Rock of Ages is one of those older hymns of the Christian faith that one rarely hears anymore, even in churches that are more traditional in their approach to worship. It was written by Augustus Toplady who died in 1776. I’ve always been fascinated by the lyrics in the first verse.
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.”
It’s those last two lines that I have in mind: “Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.”
Toplady is obviously trying to tell us that in his view sin has caused us two massive problems, both of which are overcome by the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. We need, says Toplady, a double cure from the debilitating and destructive power of sin. First, we need to be saved from divine wrath: “Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.”
In other words, sin has exposed us to divine wrath. We have violated, in thought, word, and deed, the will of God. We are alienated from our Creator. We have incurred the penalty for breaking the law of God, namely, suffering the wrath of God. The appeal in the hymn is for the blood of Christ to save us from divine wrath and judgment.
But then Toplady makes a second appeal. “Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.” It isn’t enough to be delivered from the penalty of sin. We must also be set free from the power of sin. We need the redemptive work of Christ, through the Spirit, to be applied to us in such a way that we find strength and power to overcome the presence of sin and to resist temptation and to grow in likeness and conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.
Both of these dimensions of the work of Christ on the cross are in view here in 1 Peter 2:24-25. When Peter says that Jesus “bore our sins in his body on the tree,” he has in view the fact that Jesus was regarded by God the Father as guilty of every sin you’ve ever committed. Jesus was reckoned as the one who deserved the punishment that should have fallen on you and me. But by God’s grace it fell, instead, on him. By enduring the wrath of God in our place, as our substitute, we have been saved from divine wrath, just as Toplady described it in his hymn. Those who believe in Jesus Christ will never suffer the wrath of God for one reason and for one reason only: it is because Jesus has suffered and satisfied the wrath of God in our place.
But Peter doesn’t stop there. He goes on to speak of a second result of the death of Christ: it was to make it possible that we might “die to sin and live to righteousness.” In other words, Christ’s death and resurrection were designed to make available to us, through the Holy Spirit, the power to resist sin, to say No to temptation, to live free from its power and dominion, and to walk in righteousness and holiness of life.
Be of sin the double cure: Yes, by all means, save me from wrath. But also, by all means, please, make me pure.
Now here’s the problem. There are many who believe that if by Christ’s death we are forever set free from the wrath and judgment of God, we will take advantage of that fact and live however we please. We will immerse ourselves in every kind of evil and sinful self indulgence. After all, if I can never endure God’s wrath because Christ has endured it in my place, what difference does it make how I live? Why should I bother worrying about temptation? Who cares if I watch pornography or commit fornication or become addicted to alcohol or cheat on my wife or steal or gossip or lie or allow my life to be conformed to what the world says is the way to live?
Peter’s perspective is utterly opposite to this. He couldn’t be any more explicit than he is: Christ died for you and bore the punishment you deserved and endured God’s wrath for sin precisely so that you might find the strength and motivation and incentive for saying No to sin in your daily life and Yes to righteousness and purity and godliness.
In fact, Peter says it three times in this paragraph.
He first said back in v. 21 – “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” One of the primary goals in his death for us was to enable us to live like him. He walked a certain path. He has left behind for us, spiritual and moral footprints. “Walk in them,” says God. “Live like Jesus.” And of course, one of the ways in which we do that is by not retaliating against those who treat us unfairly or persecute us unjustly.
He says it a second time in v. 24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” Another of the primary goals in his death for us was to make it possible for us to be as dead people when it comes to sin. Here’s the analogy he has in view. With regard to sin and temptation, think of yourself as a corpse. You are utterly dead and lifeless and incapable of responding and insensitive to every attempt by sin to get the consent of your will. Temptation walks up to you and says, “Hey, have I got a deal for you.” But there is no response. You can’t hear it speak. You can’t watch it as it approaches. You can’t smell it. You can’t touch it. You can’t think about it. You can’t taste it. Why? Because you’re dead to it. You have no capacity to respond to it.
Now, that’s the ideal. Unfortunately, we are all too much alive to sin and temptation. But the aim of our growth as Christian men and women is to become increasingly insensitive to sin and temptation; to become increasingly unresponsive to it. We’ll never be totally dead to sin until we are fully alive in heaven. But that’s the goal toward which we are striving.
Once again, Peter’s point here is that Christ died for you and bore the punishment you deserved and endured God’s wrath for sin precisely so that you might find the strength and motivation and incentive for saying No to sin in your daily life and Yes to righteousness and purity and godliness.
We’ve seen him say this twice already, and now in vv. 24b-25 he says it a third time: “By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” Here in vv. 24-25 Peter is very clearly alluding to Isaiah 53:4-5. There the prophet declared:
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”
In order to understand what Peter had in mind in quoting this OT passage, I need to address a very controversial question: Is there healing in the atonement?
Some believe that just as God the Father made Jesus to be “sin” for us on the cross he also made him to be “sick” for us on the cross. Gloria Copeland once wrote: “Jesus bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases at the same time and in the same manner (emphasis mine) that He bore your sins.”
Colin Urquhart concurs:
"When Jesus stood bearing the lashes from the Roman soldiers, all our physical pain and sicknesses were being heaped upon him. . . It is as if one lash was for cancer, another for bone disease, another for heart disease, and so on. Everything that causes physical pain was laid on Jesus as the nails were driven into His hands and feet."
What is being said is that Christ bore our sicknesses in the very same way that He bore our sins. Gordon writes that “Christ endured vicariously our diseases as well as our iniquities.”
We know what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God “made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf." He was declaring that the guilt of our sins was imputed to Christ and that it was because of that guilt that he was punished in our place. But what can it possibly mean to say God made him “to be sick” on our behalf?
