Even growing up in church, I find myself as an adult trying to distinguish between propitiation, redemption, justification, & reconciliation. Anybody else in that boat?
We’re reading The Cross of Christ by John Stott in our Theology Club. Today’s chapter gave me so much clarity and distinction on these four terms. The author used imagery to help and laid it out like this.
- Propitiation = Temple: God took his own loving initiative to appease his own righteous anger by bearing it all in his own son.
- Redemption = Marketplace: We have been ransomed, not merely delivered, bought with a price.
- Justification = Court of Law: Our sins are forgiven, but we are justified through faith, made right with God.
- Reconciliation = Home: Opposite of alienation. We are at peace with God, adopted by Him.
-TION words can get confusing. I’m no theologian so it helps to dumb it down sometimes. Anyone else get confused with all the TION words? Do this imagery help?
