1 Peter 2:24, Amplified Bible

“He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.”

“No pain, no gain” is a statement that has existed throughout centuries. However, we know the way of the world is different from the Way of God because of the divine nature of God. The world talks about your own effort for your own gain, but God the Father and the Son, in His higher Way, allowed it to become His pain for our gain.

I wonder, as followers of Christ, when we say we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, how much do we truly mean it when it comes to following His commands in order to love Him? Or do we not fully understand what it means in 1 Peter 2:24: “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.”

I do not really think anyone alive today has literally gone through the torture Jesus endured at the hands of the Roman soldiers in the praetorium, carried the wooden cross with a wounded body on the path to Calvary, or been painfully nailed to a cross after living a sinless life. Therefore, the conclusion should be this: whatever Jesus went through, no one could ever compare with Him. Especially when the purpose of His wounds, His pain, and His suffering was to become the atonement offered through a heart full of sacrificial love. The greatness of His love is beyond our comprehension, leaving us with this question: How could we ever deserve an offering that cost Him His life?

Listen, Christians:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NLT)

“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, AMP)

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” (John 10:10, AMP)

This is the Way: through His pain, you gain everlasting and abundant life. I ask you to sincerely examine your heart once again and answer the question Jesus once asked: “Do you love Me? Do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15–17). Then stop doubting His love for you and follow Him wholeheartedly.