There is no guilt in disease or sickness. Having diabetes or a head cold is not sinful. The Bible tells us to pray “forgive us our trespasses” and urges us “to confess our sins,” but nowhere does it say that we should pray “forgive us our arthritis” or “Lord, I confess that I have the flu.” Sickness is not sin. The Bible never issues the command, “Thou shalt not commit cancer,” or “Flee the flu.” Nevertheless, many insist that Jesus “bore the penalty for our sins and sicknesses." But if sickness is not a sin, how can it incur a penalty?
Of course, ultimately all sickness is a result of sin, but only in the sense that Adam’s fall introduced corruption and death into the human race. But that does not mean that every time we get sick it is because of some specific sin we have committed. It does mean that had Adam not sinned, there would be no sickness. Sickness is the effect of sin (just like tornadoes, weeds, and sadness). But that is altogether different from saying that sickness is sin. We do not repent for having kidney stones, nor do we come under conviction for catching the measles. I didn’t rebuke my older daughter for coming down with the chicken pox, and I certainly didn’t ask my younger daughter to ask for forgiveness when she caught it from her older sister.
Jesus was not punished for our diseases. Rather, he endured the wrath of God that was provoked by our willful disobedience of the truth.
So what does it mean in Isaiah 53 and in 1 Peter 2 when it says that he bore our sicknesses and carried our pains and that by his stripes or wounds we are healed?
As I’ve already said, Christ “bore our sins” in the sense that he bore the wrath of God of which our sins were the cause.
In the case of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 we are being told that he carried our pains, not in the sense of personally experiencing stomach viruses and ulcers and earaches and gallstones as he hung on Calvary’s tree, but by enduring the wrath of God against that willful human wickedness which is ultimately the reason there are such things as pain and infirmity. By his death at his first coming he has laid the foundation for the ultimate over-throw and annihilation of all physical disease, which will occur with the resurrection of the body at his second coming. Thus it is theologically misleading to say that Jesus bore our sicknesses in the same way he bore our sins. Rather he paid the price of our sins in order that one day, when he returns to glorify his people, he may wholly do away with all of our sicknesses.
May we conclude that there is healing in the atonement? Of course! Were it not for Jesus making atonement for sin, we would have no hope of healing in any form, either now or later. The redemptive suffering of Jesus at Calvary is the foundation and source of every blessing, whether spiritual or physical.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that there is healing through the atonement rather than in the atonement, insofar as the atoning death of Jesus is the basis for God healing us. In this way we avoid suggesting that because of Jesus' death we are guaranteed healing in this life.
To ask, “Is there healing in the atonement?” is like asking, “Is there forgiveness of sins in the atonement?” or, “Is there fellowship with God in the atonement?” There is even a sense in which we may say that the Holy Spirit is in the atonement! We are told in John 14:16-17,26; 15:26; and especially 16:7-15, that the Holy Spirit’s present ministry is a result of the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus.
Everything we receive from God finds its ultimate source in what Christ did for us on the cross. Therefore, the question is not whether our bodies receive healing because of the atonement of Christ, but when. We are forgiven of our sins now because of Christ’s atoning death, but we await the consummation of our deliverance from the presence of sin when Christ returns. We experience fellowship with God now because of Christ’s atoning death, but we await the consummation of that blessed relationship when Christ returns. We profit immensely now from the Spirit’s work in our hearts, but who would dare suggest that what the Holy Spirit is doing in this age is all that he will ever do? There is a glorious harvest reserved in heaven for us of which the present ministry of the Holy Spirit is merely the first fruits!
In other words, it is a serious mistake for us to think that every blessing Christ secured through his redemptive suffering will be ours now in its consummate form. All such blessings shall indeed be ours, let there be no mistake about that. But let us not expect, far less demand, that we now experience fully those blessings which God has clearly reserved for heaven in the age to come.
Life for the believer in this present age is a life of tension between the already and the not yet. We already have so very, very much. But we have not yet experienced it all. There is much yet to come. One of the “not yets” in Christian experience is the complete redemption and glorification of the body (see Phil. 3:20-21). Yes, we believe God heals today and that any healing that occurs is because of what Christ has accomplished in his death and resurrection, and yes, we will pray fervently for healing of the body in the present. But that doesn’t mean that because of what Christ accomplished then that we will always experience complete healing now.
We must also remember that frequently in Scripture the sinful condition of the soul is portrayed as analogous to a body suffering from various wounds. Forgiveness and restoration are therefore described in terms of a bodily healing. By his atoning death the great Physician has truly “healed” our hearts. We were continually straying like sheep, but by the redemptive grace of Jesus we have been enabled to return to the shepherd and guardian of our souls (1 Pet. 2:25). Thus the context of 1 Peter 2:24 clearly tells us that it is primarily spiritual healing from the disease of sin, not physical restoration of the body, that the apostle has in mind.
The sickness was that of having strayed from God. The disease was that of having departed from him. The healing provided by Christ, therefore, is bringing us back to God and restoring our relationship with him.
This is clearly the case in our passage when we take note of the word “for” with which v. 25 begins. The word “for” or “because” indicates that the “healing” in v. 24 is from the punishment we deserved for the wandering in v. 25.
I want to make this point with unmistakable clarity because I believe that is what Peter has in mind. His point is that the work of Christ on the cross that delivers or cures us from divine wrath is the foundation for our experiencing freedom from the power of sin in our lives. It is only as we think about and reflect and meditate on the glorious fact that because of his death we will never, ever be condemned that we will find the power and incentive and desire to live as if I were dead to sin and temptation.
Let me drive this home by drawing your attention to how Paul put it in Romans 8:1. