My little children, these things I write to you,
so that you may not sin.
And if anyone sins,
we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins,
and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2
Jesus is the Propitiation—His title that means “full satisfaction.” Idol worshipers use the word “propitiation” when offering sacrifices to their idols to appease their supposed wrath. Jesus is your Propitiation—the full satisfaction—to satisfy God’s punishment of your sins.
Lord, thank You for paying the price to satisfy my sin debt. But You paid not just for my sin; You died for the whole world.
Jesus is your Propitiation, meaning your sins are fully forgiven. “He [God] loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Now when the Lord looks at you, He doesn’t see your sin; He sees the ledger marked “Paid in full.” Because Jesus has satisfied your debt, you are now free in Christ. The word “propitiation” is also translated “mercy seat,” which is the lid on the Ark of the Covenant. The mercy seat was the place of propitiation—satisfaction—where the blood was sprinkled for forgiveness. The mercy seat also was the place where the presence of God came to rest in the Tabernacle. God does not have a throne on Earth; He sits on the mercy seat. Because blood is sprinkled there, it is a seat of mercy. Now, because of propitiation, Jesus can come to you, and His presence can abide with you.
Lord, thank You for forgiving all my sin debt and satisfying the indictments against me. Help me enjoy Your forgiveness; I need Your presence in my life this day. Come. Amen.
Go Deeper: 1 John 2:1-11
Jesus has satisfied every debt you owe because of sin.