You Have Been Healed
By Emma Danzey
1 Peter 2:24 says, “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.
He Himself Bore our Sins in His Body on the Tree
When we take a step back and look at an overview of Scripture, we see such detail and thought in the redemptive plan of Christ. God knew that humanity would sin. He instructed Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:17) The serpent then twisted the words of our Creator and tempted the woman and the man who was with her. Unfortunately, both disobeyed and sinned. Humanity was officially separated from their loving God because of their choices.
Fast forward to the time of Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live. He suffered, died, and rose again on the third day. (Luke 24:46-47) Death was defeated, Satan lost, and our Lord won us back to Himself. It is particularly amazing that Jesus’s death was on a tree. In thinking back to Genesis, sin began at a tree, and now, sin would be defeated on a tree. Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all. Anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. This is not just an overview of sin that He bore, but our personal sins. Any evil thought, bad habit, rude words, or sinful attitudes or actions were taken on the cross. We do not need to live in fear of eternal punishment when we have accepted this great gift through Jesus.
That We Might Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness
This is not a one-and-done kind of life. So many people are tempted to make a salvation decision and stop there. However, God has invited us into His kingdom work. He has a particular mission for each of us on this earth to complete. He wants us to know Him through His Word, by His Holy Spirit, and in prayer. We have full access to the Lord of all.
He calls us to die to sin and live righteously. This means each day, when we are tempted to think and act sinfully, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us live by the Spirit and not our flesh. This means that we are continually open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. This means that we are relying on God to help us to navigate hard decisions in representing Him well. The Lord does not require perfection from us because we have already failed, this is why Jesus came. Jesus took our place. God does, however, invite us to live lives that model Christ through the Holy Spirit as a witness to those around us.
By His Wounds You have Been Healed
Ultimately, the worst diagnosis we could get is eternal death and separation from God. Unfortunately, this was everyone's fate. However, by Jesus’ wounds, His death, and resurrection, He has healed and set us free. He is the eternal antidote. He is the Savior of the world. When we are tempted to forget His great sacrifice and gift to us, we can ask Him to remind us what He has already healed us. He has taken away our eternal woe and dread and given us hope and peace of an eternity with Him in Heaven. We can have calmness of mind. We can rest in God alone. Jesus’ sacrifice was once and for all. Hebrews 9:26 says, “Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
Intersecting Faith and Life:?
How does thinking about Jesus’ sacrifice on a tree put you in awe of God’s redemptive plan from the Garden of Eden? In what ways is God calling you to die to your sin and live for Him? How can you celebrate the eternal healing that Jesus has given you by His wounds?
Further Reading:
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