While reading First Peter yesterday, a verse stood out to me that seemed as if Paul's letter to the Romans was somehow embedded in Peter's first letter to the dispersed believers.
The verse that stood out to me contained an aspect of Christ's death on the cross that far too few believers fully comprehend. Here is the verse - I Peter 2:24 "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that WE HAVING DIED TO SINS might LIVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS."
What lept out to me was this: "that WE HAVING DIED TO SINS." Can't you hear Paul's words in Romans 6 - "You therefore RECKON YOURSELVES DEAD UNTO SIN and ALIVE UNTO GOD."
The cross is much more than the atonement for sin through the shedding of blood. Praise our Great High Priest for this precious atoning aspect of shedding His own blood. Yet, a spiritual dynamic of the cross that is far too often missed is "the much more" that goes beyond covering and atoning for sins. What is this "much more" than atonement - nothing short of DEATH TO SIN ITSELF. The death of Christ is not limited to atonement for sins but "THE DEATH HE DIED, HE DIED TO SIN, the LIFE HE LIVES HE LIVES TO GOD."
This is the "conformity unto His death" that BOTH Paul and Peter were seeking to point believers to lay hold of and live in. Peter and Paul both agreed that WE SHOULD BECOME DEAD TO SIN and LIVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Dear saints, God desires much more for us than our recognition of sin, confession of it, and pardon from it. That is all good and necessary; however, there is MUCH MORE. He desires that we should DIE TO SIN and LIVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is the FULL GRACE of the cross - FORGIVENESS and LIBERTY! Not merely a forgiven sinner - much more A NEW CREATION! "Be of sin the DOUBLE CURE, save from wrath and make me pure."
Don't allow the enemey to rob us of the glory of this POTENTIAL freedom from sin. YES it is only POTENTIAL and not automatic, because it can not become REALITY until we BECOME UNITED WITH HIM IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH. This is not an automatic result of initial faith. Paul was still seeking to be FULLY CONFORMED UNTO HIS DEATH many years into his ministry and he exhorted as many who were mature to have the same mind. And yesterday, I realized that Peter saw it the same way. Peter was also pleading - let us all "DIE TO SIN AND LIVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
That's why Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree.
Forgiveness yes, but much more, the grace of LIBERTY from sin through death to it and life unto RIGHTEOUSNESS IN HIM.
OH GLORIOUS FREEDOM! WHAT A GREAT SALVATION! CHRIST HAS SET US FREE FROM SIN SO THAT HIS GRACE CAN REIGN IN US IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Let us then like Peter and Paul resolve to press towards the mark of this high and holy calling. Let us no longer present our members in slavery unto sin to obey its lusts, rather let us present ourselves unto obedience unto righteousness.
We have been set free from sin so that we can serve one another in love.