The Foundation of Our Security

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." - 1 Peter 3:18 (NKJV)

Sometimes we can live in a place for so long that we lose our gratitude for where we live. We become so accustomed to our freedoms that we forget what a gift they truly are. The same thing happens with our faith. In the cultural climate we're living in, I've watched Christians who once held their Bibles high now hide them away. We try to shy away from God's truth because certain passages have become uncomfortable or politically incorrect.

But here's the foundation we must never forget: Jesus suffered once for sins. What I mean by "perfect" is that He died on the cross once, but because He was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God—because He is God in the flesh—that one sacrifice would pay for the sins of not just one person, but the whole world. As 1 John 2:2 tells us, "Christ is the propitiation [which means the satisfaction for the wrath of God against sin] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." Sin brings the judgment of God. Christ's sacrifice satisfied that judgment.

When Jesus was on the cross in John 19:30, He said "Tetelestai"—"It is finished." But there's another meaning to this Greek phrase: "Paid in full." While He was on the cross, He paid for the sins of humanity. All of us have sinned; all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. Each one of us needed our sins paid for on the cross, and Jesus did it once for all.

The resurrection of Christ was God's "amen" to what Jesus did on the cross. Through the resurrection mentioned in verse 21, Jesus Christ was proven to be the Son of God.

Why is Peter bringing this up? He's saying, "Look, Jesus Christ paid for your sins." Here's the point: what harm can come to the child of God eternally? If persecution comes into your life, if someone maligns you as a Christian, if someone is disrespectful to your Christian convictions or makes fun of you, can anything really, ultimately happen to harm the child of God? No. Jesus paid for your sins. Your eternal destiny is secured in glory.

Reflection Question: When you face criticism or pressure because of your faith, how does remembering that Jesus has already paid for your sins once for all and secured your eternal destiny change your perspective on what others can actually do to you?

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus suffered once for my sins, the just for the unjust. Help me remember that because He was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, that one sacrifice paid for all my sins. When I face opposition or feel pressure to compromise my faith, remind me that nothing can ultimately harm me eternally because my destiny is secured in glory through what Christ accomplished on the cross. May I never take for granted this perfect salvation. In Jesus' name, amen.

Adapted from "Whose Side Are You On?": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/gz6wj94/18-whose-side-are-you-on-1-peter-3-18-22