Propitiation in layman's terms

Zechariah 2:8 says, "For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye."

Sunday night's message at my church: "Zechariah talks about 'the apple of his eye,' the prize, the one He finds 'altogether lovely.' If God delivered Him up, made a sacrifice, paid for your sin, how shall 'he not with him freely give us all things'?

"Romans 8: [31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

[32] He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

"You see that word 'freely'? He bought it; He paid for it. Romans 8 says, [33] Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

"How does He do it? Through the blood of Lord Jesus Christ. How does He do it? Being justified by faith. He does it when our faith relies exclusively on the Lord Jesus Christ, understanding that His death at Calvary pays for our sin. His resurrection is our life. He justifies us. God then declares us -- He makes us the righteousness of God.

"Now, if you go to Romans 3, He's going to do something dispensational that you need to notice. Paul writes, [24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [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;

"That word 'propitiation' is talking about a meeting place, a place where things come together. We usually define it as a fully satisfying sacrifice.

"Here are two people at odds with one another and there's a place where they can come and meet together and be satisfied and happy, reconciled together. And the thing that provides that union back together is the sacrifice, the propitiation. There's a fully satisfying--the offense of our sin is completely done away with.

"Romans 3:25: [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;

"The propitiation, the satisfaction Jesus Christ provides through the redemption that's in Christ at Calvary explains to us how God was able to forgive sins; remit sins in time past."

(new article tomorrow)