Because of Adam’s transgression, man was separated from God. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Sadly, some have concluded man’s present state with this scripture, without looking at the succeeding verses, which both show that Adam’s problem was fixed in, and by, Jesus Christ! We have been justified, declared righteous freely, by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:24-25 NASB says, “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed”
The Greek word translated “propitiation,” in the
scripture above, is “hilasterion,” and it means the place of mercy, or “Mercy
Seat.” In the Old Testament, the Mercy Seat was the covering of the ark of God.
God met there with the priests, and His presence was on the Mercy Seat.
It was the place where the blood of sacrifice was sprinkled in the presence of
God; a place for atonement of sins (Leviticus 16:15-16). In the New Testament,
God presented Christ as propitiation. 1 John 4:10 AMPC says, “In this is love:
not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.”
Jesus Christ is God’s place of mercy for us. Therefore, just as the Mercy Seat was the place for atonement of sins in the Old Testament, today, the Lord Jesus Himself is the propitiation and atonement for the sins of the entire world.
God, in His righteousness and equity, has completely wiped out our sins as though they never existed; He did this in Christ Jesus! This is available to everyone in Christ Jesus; Christ is your Mercy Seat. We’re no longer short of His glory, because He (Christ Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions; the predicament was fixed in Jesus. He made it possible, by His death, burial and glorious resurrection for us to have eternal life, and live righteously before God.
