It's not about us making peace with God- God is for us! it was because “he loved us” that he “sent his Son a propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4: 10). God is for the sinner not against  him. He provided the propitiation Himself in order that there might be a righteous basis by which He could act in blessing towards sinful man. 

 

The Bible often connects propitiation with the mercy seat:

 

Look up

Rom. 3: 25

 

The mercy seat was where the blood was sprinkled from the sacrifices in the Old Testament. The blood allowed God to cover the sins of the children of Israel. 

 

For us the blood being on the mercy-seat means that God is able to bless the sinner, as the righteous demands of God (as regards sin) have been met in Jesus. The perfect offering. 

 

In order to get the benefits,  you (the sinner) have to identify yourself with the offering. So in the Old Testament, the priest would ‘lay his hand on the bullock’s head – see Lev. 3: 4) so the worth of the offering was transferred to the person offering it. We have to identify ourselves with Jesus in order to be able shelter under His blood.

 

 

 

Man is totally incapable of satisfying God’s justice... 

...except by spending eternity in hell