GOD’S MERCYSEAT
ROMANS 3:23-26
Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”
Introduction:
The Apostle Paul says that the God of Heaven has foreordained Jesus Christ to be the means by which every man can receive forgiveness of his sins.
The words of this verse have a tremendous message of God’s grace to man. It show how God in His wisdom set forth His plan of redemption for mankind and all of it is through faith in the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I. CHRIST WAS “SET FORTH” TO BE
THE MERCY-SEAT OF GOD
A. God the Father foreordained Jesus to be the Mercy-seat of God, Acts 2:23, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:”
1. The prophets of God had written of it, Acts 3:18, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”
2. God had determined it, Acts 4:28, “For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
B. God had foreordained that the Blood of Christ would appease His wrath, 1 Peter 1:18-20, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
1. Redemption is not by corruptible things, Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
2. Redemption is by the pure, precious blood of the Lamb of God, John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
C. God has determined that even Christ rejecters will ultimately worship Him, Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
II. GOD FOREORDAINED CHRIST “TO BE” OUR PROPITIATION
A. He alone is the propitiation for our sins, 1 John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
B. This looks back to the whole history of human sin before it was judged at the cross, Isaiah 53:11, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
C. This demonstrates God’s love for mankind, 1 John 4:10, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
III. THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD
A. God has determined that the Blood of Christ shall be brought within the Vail of God’s presence, Leviticus 16:15, “Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:”
IV. TO DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
A. David speaks of future declarations of the Lord’s righteousness, Psalms 22:31, “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.”
B. Paul declares the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, Romans 3:26, “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
C. Even the heavens declare His righteous, Psalms 50:6, “And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.”
V. FOR REMISSION (PASSING OVER) OF SINS
A. Every man is a sinner, Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
B. But through This Man there is forgiveness of sins, Acts 13:38, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:”
C. Through Jesus all that believe are justified from all things, Acts 13:39, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
1. Now is the time to repent, Acts 17:30, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”
2. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
D. Through Jesus there is peace with God, Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
CONCLUSION
The Apostle has in his mind a picture of what God has done for man in the giving of His Only Begotten Son to die on Calvary in order to pay the sin-debt of every man who will receive Him as Savior.
Are you among those who have received Jesus as your Savior?