Propitiation is an important Bible word needing to be understood in order to properly value the Lord Jesus’ Crosswork on behalf of all mankind, but only applying to those who believe.

1^st John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation ” (as the propitiatory sacrifice] for our sins. 11 Beloved, if [since] God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Each year, the President of the United States ‘pardons’ a turkey for Thanksgiving, meaning he spares the turkey from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. This type of act is viewed as an act of love during the time wherein many dinner tables will have a turkey on the dinner table. This is viewed by many as a ‘turkey pardon,’ and viewed by many as an act of ‘clemency,’ and ‘sacrifice.’ But the love of God is “perfected” in selflessness, and this type of love has been given unto us and is found within His Word of Truth. But to know the love of God, we must first truly “know” His love and appreciate and understand what selfless love truly means to God. And understanding and appreciating what the act of a “propitiation” means to God is the beginning of the knowledge of our education in godly love. 

Rom.3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

The word ‘propitiation,’ from Webster 1828 dictionary, is ‘An Act Of Appeasing Wrath And Conciliating [I.E., Reconciling] The Favor Of An Offended Person.’

Our Father’s definition has been given unto us in His Word as we see above and throughout the scriptures, as we are reminded of the selflessness of our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for us. As we see in 1^st John chapter 4, the believer must first ‘know’ the selfless love of God. When John says, “herein is love,” he is saying, ‘this is the definition of Godly love.’ And he teaches that the Saint ought to understand that our education in godly love begins with understanding His selfless love for us insomuch that He “delivered Him up” for us, and He “spared not” His “only begotten Son” for us; this selflessness is the beginning of knowledge and understanding of their love. And the “perfecting” of our love is accomplished by our knowledge of the “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of His selfless love for us, and our growth as His sons and daughters.

Rom.5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his [resurrection] life.

Furthermore, “Charity [i.e., love]” is “the bond of perfectness,” as we see in the verses below, godly charity is an act of godly selfless love given by one, unto others. The Lord’s sacrifice for us on the cross was not charity, but selflessness, this selflessness is what we are being educated by His Grace. But notice the ‘comparison likeness’ with Our Savior Jesus Christ, Paul says, “even as Christ forgave you, so ALSO do ye.” Our edification in godliness is taught unto us by His ensample, this God-like-ness teaching is how we are being perfected unto His love, and He desires that we “increase and abound in love” as sons. And our Lord’s selflessness for us was not “charity,” or an act of sparing a turkey to not be Thanksgiving dinner. This selfless act of love is the ‘appeasing’ of God’s wrath by Christ for ‘offended persons’ (The Father and the Son). He who “knew no sin,” took unto Himself the sin of the world who has ‘known sin.’ We are reminded throughout God’s Word of His love. We ought to look at the love God has provided for us who were “enemies” in His sight and understand and appreciate that by His love we ought to bring forth fruit unto holiness in His sight. This is the doctrine of love this is taught unto His Saints, and by reminding the Saints about His selflessness, we are being taught “by the mercies of God” to living in His Selfless likeness in godliness for the rest of our lives as well prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

To the Gentile “body of Christ” Paul writes;

Col.3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

To Israel Paul writes;

1^st Thess.3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Finally, when one shows love to someone who is an ‘offended person,’ they display it as an act of ‘charity,’ of as a ‘favor,’ even in some cases, as being ‘the bigger person’ to forgive someone who they feel have wronged them. But we are educated by the selfless love of Christ that godly love ‘desires’ to “increase and abound,” and it doesn’t ‘expect something back,’ or look for a ‘pat on the back’ from others because of their giving for the sakes of others. And we are taught by the selfless love of Christ to “be” selfless. This ‘identity’ of selflessness desires to ‘simulate’ our Lord Jesus Christ’s love for us. And when Paul says, “let love be” in the verses below, Paul teaches that a living sacrifice gives of himself regardless the circumstances. This doctrine is given in Romans chapter 12 as Paul teaches how we ought to ‘simulate’ the love of God toward our “enemy.” Oftentimes we forget that we too were once “enemies” when we were “in Adam,” but because of our Lord Jesus Christ’s “propitiation” (as the propitiatory sacrifice] on our behalf, we are taught the selfless love of Christ that we too ought to “let love be without dissimulation,” because love desires to simulate the love of Christ, this is the “bond of perfectness” as His sons and daughters in Christ.

Rom.12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Portions Adapted from Rod Jones