November 2014

Atoning Blood 8

Blood is mentioned again in connection with propitiation, which is a third term for atonement. God presented Jesus, or put him forward, “as propitiation” (Rom. 3:25). Some translations prefer to speak here of “the sacrifice of atonement,” but the proper word to use is “propitiation.”

By Philip Graham Ryken

Atonement by Propitiation

Blood is mentioned again in connection with propitiation, which is a third term for atonement.  God presented Jesus, or put him forward, “as propitiation” (Rom. 3:25).  Some translations prefer to speak here of “the sacrifice of atonement,” but the proper word to use is “propitiation.”

Atoning Blood 7

The way God justifies sinners is on the basis of the perfect life and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ: “When God justifies sinners, he is not declaring bad people to be good, or saying that they are not sinners after all. He is pronouncing them legally righteous, free from any liability to the broken law, because he himself in his Son has born the penalty of their law-breaking.”[1] The payment of this penalty satisfies God’s justice and thus provides the legal basis for our justification. As Paul will say a little later in Romans: “We have now been justified by his blood” (Rom. 5:9).

By Philip Graham Ryken

Atoning Blood 6

Redemption is not the only aspect of salvation in Romans 3, however. There is also justification—a term for atonement that comes from a court of law. Reformation Christianity is sometimes criticized for focusing too much on the doctrine of justification by faith. Yet this is one of the main doctrinal themes of the New Testament, where the vocabulary of justification occurs more than two hundred times, including in this passage. Not only are we redeemed from sin, but we are also “justified freely by his grace” (Rom. 3:23).

By Philip Graham Ryken

Atonement by Justification

Atoning Blood 5

Thankfully, the Book of Romans is not just about the problem of sin and death, but also about God’s solution to our problem in Jesus Christ. Yes, the wages of sin is death, but as Paul goes on to say, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

By Philip Graham Ryken

Atonement by Redemption

Thankfully, the Book of Romans is not just about the problem of sin and death, but also about God’s solution to our problem in Jesus Christ.  Yes, the wages of sin is death, but as Paul goes on to say, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). 

Atoning Blood 4

We ourselves are part of the problem. This point is so obvious, and the evidence for it so abundant, that it hardly needs a defense. But consider a gentle reminder. For the purpose of self-examination, consider a series of spiritual questions from old Puritan— questions that test whether we are leading the life that God wants us to live:

By Philip Graham Ryken

We ourselves are part of the problem.  This point is so obvious, and the evidence for it so abundant, that it hardly needs a defense.  But consider a gentle reminder.  For the purpose of self-examination, consider a series of spiritual questions from old Puritan— questions that test whether we are leading the life that God wants us to live:

Atoning Blood 3

If ever a theologian kept his mind and heart fixed on Christ crucified it was the apostle Paul. One of the best places to see his doctrine of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ is the third chapter of Romans. Here we see, first of all, and as clearly as anywhere in Scripture, the necessity of the atonement.

By Philip Graham Ryken

The Necessity of the Atonement

If ever a theologian kept his mind and heart fixed on Christ crucified it was the apostle Paul.  One of the best places to see his doctrine of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ is the third chapter of Romans.  Here we see, first of all, and as clearly as anywhere in Scripture, the necessity of the atonement. 

Atoning Blood 2

Doubtless Tyndale would be pleased to know that today the primary meaning of “atonement” in the English dictionary is “the reconciliation of God and man through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.” But he would be much less pleased to know how unpopular atonement has become. Doubtless this is because it deals with too many subjects that most people would rather ignore, like the wrath and curse of God, the punishment of sin, and the old, blood-stained cross.

By Philip Graham Ryken

The Centrality of the Atonement

Atoning Blood 1

In producing his famous translation of the Bible, the English Reformer William Tyndale introduced many memorable words and phrases into the English language. Ultimately these words came from the Holy Spirit, of course, but someone still had to decide how the divine words of the Old and New Testaments should be translated from Hebrew and Greek into English. The Bible that resulted from Tyndale’s work is full of memorable phrases that have become everyday expressions: “let there be light”; “the salt of the earth”; “the spirit is willing”; “the powers that be”; and so on.

By Philip Graham Ryken

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Grace 12

What is the purpose of all God has done? God’s purpose is so that throughout all eternity, God will display His exceedingly great and abundant grace in saving sinners like you and me. This grace is through the kindness God has given us through Jesus Christ.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7, ESV)               &nbs

Five Eternal Gifts from God - Grace 11

God’s grace toward the condemned sinner results in salvation. It means God has made the sinner alive. This means the sinner is cleansed from sin, given a new heart (intellect, emotions and will), given a new inclination, desire and disposition to worship Christ resulting in obedience to the Word of God: the Scriptures.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7, ESV)

PLACE FOR TRUTH

An Exercise in Being Thankful

Reformation 21

From Covenant to Confessional