Debt paid...not cancelled.

And he is the propitiation for our sins:

     and not for ours only,

     but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

Propitiation.

Not a word we use very often in casual conversation. 

Propitiation.

More of a specialized kind of church word that the clergy understands…or think they understand.

Propitiation.

Paying off the debt for sins on behalf of the entire world.  The same “world” mentioned in John 3:16 that God loved so much that He made a gift out of His Son and sent Him here.  He was sent here as payment for sin’s devastation.  All that humans need to do is accept that gift and salvation is free. 

There are folks with a legalistic agenda who want to make sure that sinners don’t get in on salvation even though salvation was designed for sinners (Luke 5:31-32).  They are strongly preaching that “accepting Jesus as your personal savior” is preposterous.  It is difficult to understand what Bible they are reading since there are only two things that anyone can do with a gift: accept it or reject it.  Apparently there are calvinized clergy who think it is their job to unwrap your personal gift for you and make sure you do things that make you qualified for it.  By their way of thinking, grace comes from God but sinners must pass the bar at their church before they can get the free gift of Jesus.  “Grace” becomes more important than Jesus.  Freedom is only for those who have been pre-selected – a logical impossibility.

A lot of noise is being made these days about holiness and purity that is the hallmark of the TRUE believer.  Of course, no real calvinist would agree with such a notion.  After all…isn’t God sovereign – totally sovereign so that he can do whatever He pleases or pleases Him?  If so, then what prevents Him from saving someone and never using or improving that person by the power of the Holy Spirit?  Why can’t God, in His inscrutable will, fix up junk that has no purpose other than to be what He wants it to be?  If He wants to throw it in a corner, who is Calvin to say that such a one is not injected with saving faith that the church (clergy…Nicolaitan appointees, etc.) can measure.  All these manuals on putting REAL Christians through a grid of competency and discipleship negates the theory of Absolute (but inscrutable) Divine Sovereignty. 

Bottom line for humans = the only safe place for us is at the foot of the cross of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit will guide us into truth through the Word and the written word…not necessarily through the vain jangling of 16^th (or any other) century imaginators with an agenda of power.  Jesus saves those who have no purpose (dying thief) on earth because they ask Him to save them.  Jesus saves because He has given His word that He will do so when humans call upon His name.  Jesus saves because He needs the lives of humans to be inextricably linked with Him and His purpose…Whosoever will may come to Him.

Come to Jesus.

Come to the Cross.