I like to tell people that my wife and I don’t argue; we just have very intense fellowship sometimes!

When we were newlyweds, I learned that no matter how intensely we “fellowshipped” or how deeply I may have offended her, there was always a remedy that would fix things and bring us back together. It’s called frozen yogurt date. No matter how snippy Mr. Grumpy acted, he could always rely on this sweet delectable to remunerate the wrongs done and reconcile the relationship.

Yet on one occasion, after inviting my young bride on a frozen yogurt date to iron out an argument, I walked into the frozen yogurt shop only to realize that I had left my wallet at home. Oops. But what happened next spoke volumes about the virtue of my wife and it also serves as a vivid picture of the grace and mercy of our God. Opening up her purse, Cindy said, “Jimmy, you may have been wrong back there, but I got this one.” Then she pulled out her wallet and paid for the treat that would consequently sweeten up any bland spots in our marriage.

What my wife did in that frozen yogurt shop is what the Bible refers to as “atonement,” or “propitiation.” The word propitiation carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction, specifically towards God. Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of an offended person and being reconciled to them.

The Bible says in 1 John 2:1-2: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” What’s significant about this kind of sacrifice or atonement is that the one who has been offended or violated, is also the one making the sacrifice to bring restitution and reconciliation to the relationship.

Sin often harms another person, but, ultimately, all sin is against God. We see many references in the Bible of people admitting, “I have sinned against God” (Exodus 10:16; Joshua 7:20; Judges 10:10). Sin is the intentional or unintentional act of violating God’s will. Sin can also be viewed as any thought or action that endangers the ideal relationship between an individual and God, or as any diversion from the perceived ideal order for human living. To sin has been defined as “to miss the mark.”

There are two basic ways we sin: either by commission or omission. A sin of commission is a sin we take action to commit, whether in thought, word, or deed. Sins of omission are those in which we knew we should have done something good, but refused (James 4:17). All sin, regardless of its root, is offensive to a holy God.

We can never do enough good to appease God’s wrath toward the sin in our lives. All of us fall short (Romans 3:23). But this is where Jesus comes in. God knew that we were spiritually bankrupt and incapable to remedy our own sins, so He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our forgiveness and our atonement. He is the propitiation for our sins. He is also our defender—an “advocate” who is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us (Ephesians 1:19-21, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 10:12).

A human defense lawyer argues for the innocence of his client. But our Advocate, Jesus Christ, admits our guilt—and then enters His plea on our behalf, as the one who has made an atoning sacrifice for our sinful guilt.

Oswald Chambers admonished us with these words: “Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive—He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross.”

An old hymn says it best:

He paid a debt He did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay
I needed someone to wash my sins away
And now I sing a brand new song
Amazing Grace

May you boast in His righteousness alone as the all-sufficient propitiation for your sins, and may this amazing grace bring you great peace as you abide in Him today.

Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement.

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The post Frozen Yogurt and Amazing Grace | Devotion appeared first on Jimmy Larche.