1 Peter 3:18 – “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,”
Have you ever paused to consider what it would mean for an innocent person to willingly take the punishment meant for the guilty? It is not something we easily grasp, because in our world, justice demands that wrongdoers face the consequences of their actions. Yet, this is exactly what Jesus did for us. His life embodied A SELFLESS ACT so profound that it changed the course of history and eternity.
Peter captures this truth beautifully in 1 Peter 3:18:
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
In one verse, the depth of God’s love and the finality of Christ’s sacrifice are made clear. His suffering was once and for all; never to be repeated, never insufficient, always enough. The righteous took the place of the unrighteous so that we could be brought near to God.
THE POWER OF ONE ACT
Think about it: one act of kindness can brighten someone’s entire day. One word of encouragement can lift a weary heart. Now imagine one selfless act that carried the weight of the world’s sin, offering freedom, restoration, and hope to all who receive it. That’s what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
Through His death and resurrection, He exchanged our brokenness for His wholeness, our guilt for His innocence, and our shame for His righteousness. We no longer stand condemned but forgiven. We no longer stand distant but reconciled. What once was impossible (peace with God) was made possible through His sacrifice.
LOVE THAT CANNOT BE MEASURED
God’s love, revealed through Christ, is not ordinary love. It goes beyond affection, beyond kindness, beyond what our minds can fully comprehend. It is love that embraces the undeserving, pursues the wandering, and restores the broken. It is love that does not ask, “What do you deserve?” but instead declares, “Here is what I freely give.”
This is love at its highest and purest form: a love willing to lay down everything for our sake. It’s the kind of love that, once embraced, reshapes how we see ourselves and how we live in relationship with God and with others.
A CALL TO REFLECTION
When we truly grasp the magnitude of this selfless act, it does more than move our hearts: it transforms our lives. It challenges us to redefine love not as something we only receive, but also something we extend. It urges us to ask:
How does Christ’s sacrifice deepen my understanding of love?
In what ways can I allow this love to shape the way I interact with others?
Am I living from a place of gratitude, letting His selfless act influence my daily choices?
So today, pause and let this truth settle deeply: Christ suffered once for all—to bring you to God. Let it remind you that you are loved beyond measure, forgiven beyond doubt, and restored beyond anything you could achieve on your own. May this truth not only comfort you but inspire you to reflect that same love in how you live and love others.
Amen.
HERE ARE SIX KEY TAKEAWAY POINTS FROM ‘ONE SELFLESS ACT’
Christ’s sacrifice was once for all: complete, final, and never to be repeated.
The righteous exchanged His innocence for our guilt, making peace with God possible.
One selfless act carried the weight of the world’s sin and offered us freedom.
God’s love goes beyond human comprehension, embracing the undeserving and restoring the broken.
This sacrificial love transforms how we see ourselves and how we relate to others.
Grasping the depth of Christ’s love calls us to live in gratitude and extend that love daily.
