Facets of Our Salvation (2)

Satisfaction

1. The forensic or legal work to provide sufficient payment to an offended party or judge to make appeasement or restitution for wrongs and bring to a state of contentment.
   1. Satisfaction was not to be accepted for a murderer or a manslayer (Num 35:31-32).
   2. God’s law required thorough restitution for damaged or stolen goods (Pr 6:30-31).
   3. While theft could be satisfied, the context is that adultery cannot be (Prov 6:32-35).
2. We have known persons, and we are each this way by nature, of never being satisfied.
   1. If someone wrongs us, a bitter, malicious grudge is created calling for vengeance.
   2. Offending a brother carries the danger and difficulty of winning him (Prov 18:19).
   3. Jesus had to correct Peter about the extent of forgiveness we owe (Matt 18:21-35).
   4. Implacable, a sin of the N.T., is inability to be appeased or satisfied (Rom 1:31).
   5. Our glorious God, given His nature, and then our rebellion, should be implacable.
3. God the Father saw the travail of Jesus on the cross and was satisfied (Is 53:10-12).
   1. Think how holy, just, terrible God is … how profane, rebellious, wicked we are.
   2. How could He be satisfied, due to the infinite debt and offence (Ex 34:7; Nah 1:3).
   3. How could we satisfy such a debt? It is infinite, and we have nothing at all to pay.
   4. Only an infinite sacrifice by His Son could possibly satisfy His justice and wrath.
4. This component or facet of salvation and its text was taught in detail in 2015 … here.
5. Compare these related legal facets: acceptation, justification, forgiveness, pardon.

Bought, or Purchased

1. The economic or financial work of paying a price for ownership of a person or thing.
   1. The song of Moses includes the declaration the LORD purchased Israel (Ex 15:16).
   2. Jehovah rebuked Israel for not repaying Him for having bought them (Deut 32:6).
   3. Peter rebuked false Jewish prophets that would do the same to God (II Peter 2:1).
   4. God had purchased Israel and gave them the land He purchased (Ps 74:2; 78:54).
2. God bought / purchased His elect to be His property from their debts and liabilities.
   1. The death of Jesus Christ is viewed as the price God paid for us (I Cor 6:20; 7:23).
   2. This purchase was for their salvation and inheritance (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:14).
   3. T. emphasis is on the price paid and its claim on us rather than to whom paid.
   4. We understand the purchase to be from claims of divine justice and Satan’s palace.
   5. We are the property of our God and Father and should live as owned servants/sons.
3. An angle on God buying and purchasing us is the dowry of blood paid for us … here.
4. A full explanation of we being God’s purchased possession was also preached … here.
5. Compare these related facets: redemption, ransom.

Propitiation

1. The relational or mediatorial work to appease an offended party for reconciliation.
   1. The word is used in our King James Bibles three times, so we proceed carefully.
   2. Propitiate. To render propitious or favorably inclined; to appease (one offended).
   3. Propitious. Disposed to be favorable; well-disposed, favorably inclined; gracious.
   4. Propitiation. The action of propitiating; appeasement, conciliation; atonement.
   5. Jacob wisely sent a present to Esau as a propitiation to appease him (Gen 32:20).
2. Propitiate is a mediatorial term for Jesus securing peace for us with an offended God.
   1. Jesus was sacrificed on Calvary’s tree to make peace with God for all the elect.
   2. He is the propitiation for all the sins of all the elect throughout the world (I Jn 2:2).
   3. The greatest love is God’s love of us and His Son as our propitiation (I John 4:10).
   4. God the Father had faith, confidence or trust, in the blood of His Son (Rom 3:25).
3. If God paid such a price for peace with us, we should easily pursue peace with others.
4. For more detail, see the expositional outlines for the above three texts … here, here, here.
5. Compare these related facets: reconciliation, atonement.

