He Bled for Us

He Bled For Us 

1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:20-25 "For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 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. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."

A lovely section of scripture is 1 Peter 2.  What is the context of verse 24? "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"  Well, who was the letter written to? It was not written to everybody in the world.  According to chapter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."  This letter was written to the elect, those set apart by the Holy Spirit unto obedience, for those who are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, that's who this letter is for.  It is addressed to believers, those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ.  If you are not saved, this letter is not for you, and the blessings of this letter are not for you.  But if  you are saved, redeemed by the blood of Jesus than these promises are for you.

In Chapter 2 Christians are told to be good in their life, (V1) be hungry for spiritual food (V2-3)  because you are God's spiritual house (V5-8) you are priests (V9)you are to be  holy (V11-16) be respectful (V17-18) patient in suffering (V19-21) and Christ is your example (V22-25)  Addressed to Christians, to the saved, to the born again blood-bought obedient believer.
V24 "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." This verse contains gospel truths, contains the good news of the gospel, and what happened on the cross of Christ.  Here is salvation in a person.

 

The Who of Salvation:   His own self, the very same, Jesus Christ.  His own self the very one who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.  The very sinless son of God, the second person in the trinity. Not what saved, but who saved.  Who his own self.

The What of Salvation:  What did he do? What did he do to bring salvation to us.  On that day 2000 odd years ago when they nailed him to a piece of wood with great spikes of iron, when they spat upon his face, when darkness covered the land, when he cried "Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani" (My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?) that is the only time when Jesus calls his Father God.. Why?  What was happening?  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.. that's the what of salvation, he bare, he bore,  its a past completed finished action.  He in the past, once for all, and now complete, actively bare our sin.  He carried or endured our sin in his own body on the tree.  When it says his body it did not exclude his soul  Isaiah 53:10-11 "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."   He his own self in his purity and all his divinity carried our own sins in his body.  2 Corin 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  He in our place believers, substituted himself for you and me.  He was punished by God the Father for our sin.  The wages of sin is death.

Why did he do that for you and me:  That you, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness.  That is why.  Why did he save us? The power of sin in the believer's life is broken that we should live righteously.  Practical holiness of life.  Christ died so that we who are made dead to sin should live righteous lives.  That is the why of salvation.  Without a holy life anyone's profession of being a Christian is very dubious.  That is the why of salvation.  That is why Christ suffered for his people.  Those who are dominated by sin have no proof that they are saved.  There are many people who are professed Christians that are not truly saved.  The whole new testament says that.  But Christians, the elect, are dead to sin and they live unto righteousness.
Romans 6:1-2 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.  How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein."  Romans 6:6-8, 11-12,14,18 "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin...Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Let not sin therefore reign inyour mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof...For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace....Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

How can this be?  how can a sinner be released from Satan's power.  How can a sinner live a righteousness life?  By his stripes you were healed..  once for all you were healed.  The word stripes is a word that is used for a servant that is being beaten by his cruel master.  Wounds, welts, the stripes and welts of sin upon our soul, Jesus took them so that you and I can be healed by his stripes.  Christian, you have been healed.  You had no part, you were passive not active.. Christ actively did it, you were passively healed, he did it, not you.  You have been healed of those deep wounds of sin by his wounds because he took the punishment for you and for me.

That is the gospel.  We must preach and listen to the gospel but do you know the gospel? is the gospel in you? are you saved? did Jesus die for you?  V24  "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." who is the our?  who is the we? who is the you? "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed".  Is that everybody in the whole world?  is that the our? is it? whose sins are born away?  who is dead to sin and lives to righteousness?  everybody? who is healed by Jesus wounds?  it is not everybody according to the bible.  1 Peter 1:1-2 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Sporit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied"   It is the elect, the sanctified, the redeemed.  1:13-23 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."   2:1-8  "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be counfounded.  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed."

These passages apply to the spiritually hungry, the people who believe and to whom Christ is precious.   The "our, you,we" is not the "them".  the "our,you,we" are true believers, those that are born again.  1 Peter 2:24  "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."   It's not everybody that is saved. Do you know that this applies to you?  It's believers that are healed, it's believers of whom it says  he bore our sin in his own body.  He made atonement, whatever is atoned for God cannot exact the same price twice.  Do you know if this verse applies to you and comforts you?  I trust you do.  It applies to those who repented of their sin and trusted Jesus as their saviour that have been called out of darkness into light.   

To know that Verse 24 applies to you, you need to do what V25 says "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd...of your souls."   We were all like sheep that went astray but we returned to the Shepherd..  have you returned to the Shepherd? the overseer of your soul. 
                                        _____________________

The above notes were taken by myself from the sermon by Paul Dowling of Whiteabbey Congregational  (Reformed) at Sermon Audio.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=322081959552