Have you appeased God?

I can’t dance, so when I listen to music, it isn’t for the beat or the melody.

Jesus was a man who spoke in many parables, but arguably, the most well-known is the parable of the prodigal son. And rightfully so. After all, the spoken prodigal son wears shoes that would fit all of our feet.

There’s this set of lyrics in a song I’ve recently come to love. Especially as someone who finds herself far from home more often than she’d like to admit but is kind of admitting now.

“You came runnin’ like a rebel,

Paid off debts I couldn’t pay.

And you went dancin’ with the devil,

Sent that liar to his grave.

How the heaven did I get here,

Where every sin has been erased?

All I’ve given You is trouble,

And all You’ve given me is grace.”

I learned a new word a week ago. Propitiation: the act of gaining or regaining the favor or goodwill of someone or something. See also “appeasement.”

So . . . how does one propitiate or appease God?

The answer is . . . he doesn’t. She doesn’t. You don’t, I don’t.

We can’t give anything to God that’s worthy of a proper appeasement.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)

Yet, before condemnation could define us, grace moved toward us. And that grace has a name. Because there was a comma after “God” there. Romans 3:24 goes on to say “And all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 2:17 says “He became the propitiation for the sins of the people.”

That is, Jesus died so we wouldn’t have to.

He paid the price we could never afford, the debt that was to be our downfall.

But it wasn’t just our final stand before the throne that Jesus had in mind when He walked in His purpose. He walked in temptation and suffering all so He could help us when our walks encounter the same (Hebrews 2:18).

Jesus loves us. He really loves us. He died so we could live with Him forever. He also lived so we could lean on Him when we are hurting, conflicted, confused. Lean on Him as someone who has stood where we stand, felt what we feel, walked where we walk . . . and then conquered it. His death bought our life and His life gives power to ours.

1 John 2:2 calls Him the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

The appeasement.

The propitiation.

The only one God could accept—and did.

Because 2000 years later, that tomb is still empty.

“If you declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Not just accepted, but saved.

Apparently, men didn’t used to run. But the prodigal son’s father did. But Jesus does. He comes running like a rebel after me every time I get the inkling that I’m going to run away from Him, hide behind my shame. He’s fast, y’all. And when He catches me—not if, but when, because He always does—He doesn’t scold me for the trouble I’ve caused. He doesn’t make me sit and “think about what I’ve done.” He takes my shame and hands me grace.

And there’s a hug I’m real excited for when I get to Heaven. Because I know I’m going to Heaven. I know it, because I’m not perfect, but a perfect man died for me.