“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24 ESV).
Peter wrote to believers facing suffering, reminding them that Christ’s own suffering on the cross secured both their salvation and the power to live faithfully. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree, offering Himself on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice that fully satisfied the penalty of sin. The purpose of His death was transformational: that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Through union with Christ, believers share in His death to sin and His resurrection life, breaking sin’s dominion and enabling obedience. Salvation, Peter emphasizes, is not only a positional reality—we are already declared righteous before God—but also a present experience, shaping our character and daily choices.
Because Christ bore our sins, we are called to live in the reality of His death and resurrection. As Paul reminds us, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). Already perfected in Christ, we stand righteous before God; yet we are still being sanctified as we yield to His ongoing work within us. Reckoning ourselves dead to sin, we no longer allow it to have dominion over our thoughts, words, or actions. We rely on the Spirit to empower us, turning from temptation and pursuing righteousness not to earn God’s favor, but because His work in us has already made it possible. Each moment offers the opportunity to live in alignment with Christ’s finished work and ongoing presence, allowing our lives to reflect His holiness and love. In this union with Christ, we experience both the assurance of what has been accomplished and the ongoing transformation that shapes who we are becoming. For we are being conformed to the image of Christ!
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that Christ bore our sins on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Help us to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to You, submitting each day to Your Spirit’s transforming work. Strengthen us to live in the new life You have given us, reflecting Christ’s righteousness in all we do. In Jesus’ name, amen.