ByIn the past two releases of Study Scripture articles, if you’ve followed ardently, I’ve been talking about enduring suffering for the cause of the gospel. Well, today’s Word is a reference to our suffering and probably an encouraging message to you and me. That is, our author and finisher of our faith, Christ, also suffered for sins. So even though we suffer for righteousness’ sake, Christ suffered and paid the price of the righteousness we are in Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Verse 18
[18] “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)
Beloved Christian, the Jesus you and I are following, suffered once for sins. And that suffering covered all humanity – the just and unjust. But why that suffering? That He might bring us to God. In other words, we are close to God today because Jesus chose to suffer, pay for the debt of sin and remove the partition which stood between us and God (see Isaiah 59:2). That is why no matter how bad your life is at the moment, you can come to Jesus; He will receive you, shape you and transform you.
Sacrifice for generations ahead
Jesus was put to death in the flesh (bodily). But like how the seed in the soil must die before it can produce a new plant, Jesus was made alive in the Spirit when He died for you and me. And in the same way, today’s hard sacrifices will pay off heavily for future generations if you don’t give up on your calling.
Today’s hard sacrifices will pay off heavily for future generations if you don’t give up on your calling.
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Verse 19
[19] “by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,”
1 Peter 3:19 (NKJV)
Some people question what Jesus did when He died for three days and nights. Well, this scripture answers such a question. Jesus didn’t rest in the Spirit realm when He went there as a seed planted there. He preached to those imprisoned spirits. You might ask what made those spirits imprisoned? Hebrews 2:14-15 (NKJV) says,
[14] “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, [15] and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
So from the verses above, particularly verse 15, Jesus preached to and released the spirits who were imprisoned by the spirit of fear of death. Today, this Jesus has already done that and won’t do it again. He allowed those spirits to receive and believe in the gospel. Therefore, when He comes again today, He can judge even those spirits and we humans also, by this same gospel. Why? Because we have all heard the gospel. If you’re receiving the gospel today and still have a hardened heart, I want to remind you that your time is limited. Dying in sin is the end, and you’ll go to hell if you don’t get saved.
Verse 20
“who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” – 1 Peter 3:20 (NKJV)
Now, verse 20 really explains the origin of those spirits Jesus preached unto. They were not only the Israelites in the Old Testament who disobeyed the law. Instead, they dated as far as those who drowned in God’s heavy downpour during Noah’s time. That means no human being is excluded from being judged by the same gospel you’ve received. They had their opportunity. Now it’s your turn. Surrender to Jesus today!
