²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,  

In Romans 3:24-25, Paul pressed into service the notions of liberation from the law (justification), freedom from the slave market (redemption), and, in this verse, the tabernacle or temple (mercy seat, propitiation) to present a striking picture of our salvation in Christ. God declared us as right as He is right, gave us liberty to relate to Him, and made it known publicly that He was satisfied with our salvation (propitiation).

whom [Christ] God set forth [offered publicly]

“Set forth” carries the idea of presenting or proposing. Literally, it means to place before so as to be manifest. The Father made Jesus’ death public. God hid the Old Testament mercy seat (the place of propitiation) from the public’s view (only the high priest could observe it). In contrast, in the New Testament, He publicly presents Christ’s sacrifice for all to see. God is righteous in all that He does.

PRINCIPLE:

God made it possible for anyone willing to see what He did about our sins.

APPLICATION:

God had a place in the Old Testament where He displayed His mercy (the mercy seat), but now He displays His mercy in a new manner: Christ on the cross, suffering for our sin. Before Christ, God hid the mercy seat in the Holies of Holies, but with Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, He made it public. Contemptuous crowds watched the crucifixion out in the open. 

God made it possible for anyone with positive volition to see what He did for our sins—that is, He sent Jesus to pay for them.