God’s Wrath Appeased

(Article for publication week of 7-27-2011 AD)

“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood…” (Romans 3:23-24b). In our recent series of articles on the attributes of God, we have been declaring the wrath of God. God is justly angry with the wicked.

Our text this week tells us how the wrath of God is turned away from the believer in Christ. It is through the propitiation of Christ.

Propitiation is a very delightful word, and a Biblical concept with which every believer should be well acquainted. Most modern Bible translations do not use this wonderful old word, and that is one of many reasons why you should avoid them. Many of the people that have been involved in modern translations are infidels themselves, and deny such truths as propitiation. It is my understanding that the word propitiation came into the English language with William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament

Propitiation means that God’s wrath has been appeased by the atoning death of Christ. God’s wrath has been vented against a holy Victim that suffered Divine vengeance once for all. Propitiation means that Christ made an atoning sacrifice to pay the penalty due for sin, and against sinners.

Remember God is perfectly holy and perfectly just, and so He must punish sin. God will not allow any sin to go unpunished. Unless God’s wrath against the sinner is appeased and Divine justice satisfied, then the sinner must and will be punished for his own sins. This is where every sinner without Christ now stands. The sinner without Christ must answer directly to God for His sins. Poor sinner, can you bear the thought of having to pay the awful penalty for your sins? Unless the sword of God’s vengeance be turned away from you, it will cut you in pieces forever.

But now hear the gospel news! Christ was made a propitiation for all who would ever believe in Him! God made His eternal and coequal Son the victim of His wrath so that His elect people would not have to suffer the penalty for sin. The believer in Christ has a Substitute! God is not angry with the believer, for His wrath was fully appeased by the death of Christ. God is perfectly holy and perfectly just, and so He will not punish sin twice. God will not punish the Surety, and the one for whom the Surety stands good. This is what Christ is for His chosen people- their Surety (Hebrews 7:22).

Those in hell (and there are billions there at this moment, many with whom you were once familiar) have no substitute, and so they are suffering the eternal vengeance of God. You will soon be there also, unless a Fit Substitute be found for you. I beseech you by the mercies of God to flee to Christ, the only Fit Substitute.

Believer in Christ, here your comfort stands. Salvation is all of the Lord from first to last. Christ has made satisfaction for sin. He has died an atoning death. Never can any charge be brought against one who has Christ (Romans 8:33). The believer’s sins are all taken away! Therefore a just and holy God will never exercise His wrath against the sinner who is in Christ. May the Lord give you grace to believe this glorious gospel of salvation by God’s free and sovereign grace.

Sinners in the Hands of a Wrathful Christ

(Article for publication week of 7-20-2011 AD)

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17).

The Lord Jesus Christ is a far different Person than most people, and many professing Christians suppose. Most people think that the Lord Jesus Christ is a harmless sissy that wouldn’t hurt a flea. But in the Day of Judgment, you will find out that He is a wrathful Christ.

First of all, note well that Christ is God, for our text says that He sits on a throne. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Who is omnipotent. This omnipotent Christ will judge the world in righteousness. Dear reader, you must face the Judge of all the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ, and give an account of yourself. You will find out in that day that He is not the little sissy portrayed in “religious art”. Our Lord declared the solemn fact of His righteous judgment many times in His Own earthly ministry. For example in Matthew 7:21-23, He said plainly that He would personally consign His enemies to hell.

Our text also proves the Deity of Christ by His omniscience. You cannot hide from Him. At this very moment He knows if you are a professed believer in Himself, and whether your profession is genuine. You cannot hide from Christ, for He is omniscient God. All the great mountains of the earth, and all the rocks cannot hide you from the presence of Him to Whom hath been committed the judgment of your poor soul.

Though the mountains are no refuge for a lost sinner, there is a refuge from the judgment to come, that is this Lamb Himself. Though He will get vengeance on His enemies, He will have mercy on every sinner that will repent of his sins and hide himself in the Rock of Ages. Dear reader, you do not want to be an enemy of the Lamb of God! If you do not make peace with Him now, it will be too late when you die and meet Him in judgment.

I have chosen the title of my article purposefully this week (as I always do). Some of you may remember a famous sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards entitled “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God.” That was in my mind as I entitled this article, “Sinners in the Hands of a Wrathful Christ“. I want you to see the whole truth about Christ, the Lamb of God. He is justly angry with His enemies, and justly merciful to all who repent and trust in Him for salvation. Flee to Him today, or you will futilely be trying to flee from Him at the last day.