





“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” ~ 1 Peter 2:24

This verse makes the crucial point that salvation is not an end in itself. That is, the point of salvation is not just that we are saved. Rather, the point of salvation is that we should “live unto righteousness”.

When Jesus bore our sins on The Cross, He was making a way for us to LIVE (walk) in a right relationship with God our Father. Jesus didn’t die just to give us ‘safety’ for the future. Jesus died to died to give us life in the now.

Let us note also that the verse does NOT say ‘exist in’ righteousness. Hence, to “live unto righteousness” requires deliberation; it requires effort; it is expressed in our choices; it means seeking out THE better way; it is more than a state of being; it is action.

Therefore, Salvation is so much more than a “get out of hell free card”. Salvation is so much more than “fire insurance”. Salvation is EMPOWERMENT!!!

Lastly, our text makes a curious link between salvation and “health”. Note the use of the colon after righteousness. The last clause (“by whose stripes ye were healed”) is, therefore, an explanation of the preceding statement.

In other words, the healing Scripture talks about is the healing that comes from righteousness. Before salvation we are broken, diseased, sin-sick. We were so debilitated by sin that it was impossible to serve God. Salvation heals our sin-sickness: it makes us whole, so that we can “live unto righteousness”.

Therefore, the great message of Salvation is the call to healing/wholeness, not of body but of spirit. Give your lives to Jesus, He wants to heal your broken spirit, He wants to make you whole, SO that you can serve God, so that you can “live unto righteousness”. Hallelujah!!!