Sacrifice

1. The religious or priestly substitution of one thing to forgive the sins of worshipper(s).
   1. Sacrifice. To surrender or give up (something) for the attainment of some higher advantage or dearer object. To permit injury or ruin to the interests of (a person) for the sake of some desired object.
   2. Burnt offering. The gift of whatever animal or substance of value that was wholly burned on the altar with nothing remaining for any personal profit or pleasure.
2. The history of sacrifices was huge from Eden to the cross of Calvary (Bible 281 uses).
   1. From God clothing Adam with skins to Jacob’s offerings to Moses’ law, sacrifice of animals was used for worship, for covenant confirmation, for expiation, at least.
   2. We used a CPA in the past to estimate the nearly incalculable sacrifices of lambs.
   3. Shedding of blood was constant by sacrifice of animal lives for ritual purification.
   4. Hebrews, comparing Jesus to the Law, has 60% of its uses in the N.T. (17/27 uses).
3. Without use of the exact word, God delivered up His Son to save us (Romans 8:32).
   1. The value of God sacrificing His Son was so great that all else will be given freely.
   2. Jesus Christ showed His love for us by being a sacrifice to God for us (Eph 5:1-2).
   3. All other uses of our word here in the N.T. epistles do not pertain to our salvation.
4. Paul in Hebrews for converted Jews has great uses of it (Hebrew 7:27; 9:26; 10:5,12).
5. Be willing to be a sacrifice and to sacrifice (Rom 12:1; Phil 2:17; Hebrews 13:15-16).
6. The concept of sacrifices and God sacrificing His Son for us is good … here, here, here.
7. Compare these related facets: sanctification, intercession, mediation, imputation, etc.

Pardon

1. The forensic or legal work of declaring a guilty party free from their crimes and innocent before the law by an executive decree or order by governmental authority.
   1. Pardon. To remit the penalty of (an offence); to pass over (an offence or offender) without punishment or blame; to forgive. Pardon is a more formal term than forgive, being that used in legal language; also often in theology.
   2. Presidential or gubernatorial pardons are decrees to clear charges or restore rights; the various differences and distinctions of these executive acts is beyond this study.
   3. Our Constitution says, Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons, for much clemency.
   4. Clemency. An act of grace to show gentleness, grace, leniency, mercy, or relief.
   5. Our Justice Department has the Office of the Pardon Attorney for criminals to ask.
   6. In spite of failed court attempts or serious legal charges, a pardon can clear crimes.
   7. This week President Biden commuted 1500 sentences and pardoned 39 of crimes.
   8. There is a great deal more to legal issues and angles of pardons in the U.S. … here.
2. The N.T. does not contain the word pardon, but the concept is obvious by other words.
   1. Many references for forgiveness (Acts 13:38; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14), unblameable and unreprovable (Col 1:22), blotting out ordinances against us (Col 2:13-14), without charge (Rom 8:33), death abolished with life and immortality instead (II Tim 1:8-11), accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6), faultless (Jude 1:24), etc.
   2. The O.T. uses pardon in the sense of forgiveness for us to make the connection (Ex 23:21; 34:9; Num 14:19; I Sam 15:25; II Kgs 24:4; II Chr 30:18; Ps 25:11; etc.).
   3. We love Isaiah’s description of God’s pardon or forgiveness past ours (Is 55:6-9).
   4. Jeremiah has several references to God’s pardon, but one may be best (Jer 50:20).
3. We need a pardon, forgiveness of crimes, for we have committed many against God.
   1. We have committed sin by transgressing the law of God, like the Ten (I John 3:4).
   2. The Day of Judgment will shock humanity (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Rom 14:10-12).
   3. You cannot avoid your sentence, no matter what you do (Job 9:30-32; Matt 23:33).
   4. God’s judgment of sin large or small is terrible from the beginning to need pardon.
4. But God cannot pardon, or forgive, by acquitting or clearing (Nah 1:3; Exodus 34:7).
5. God comforted Israel with news of a pardon through Jesus the Christ (Isaiah 40:1-11).
   1. The good news is that Jesus Christ allows God to be just and justifier (Rom 3:26).
   2. No one and no charge can be laid against God’s elect in Christ (Rom 8:1,31-34).
   3. When Nathan rebuked David, he judged death, but God pardoned (II Sam 12:13).
   4. The book of life should be seen as the book of pardons with names (Rev 20:15).
   5. The faithful saying worthy of all acceptation is God granting pardons (I Tim 1:15).
   6. Let the pardon of a stay of execution from the second death thrill your soul forever.
6. God’s pardons, like all else for His glory, get Him a name (Jer 33:8-9; Luke 10:20), and His pardons far transcend earthly pardons as a study of U.S. pardons will prove.
7. For more about pardons and how God pardoned us by Jesus Christ … here, here, here
8.  Compare these related facets: justification, bought/purchased, ransom, forgiveness.

