as we read from verse 7 onwards,

we see something of God's design for his church.

And the design comes before us with this exhortation by John in verse number 7.

Let us love one another.

And just like Paul speaking about love,

we understand and believe that John will understand love in the context of the Old Testament

and not so much from the culture in which he was writing this letter.

The Old Testament love that speaks of the free movement of God,

of searching an object to love,

of spending his energy, as it were,

for the good and well-being of that object,

and in self-sacrifice,

ensuring the well-being of the person now chosen as the object of love.

Let us love.

But here the love is not for us to love God in return for his love for us,

but it is to love one another.

And he is speaking to the community of faith.

He is speaking to the family of God.

He is speaking to the church of Jesus Christ,

for them to love the people next to themselves,

those who share family membership with them,

those who are themselves the children of God.

And as we think of ourselves as the church of Jesus Christ this evening,

here is an exhortation for us to take on board

and to allow our hearts to be examined by what the Word of God is saying

when it's telling you and I to love one another.

And it may, on the surface, be quite a simple test.

But if we do allow the Word of God to examine us as we should,

then what appears simple is actually quite searching.

that you tonight and I tonight can say with regard to all of the people of God

that we love them as we love ourselves, as we love our Savior.

It's a high standard.

It's a standard that God expects us to reach.

It is the standard that works in the family of God.

And the reason why it is, the standard,

or the first reason why it is the standard is

because love is from God.

We are the children of God this evening

because God has poured His love into our hearts,

according to Paul in Romans 5, by His Holy Spirit.

There is an invisible channel from God in heaven

into the hearts of His children,

an invisible channel through which floods into their hearts

the very love of God itself.

It's a generous supply of the love that there is in God.

And tonight, as the children of God,

we are recipients of that love.

Connected to God.

But these verses tell us,

as so much of the Bible tell us,

that we are not just to be recipients.

That we ourselves are to be conduits or channels

for the love to reach others.

And it is such a beautiful thing

to experience the love of God in Jesus Christ.

And to be caught up with my Savior

and all of His preciousness

and in all of His beauty.

It's a great place to be in.

But we are not to stop in that place.

We are not going to forget that place,

but we are not to stop there.

Tonight, God requires you and I

to be the conduit,

the channel through which that love

touches other people.

And that makes the test of our love for others

the question to be answered not by ourselves,

but to be answered by the other person.

Are we conduits of God's love to others?

How much does the person next to me

feel that God's love flows through me

and touches their lives?

God's design, that's how it should be.

That's how it is in the natural family.

And much more so now,

it should be in the family of God.

God, that our family membership

ensures that we have family relationships

and that these relationships

are bound together

with the love that is from God.

And when John is setting the standard for them

in God's design for his church,

he reverses his argument

in order to show that

if they're not loving,

then certain things

are simply not true.

Anyone who does not love

does not know God

because God is love.

If we're not loving one another this evening,

if we're not loving the other person,

it means that we don't know God.

We may know about God.

We may learn a lot of detail

and have a lot of knowledge about God,

but we don't know God relationally

as his children

who are born into his family

by the power of his spirit

and because of his love.

If we don't love,

we don't know God.

And that turns the whole picture

into you and I

examining this evening

whether we do have that

living, personal relationship with God,

that relationship of faith

and of love

and of trust

that's living

and that's real.

And because of that,

anyone who does not love,

does not know God

because

God is

love.

If we're born of God,

we know God.

We are

the product of the love of God.

And as

John says in the beginning of chapter 5,

if we love

the Father that has begotten us

through whom we are born ourselves,

then we love

all of the other people

who are born into his family.

Love

is from God

and God

is love.

His very

existence

is a

continuous,

constant

being

that is love.

all of his actions

are loving.

And the God

who is love

in that way

is the God

who channels

his love

into the hearts

and lives

of his own people.

To the extent

that we can nearly

say

that the child

of God

is love also.

Because the love

that is

now channeled

into our hearts

as the children of God,

God,

it is the eternal

love of God

that will never

come to an end.

And because

it's that kind of love,

then our hearts

must be loving.

