1 Peter 3:18 Exposition & Application: Christ’s Sacrifice and Your Reconciliation

1 Peter 3:18 declares the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice for sin. "For Christ also suffered once for sins" emphasizes the final and complete atonement, as confirmed in Hebrews 10:10, "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." His substitutionary death, "the just for the unjust," highlights His righteousness bearing the penalty for sinners, as stated in Romans 5:8, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The purpose, "that He might bring us to God," reveals His work of reconciliation, breaking the separation caused by sin, as Isaiah 59:2 declares, "Your iniquities have separated you from your God." His resurrection, "being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit," affirms His victory over death, as Romans 6:9 proclaims, "Death no longer has dominion over Him." This verse calls believers to repent, trust fully in Christ’s finished work, and live in the power of His resurrection.