What is the meaning of 1 Peter 3:18? for Christ also suffered for sins Jesus’ suffering was not random or only exemplary—it was specifically “for sins.” • Isaiah 53:5 reminds us, “He was pierced for our transgressions,” connecting His pain directly to our guilt. • Hebrews 9:26 says He came “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” underlining that His death targets the root problem separating us from God. Because He suffered for sins, your failures are not left to linger; they are dealt with at the cross. once for all • Hebrews 10:10 proclaims, “We have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” No repeated offerings, no unfinished business. • John 19:30 captures Jesus’ own words: “It is finished.” The single, decisive payment means your salvation rests on a completed act, not on an ongoing cycle of human effort. This finality brings rest: you don’t have to wonder if more needs to be done. the righteous for the unrighteous • 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.” The only perfectly righteous One traded places with the unrighteous—us. • Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” emphasizing that His love reached out before we had anything to offer. Because He is righteous, His substitution fully satisfies God’s justice; because we are unrighteous, His grace is breathtakingly undeserved. to bring you to God • John 14:6 records Jesus saying, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” His mission was always relational, opening the way into God’s presence. • Ephesians 2:18 adds, “Through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Access is not a future hope only; it’s a present reality for every believer. Salvation is more than forgiveness; it’s reunion—being welcomed into fellowship with the Father. He was put to death in the body • Acts 2:24 notes, “God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death,” confirming that His physical death was genuine, not an illusion. • Philippians 2:8 describes Him becoming “obedient to death—even death on a cross.” His real, bodily death assures us that the penalty for sin was fully paid in the realm where sin operates: our physical world. but made alive in the Spirit • Romans 8:11 declares, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you… He will also give life to your mortal bodies.” The resurrection power that enlivened Christ now resides in believers. • 1 Corinthians 15:45 calls Jesus the “life-giving spirit,” showing that His resurrection launches a new mode of life, animated and sustained by the Holy Spirit. His vindication by the Spirit guarantees ours, assuring us that death is not the last word. summary Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice addresses sin completely, swaps His righteousness for our unrighteousness, and opens direct access to God. His genuine death settles our debt; His Spirit-powered resurrection secures our future and infuses our present with living hope. |
    |