Loving God

who loved us first

and loving

brothers and sisters

in the Lord.

God

is love.

He is the

spring

and the source

of all the love

that works

in the church.

And that love

now evidences

itself

by showing

itself

in the lives

of the children

of God

who love

each other.

And as we

mentioned

in chapter 5

verse 13,

he's writing

to them

that they may know

that they have

everlasting life.

And in chapter 3

we read

that John

is saying

to them

that we know

we have passed

from death

to life

because we love

the brethren.

There's an assurance

in loving

the brethren.

There may be

some here tonight

and myself

one of them

and one of

the first

tokens

or evidences

of God

working in life

is a love

for the people

of God.

We cannot be

the children

of God

without loving

the people

of God.

God's

design

to know

in our heart

that we love

the people

of God

and to know

because we love

that we know

we have passed

from death

to life.

The design.

Secondly

I want us

to think of

disorder.

Something is wrong

and something

has gone wrong

and verse 10

refers to the

thing that has

gone wrong.

Here's the

propitiation

for our

sins.

Here is

disorder

in God's

creation.

John tells us

in chapter 3

that sin

is lawlessness.

It's rebellion

against God.

It disrupts

our relationship

with God.

It's an

inner attitude

through which

we want to

serve ourselves

and to not

God

sin is

lawlessness.

And that

sin has

come into

the world

that God

created in

all of its

beauty.

In the

beginning

the earth

was without

form and

void

and darkness

covered the

face of the

deep

and then

God said

let there be

light

and there

was light.

chaos

becomes

order

in accordance

with God's

design.

The beauty

of God's

creation.

But sin

intruded

that world

of perfect

beauty.

That world

of perfect

environment

for us to

live in.

Sin intruded

through the

sin of Adam.

And the

Bible makes

it clear

in Romans

5

that

because of

that

intrusion

of sin

that we

are all

sinners.

One man

sinned

death

entered

and death

came upon

all because

all have

sinned.

And this

evening as

we think

of our

responsibility

to love

God and

to love

the people

of God

we have

to come

face to

face with

our

sinnership

and with

the fact

that there

is no

neutrality.

There's no

one here

sitting on

the fence

and deciding

what to do

with the

gospel because

they have

the free

choice just

to dismiss

or to

accept.

It's not

like that.

All of us

together

are listed

as those

who have

sinned

against God.

and when

I see

the way

in which

sin

intruded

God's

perfect

environment

two

particular

things

stand out

for me

in that

account

in the

Bible.

The first

is that

it has

affected

man's

relationship

with God.

Adam is

hiding from

God.

There is

disorder.

It also

affects

Adam's

relationship

with Eve.

They are

covering

themselves

because

they are

ashamed.

What was

beautiful

and in

order

has been

turned into

chaos

because of

the sin

of Adam

and the

sin that

becomes

the sin

of

humankind.

And let's

tonight

absorb

that simple

truth

that we

are all

sinners

before God.

the rest

of the

Bible

means

nothing

to us

unless

we

absorb

that

and

embrace

that.

The

disorder.

And the

key thing

is what

is God's

response

to the

disorder?

Is God

with all

respect

sitting as

a bystander

and watching

the world

go into

chaos and

is unaffected

by what

happens?

Well the

Bible tells

us that

is not

the case.

And the

God who

is love

in these

verses is

the God

in chapter

one who

is the

God who

is light.

And light

speaks to

me of

the salvation

of God

shining into

a dark

world.

But light

also speaks

to me of

the holiness

of God.

Of the

light that

came down

in the

Old Testament

and the

people of

God

weren't

allowed to

touch or

come near

the mountain

in case

they were

destroyed.

The

holiness

of God.

God is

light.

And I

need to

be aware

as we read

the word

of God

that God

is not

the unmoved

mover of

everything

but that

he is

moved by

everything

that happens

in his

own

creation.

that when

he created

the world

at first

he saw

everything

including

humankind

and God

saw everything

and it

was all

very good.

