HE HIMSELF IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS

What I mean is that Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world, both us and them. The sinner who goes to Hell goes to Hell because he refused the gift of God already purchased for him on the cross of Calvary. That is the offense that justifies an eternity in Hell for the sinner. He is spitting in the face of the God who sent his only Son to pay the price of his sin. That is exactly what it means when it says 

“He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and NOT ONLY FOR OURS, BUT ALSO FOR THOSE OF THE WHOLE WORLD.” (1 John 2:2)

Look up the word propitiation, if it is not in your vocabulary. 

The Good News is that: 

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

The bad news is that most people for whom Christ died will reject him. It is a mistake to believe that people go to Hell for breaking the Law. We have all broken the Law yet some of us go to Heaven while the majority go to Hell. If the difference between Heaven and Hell is not between those who break the Law and those who do not, what is the difference? We find the answer to that question in many places, perhaps the best is in John 3:18 

“Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.”

IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD DO TO SAVE YOURSELF, JESUS DIED FOR NOTHING. 

Romans 3:21 But now, APART FROM THE LAW, God’s righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets 22 —that is, GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

THE NUMBER ONE REASON THAT PEOPLE REJECT THE GOSPEL IS THAT IT IS A GIFT, LEAVING THE REDEEMED SINNER WITH NOTHING TO DO TO MERIT SALVATION. THIS HURTS THE PRIDE OF MEN WHO FEEL THAT THEY MUST SOMEHOW EARN EVERYTHING FOR THEMSELVES. They Refuse the Gospel for the same reason they would refuse $50 from a neighbor who saw their need. The same pride that would cause them to refuse the money and let their own children go hungry, sends them to Hell!