Ransom

1. The economic or financial work to pay for release or freedom of a captive or prisoner.
   1. Ransom. The price paid to free someone from captivity, to remove a penalty or condemnation, or restore a previous condition (Proverbs 6:35; Exodus 30:12).
   2. The most wonderful news, if captive as a condemned prisoner, would be a ransom.
   3. The most wonderful news, if kidnapped by terrorists for cash, would be a ransom.
   4. We often think of a ransom as payment by a parent to a kidnapper to save a child, so the story of Charles Lindbergh is a great illustration but with a terrible outcome.
   5. This crime and intrigue around it became the “Crime of the Century.” A child’s life was at risk, a ransom was demanded, the ransom was paid, but the child was killed.
   6. Moses’ Law allowed paying a ransom in cases to redeem your life (Exodus 21:30).
   7. God paid the price of Egypt and other nations for Israel from bondage (Is 43:3-4).
   8. A ransom is paid by another and not the captive or condemned to have him freed.
2. Jesus was the ransom price from God’s justice and the charges Satan had against us.
   1. If God is angry with sinners, there is no ransom to deliver (Job 36:18; Ps 49:6-9).
   2. Satan held us captive several ways, but the Stronger Man paid a ransom to rescue, and the ransom was paid to God to undo the condemnation Satan enticed us into.
   3. Forget any cooperation on your part, for you loved being in his palace (Eph 2:1-3).
   4. Jesus paid the ransom price by dying for us, as Caiaphas prophesied (Jn 11:49-52); He did not offer Himself to the devil or to sinners, but rather to God (Heb 9:12,14).
   5. The wonderful news to convicted sinners is, “I have found a ransom” (Job 33:24), which should lead us to esteem the beautiful feet of gospel preachers (Rom 10:15); there is nothing else to pay for freedom from any charges of any kind (Rom 8:33).
   6. You must die … but God through Jesus ransomed you from the grave (Hos 13:14).
   7. Jesus came to give His life a ransom for many – all elect (Matt 20:28; I Tim 2:6).
   8. Your life deserves the lake of fire; a book of ransom paid will save (Rev 20:11-15), for it’s full name is the book of life of the Lamb slain (Revelation 13:8 and here).
   9. How should this ransom payment affect you? What will you do for Him that paid?
3. Hear a rare illustration from this preacher/writer about Cyrus the Great and Cagular.                                                        An event that occurred under Cyrus the Persian may direct our attention to where it should be today. The southern border of the Persian Empire had a rebellious tribe under a great chieftain named Cagular, which together had defeated all attempts by military detachments to subdue him. Finally, the Emperor amassed a very large army, marched to this southern extreme of his empire, surrounded Cagular, captured him, and brought him to the capital for execution. On the day of his trial, he and his family were brought before the judgment seat of Cyrus. Cagular, a large and perfect man, with noble and intelligent manner, was magnificent to behold. Cyrus was impressed sufficiently to consider in himself how he might spare this enemy’s life. Cyrus asked Cagular, “What would you do should I spare your life?” Cagular responded, “Your Majesty, if you spared my life, I would return to my home and remain your obedient servant as long as I lived.” Cyrus then asked, “What would you do if I spared the life of your wife?” Cagular responded, “Your Majesty, if you spared the life of my wife, I would die for you.” Cyrus was so moved by the exchange that he freed them both and returned Cagular to his home province to assume the role of governor there. Arriving home to much meaner surroundings than Persepolis, Cagular reminisced about the trip with his wife. “Did you notice,” he said to his wife, “the marble at the entrance of the palace? Did you notice the tapestry on the wall as we went down the corridor into the throne room? And did you see the chair on which the emperor sat? It must have been carved from one lump of pure gold.” His wife could appreciate his excitement and how impressed he was with it all, but she only replied: “I really didn’t notice any of that.” “Well,” said Cagular in amazement, “What did you see?” His wife looked seriously into his eyes and said, “I beheld only the face of the man who said he would die for me.”
4. Forget Cagular! What will you do for Him that ransomed you from eternal torment?
   1. Are you so moved by Jesus dying for you that worldly things do not attract you?
   2. No wonder Jesus marks those that mind earthly things as enemies (Phil 3:18-19).
   3. Paul reasoned he owed Jesus his life for saving him from death (II Cor 5:14-15).
   4. Paul asked Corinth to give liberally by what Jesus gave for them (II Cor 8:8-9).
   5. Though often used at weddings, we can better apply love and jealousy (S.S. 8:6-7).
   6. How sinful are you? Should you love your Ransom less or more (Luke 7:40-48)?
   7. Think dear things – relations past money. Do you love Jesus more (Matt 10:37)?
   8. After Jesus’ death, how would you answer His questions to Peter (John 21:15-17)?
   9. The Ransom’s great love for you, if known, can fill you with God (Eph 3:14-19).
5. For more about the concept of ransom and our Lord’s payment … here, here, here, here.
6. Compare these related facets: bought/purchased, redemption, pardon, satisfaction.