As soon

as God

created

there are

new

relationships

that belong

to the

creation

in which

we live

and there

is this

relationship

of delight

in what

God

himself

has done

and

now

I'm

expecting

that there's

a different

response

because of

your

sinnership

and mine

and what

is that

different

response?

It's what's

at the

center of

our

understanding

of

verse 10

it is

the wrath

of God

and as

Paul says

in Romans

1

the wrath

of God

is revealed

from heaven

against all

and godliness

and righteousness

of men.

There is

a breaking

forth

of another

channel

and it's

the channel

of the wrath

of God

a wrath

that is there

because of

his holiness

a wrath

that is now

focused on

every sinner

in the world

as the object

of his divine

wrath

and the wrath

that speaks

of

destruction.

The writer

to Hebrews

says that

our God

is a

consuming

fire

and that

we are all

waiting for

the day

of the

judgment

of God

and the

revelation

of the

divine

wrath.

God

is

moved

by our

sin

and he

is moved

in his

wrath.

There emerges

something new

in our

relationship

with God

because of

the entrance

of something

new which

is our

sin

and that

something new

is the

wrath

of God.

God

and we

can remind

ourselves

that

wrath

is not

the opposite

of love.

Hate

is the

opposite

of love.

There is

the God

who is

love

constantly

continually

forever

but there

is the

God

now

who is

holy

who is

angry

with us

because

of our

sin.

And as

surely

as there

is no

place

of

neutrality

as far

as our

sinnership

is

concerned.

There is

no

place

of

neutrality

as far

as the

wrath

of God

is

concerned.

His

wrath

is not

diverted

from you

unto the

next

person

and you

are to

be

left

without

any

sign

of the

wrath

of God

resting

upon

you.

Each

and every

one of

us

together

this

evening

because

of our

sin

we are

the

objects

of the

wrath

of God.

And that's

why Paul

says in

Ephesians 2

that we

are by

our very

nature

the

children

of

wrath.

The

wrath of

God

is resting

upon us.

And what

does that

make us

see?

The

wonder

of the

mystery

of God.

The

God who

is love

unchangeably.

the God

who is

holy

unchangeably.

It's the

God now

who is

expressing

himself

in a

new way

toward

us

because

of our

sin.

It doesn't

change his

love.

It doesn't

change his

holiness.

But there

is a

new

relationship.

The

disorder

and the

impact of

the

disorder

on

God.

And perhaps

at this

very moment

it's a

moment for

contemplation.

A moment

for silence

because this

is what

God is

saying.

And this

is how

he sees

us

because of

who we

are.

And a

moment of

contemplation

to allow

the voice

and the

being of

God to

shine into

our

darkness

and to

awaken us

to the

reality of

our plight

as those

who have

sinned,

as those

who are

the objects

of his

wrath,

and as

those who

are hissing

through this

world at

what sometimes

feels like

some

horrific

rate

into

an

eternity

when we

will

meet

with

God.

Can you

tonight be

disinterested

in the

message of

the gospel?

Is it

possible for

you to

listen and

not to be

moved and

not to

think?

To think

about who

you are

and to

think about

who God

is.

The

design,

the

disorder,

and thirdly,

the

demonstration,

the show,

the display

of God's

response.

What will

God's love

do in the

light of your

plight?

what will

God's love

do in the

light of

his own

wrath?

Is God's

love going

to cease

working because

of the

intrusion of

sin?

We see

love

working in

this new

magnificent

way,

and that's

what we

have in

version number

10.

And this

is love,

not that we

loved God,

but that he

loved us

and sent

his Son.

the

response to

his own

wrath on

the part

of God

is not

to abandon

us and

to leave

humankind

into its

lostness and

final judgment,

but as

the missionary

God to

send his

missionary

Son into

the very

world of

disorder and

of chaos.

And the

holy and

the beautiful

Son of

God becomes

God's

missionary

ambassador

into God's

world in

order to

deal with

the disorder

that sin

has brought

into the

world.

And we

should never

lose sight

of the

significance

and the

mystery and

the beauty

and the

glory of

the Son

of God

coming into

the world.

His

birth

in

Bethlehem.

