Expiation vs. Propitiation

"Expiation" rights the wrong of an offense but it does not satisfy the anger of the person who was wronged.  "Propitiation" satisfies the wrath of the offended which includes the correction of the wrong.

Picture this in slow-motion: Pretend I tried stopping my 4-wheel drive Red Rodeo when pulling in my driveway and the driveway happened to be covered in thick ice… the Rodeo kept sliding and wouldn't stop (in slow-mo)…and the white garage door happened to be down so I smashed through the door (not that I would ever do this).  Lets just say that when I did this I knew immediately that my wife would be furious with me.  When she saw it,  she WAS, in fact, furious with me.  So to make things right, I hurry and fix the garage door; I have just "expiated" the situation.  I made it right. I corrected the wrong….BUT…my wife is still ticked at me… even though I technically fixed the door; I need to somehow take the process farther; her anger with me still needs to be satisfied/resolved/thwarted/brought to an end , or "propitiated".

If all Christ did was right the wrong (expiation), his work on the cross didn't go far enough for us to be saved.  God's wrath would still be upon us and we would still suffer the penalty for wronging Him.  But Christ's death on the cross goes farther than just correcting the wrong, it assuages the wrath of God (propitiation).  It satisfies his anger along with the "righting" of the wrong… and then…we stand justified in His sight-just as if we hadn't sinned.

Isn't that amazing…Christ did that on our behalf?!?! That’s "penal substitution".  He paid the penalty of our sin by substituting Himself in our place, suffered death and separation from God (which is really what we should have suffered) and thus thwarted/placated/satisfied/propitiated the wrath of God…and we are justified before Him.

Love it!!!  Love Him!!!!  Adore Him for what He has done for you!

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