Austin Bible Church
Expiation is the act of making satisfaction for an offense by which the guilt is done away with and the necessity of punishment is cancelled. In Adam we are all counted guilty. Imputed sin is seen by God as relative righteousness. We are spiritually dead. The penalty for this relative righteousness of imputed sin is spiritual death, which cannot have fellowship with God. Since relative righteousness comes between man and God and God's absolute righteousness cannot have fellowship with relative righteousness, the human race owes God an absolute righteousness which they do not have and cannot ever generate. Isaiah 59:2; 1 Cor. 15:22; Rom. 3:23.
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2, NASB)
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22, NASB)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23, NASB)
The Barrier: Penalty of Sin
The absolute righteousness of God cannot have contact or association with sin. Moreover, absolute righteousness cannot have fellowship with the best works that man can offer which amount to relative righteousness, which cannot ever measure up to God’s absolute righteousness. Rom. 3:23; Isaiah 59:2.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23, NASB)
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2, NASB)
God is perfect justice, which demands that disobedience against His laws be punished. John 3:36.
““He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”“ (John 3:36, NASB)
Justice placed a penalty on sin of spiritual death. Rom. 6:23.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NASB)
Since absolute righteousness cannot have fellowship with relative righteousness, we must have God’s perfect righteousness in order to fellowship with Him. But we can’t supply it no matter how much we desire a relationship with God. The only solution is expiation based on the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
The Work of Christ: Expiation
The Lord Jesus Christ took every “IOU” of the human race and carried them to the Cross and placed them on Himself. Col. 2:14.
“having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14, NASB)
Jesus Christ was judged for our sins, which resulted in His spiritual death on the Cross. His spiritual death satisfied the justice of God so in Christ we are counted not guilty. We are seen by God as absolute righteousness and as spiritually alive, so the guilt is done away with and the necessity of punishment is cancelled, because God's very own absolute righteousness has been imputed to every believer at salvation. 2 Cor. 5:18-21.
“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-21, NASB)