Not any

other child

that we

can celebrate

their birth,

but the

entrance of

the Son of

God into

the world

because God

so loved

the world.

God's love

responds by

sending his

Son.

God sent

his Son to

be the

God

world.

And how

does this

channel work?

What happens

when love

comes down

in this

way?

God sent

his Son

to be the

propitiation

for our

sins.

A big

word.

A word

that we

can shy

away from.

But it's

the word

that God

uses.

It's a

crossword.

It's a

word that we

need to

understand.

If we are

to understand

the love

of God,

the

propitiation

concerning

our sin.

And in

John's

culture,

and in the

pagan culture,

propitiation

was something

that people

were familiar

with.

And we're

familiar with

it because

propitiation

is something

that happened

at the

pagan temple

when something

went wrong

and the

God needed

to be

appeased.

The person

who offended

is to

bring a

sacrifice

or a

payment

to the

pagan

temple

in order

to appease

the wrath

of the

God who

is offended.

And so

it is

the offender

that brings

the sacrifice

to the

person who

is offended.

And that

highlights

the beauty

of this

initiative

of God's

love.

That in

our

lostness

and in

our

wrath

and our

disorder,

God does

not wait

for us

to take

the

initiative

because

if he

did,

nothing

would

ever

happen.

But God

himself

not only

takes

the

initiative,

he

himself

makes

the

provision

so that

his own

wrath is

taken

away.

he provides

his son

so that

the son

becomes

the

sacrifice

who

suffers

for sin

and turns

away his

wrath.

death.

And part

of the

miraculous

event

that takes

place when

that happens

is that

the God

who is

to be

propitiated

is the

God who

provides

the sacrifice

and the

sacrifice

is his

own

son.

And when

we read

the story

of the

cross,

the only

begotten

son who

came into

this world

of disorder,

he is

the son

upon whom

God laid

the iniquity

of us

all.

That's

what we

read in

Isaiah

Isaiah 53 · chapter mention

chapter 53.

And it

was the

will of

the Lord

to crush

him,

he was

crushed

for our

iniquities.

That the

channel of

the eternal

wrath of

God

is

redirected

so that

it lands

on the

passion of

his son

and the

fullness of

the wrath

of God

is poured

out on

the son

of God

in order

to appease

the wrath

of God

and in

order to

bring about

the

calmness

of our

restored

relationship.

