The word for this week is "propitiation". It is found in these three portions of Scripture:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. KJV
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. KJV
1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. KJV
This is the Greek word "hilasterion'. Strong's Concordance says: an expiatory place or thing, an atoning victim, mercy seat. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: relating to appeasing or expiating, having placating or expiating force, expiatory. an expiatory sacrifice. {Expiation - the dictionary definition is: the act of expiating something : the act of extinguishing the guilt incurred by something, the act or process of making atonement for something}. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: In Romans 3:25 it is used of Christ Himself: The phrase 'by His blood' is to be taken in immediate connection with "propitiation". Christ, through His expiatory death, is the personal means by Whom God shows the mercy of His justifying grace to the sinner who believes. His blood stands for the voluntary giving up of His life, by the shedding of His blood in expiatory sacrifice under divine judgment righteously due to us as sinners, faith being the sole condtion of man's part.
The difference between 'religion' and Christianty is that religion is man's attempt to get to God, while Christianity is God's WAY of making man ABLE to come to Him! It is ALL GOD! All that we do is BELIEVE and RECEIVE what HE has done. That is what makes 1 John 4:10 so powerful! God's great love for us is what caused HIM to do for us what we are completely unable to do for ourselves. Romans 5:8 expresses it best:
There IS no greater love than HIS for US! And yet, when we receive HIS love, we become more and more like Him! You are a wonderful husband and father because you are able to love your family with that same love that JESUS has for you! I cannot imagine living this life without HIM! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Uncomplicated" which speaks of His love:
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
