Comment regarding the word propitiation in 1 John 4:10:
According to the dictionary, propitiation means “to appease or make favorable.” Appease means “to pacify or satisfy” by giving in to the demands of someone. This seems consistent with how many of us think we must approach God. We must attempt to pacify His wrath towards sin by giving in to His demands. This is similar to the way pagan religions sacrifice unto their gods in order to pacify them or to get them to be favorable This completely perverts the idea of propitiation in the Bible. The Bible states that God propitiated (appeased, pacified, satisfied) His own anger towards sin by providing His own sacrifice. The initiative to satisfy is not man’s, but God’s.
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins.
He Himself is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins.
…Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation (satisfaction) in His blood.
It is not the teachings of Jesus that pacified God’s wrath. It is not the life of Jesus that pacified His wrath. It is the death of Jesus—the sacrifice of His life—that pacified His wrath towards sin.
The word propitiation can also be translated “mercy seat.” When the New Testament writers used the word propitiation, it brought a picture into the minds of their readers: a covering that made mercy possible. Once this picture gets into your mind, it cannot be erased. Some background is necessary (and well worth the effort, since it may be the most powerful picture ever painted).
In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were instructed by God through Moses to erect a large tent in which animal sacrifices and offerings were to be made for the forgiveness of the sins of the people. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest of Israel would enter the innermost room of the tent. In this room was a piece of furniture called the ark. The top of the ark was called the “mercy seat.” The high priest would sprinkle the blood of a bull or goat on the mercy seat. The Bible tells us the presence of God would fill this room and from outside the tent, the people could see the cloud of God’s presence. The blood made a covering for the sins of the people.
The top of the ark (mercy seat) was not special in and of itself. It was simply a lid of gold. It had no capacity within itself to make God’s mercy show up. The top of the ark was a seat of mercy because of the blood that was sprinkled upon it. A seat of judgment became a seat of mercy because in God’s eyes the blood provided an atonement (covering) for their sin. The sacrifice of an innocent life made the difference—substituted for the people so they would not have to die for their sins.
This covering was only temporary. The Day of Atonement came every year because “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Years later in the New Testament, Jesus is called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” The sacrifice of His life did more than provide a covering. He is the only One who is innocent because He is the only One without sin. The sacrifice of His innocent life so satisfied God’s wrath towards sin that it completely removed sin as a barrier between us and God. His provision is not temporary, but permanent because it permanently satisfied (propitiated) God’s wrath towards the sin of those who believe.
Mercy can be defined as “not receiving what I deserve.” Grace is the counterpart of mercy and can be defined as “receiving what I don’t deserve.” I deserve the judgment/punishment of God because of my sin. If this punishment is withheld from me, this is mercy:
I have not received what I deserve. At the same time, I don’t deserve (cannot earn) God’s forgiveness of my sin. If the forgiveness I don’t deserve is given to me, this is grace: I have received what I don’t deserve. Mercy comes first; grace follows. God’s punishment is withheld from me (mercy) because the punishment I deserve fell on Jesus. Taking the punishment of death for me, He pays my debt for me. My debt having been paid by Him, I am now released from the penalty of it. The forgiveness I don’t deserve is given to me (grace).Without Jesus Christ there is no mercy because without Jesus Christ the punishment falls on me.
Jesus is our mercy seat because the precious blood of His sinless life so satisfies (propitiates) the wrath of God’s judgment against us that no wrath remains for us. As mentioned in footnote h above, God’s wrath is “always judicial…it is the wrath of the Judge administering justice” against the moral violation of sin. He must punish sin and “our sins have been punished…judgment has been inflicted for our ungodliness—but on Jesus, the lamb of God, standing in our place”. If the wrath of God’s judgment against any one of my sins is not fully quenched (satisfied) by the sacrifice of His life on my behalf, His wrath remains for me; but no wrath remains for me because there is nothing lacking in His payment for me. We are spared from God’s wrath (this is mercy) because our debt is paid in full. His wrath toward our sin abolished, we have His mercy forever. Our debt having been paid, we have His forgiveness forever. The sacrifice of His innocent life has made the difference:
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (mercy seat) for our sins.
He Himself is the propitiation (mercy seat) for our sins.
…Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation (mercy seat) in His blood.
God sits upon a throne of mercy towards those who believe because the mercy seat He provided through His Son has satisfied His wrath forever.