Jesus

on his

way

to the

cross

he had

a prayer

which he

repeated

three times

and the

prayer was

because

there was

a cup

the father

was giving

to him

a cup

that's

described

in Isaiah

52

as the

cup of

wrath

and as the

cup of

staggering

staggering

because of

the eternal

wrath of

God

and God

is taking

that cup

and going

to place

it in the

hand of

his son

as he

goes to

Calvary's

cross

and Jesus

knows

that the

cross will

be a

staggering

experience

he knows

that the

cross will

be a

crushing

experience

because in

the words

of Revelation

14

he's going

to drink

the cup

of God's

wrath

poured

full strength

undiluted

he's going

to drink

the cup

dry

and we

go to

Calvary's

cross

and we

read Psalm

22

and we

see something

of the

staggering

and the

crushing

of the

body

of the

son of

God

on

Calvary's

cross

with his

heart

melting

with his

bones

being out

of joint

the sheer

weight

of the

eternal

wrath

of God

and darkness

surrounds the

cross

that's what

wrath means

isolation

is experienced

in the cross

separation

from God

that's what

wrath means

the depths

of the

distance

that

Jesus

experienced

between

himself

and God

the father

on Calvary's

cross

is the

measure

of the

wrath

of God

my God

why have

you

forsaken

me

he suffered

in her

place

he suffered

the wrath

of God

and there

is a

word

that Jesus

uttered on the

cross

and it's a

word that

speaks of

calm

it's a

word that

speaks of

calm for

him

but it's a

word also

that speaks

of calm

in God

the wrath

is turned

away

and when

Jesus said

it is

finished

it was

done

he had

drank the

cup

to its

dregs

he had

satisfied

the wrath

of God

and the

God

whose

response

to the

disorder

of sin

and his

own wrath

was to

sing to

son

it's

now the

God

if we

can speak

so with

reverence

it's

now the

God

himself

knows

what it

is to

be

calm

with regard

to his

relationship

with those

who are

his people

and that's

what Isaiah

refers to

in chapter

12

as we

close

I will

give thanks

to you

oh Lord

for though

you are

angry with

me

your anger

is turned

away

and you

comforted

me

where has

the change

taken place

has it not

taken place

in two

places

your anger

was turned

away from

me

that's the

beauty of

the cross

that's what

it means

for you

and for

me

who are

under

the wrath

of God

that God's

anger

is turned

away

we cannot

ignore that

that's so

precious

but the

change

also

takes place

in the

prophet

and in

the sinner

and the

person

who comes

to Jesus

you

comforted

me

with the

same

calm

with the

same

peace

with the

same

sense

of

being

the

children

of God

and tonight

that's

why

the call

for us

to love

one another

is important

and it's

important

because

no matter

how a

relationship

with other

people

becomes

disordered

by something

going wrong

we have

the example

of God

our Father

that the

disorder

brought about

by our

sin

didn't bring

an end

to his

love

but that

instead

he showed

his love

in a new

and unexpected

way

and tonight

we can go

from here

as those

who are

beginning to

appreciate

more and

more

what the

love of

God

looks like

and when

something

happens

and when

things do

go wrong

and when

somebody

hurts me

and when

somebody

gives me

every good

reason

not to

love them

to come

back to

the cross

and to

see how

God's

love worked

it doesn't

stop working

it finds

new ways

to overcome

and so

let's be

inspired this

evening as

we leave

here to

love the

Lord of

course in

the first

place

and to

love one

another

and through

the challenges

of life

to have

our own

love working

in new

and different

ways

as we

fulfill

God's

design

as the

people of

God

loving

one another

in the

chaotic

world in

which we

live

and how

the world

needs

a church

that is

functioning

in accordance

with God's

design

to see

something

and perhaps

to feel

something

of the

love that

flows

from you

as a

close I

was going

to quote

this verse

which I

just came

across today

it's from

the hymn

God is

love

let heaven

adore him

and with

this I

close

God is

love

and though

with blindness

sin afflicts

the human

soul

God's

eternal

loving kindness

guides and

heals

and makes

us whole

sin and

death

and hell

shall

never

over us

final

triumph

gain

God is

love

so love

forever

over the

universe

must reign

may be so

in our hearts

may be so

in our world

and may we

give glory

to God

by loving

him

and loving

one another

may God bless

his word

let us pray

most gracious

God we

worship your

name

you are

the God

who has

done

wonderful

things

who has

made yourself

known

in the

special way

in your

son

and we

rejoice

in that

and help

us oh

Lord God

tonight

to love

and return

help us

to embrace

to receive

help us

to rejoice

in the

message of

salvation

and help

us to seek

you with all

of our hearts

that we may

find peace

and rest

in you

and know

the calm

of your

wrath being

turned away

and have the

joy of

knowing that

we are the

children of

God indeed

bless our

hearts in

that way

we pray

as we

journey on

from here

and bless

our hearts

as we

journey on

to the

week as

it unfolds

before us

have mercy

we pray

and hear

us

we pray

these things

for Jesus

sake

Amen

concluding

psalm is

psalm 122

in the

Scottish

Psalter

it's on

page 416

and we're

singing at

verse number

6

psalm 122

at verse

number 6

and the

tune is

Belmont

pray that

Jerusalem may

have

peace and

felicity

let them

that love

thee and

thy peace

have still

prosperity

we're singing

from verse 6

to the end

of the psalm

to God's

praise

peace and

In some felicity

Let them not love

Beyond thy peace

But still prosperity

And for thy wish

That peace may still

Within thy walls remain

And ever may

Thy policies

Prosperity retain

Now for my friends

And brethren see

Peace be in thee

I'll stay

And warm the hands

Of God our Lord

And sing thy good

Amen

I'll go to the main door

After the benediction

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

The love of God the Father

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

Be with you all now and forevermore

Amen

Amen