Healed

I Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”

For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, we know that the greatest expression of His grace to us was His death on the cross.

The sinless One took our sin on Himself, so we would not have to!

But look again at this amazing verse. Notice how the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to describe the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice and our salvation: “that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” Now, friends, that means more than “if you trust Jesus, you’re going to go to heaven.” There is a tremendous purpose here for the present, not just the future. Jesus paid that price, not only that our sin could be forgiven, but so that our desire for sin would die also. We are “crucified with Christ” so that our desires would not control us, but that “Christ would live in us” (Galatians 2:20). We are to “live to righteousness,” that is, live with righteousness as our goal. There was our old way of life, but now there is a new way of life (II Corinthians 5:17). The new way is according to the principles of Scripture (John 14:21), empowered by the grace of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16). More than anything else, I am looking forward to the day when Christ delivers me into His presence for eternity. Until then, however, He has saved me to live for Him (Philippians 1:21).

-Pastor Mike