“'He himself bore our sins' in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; 'by his wounds you have been healed.'”
After addressing the Christian’s relationship to people in authority, particularly in the face of unjust suffering, Peter beautifully brings his point back to the central message of the gospel.
By Christ’s suffering, our spiritual wounds of sin and death are healed. Faced with unjust treatment, Jesus chose the path of humility, enduring suffering for our sake so that we may escape the penalty for our sins.
The freedom that we gain from Christ’s suffering can be applied to our own trials. When faced with mistreatment, we are naturally inclined to retaliate. But, when we are filled with the Spirit, He frees us from the ways of the world, so that Christ may live in us, and we may follow the example of humility that he set before us.
In doing so, we live for righteousness, relying on the mercy and justice of the cross as Christ’s glory is displayed in us.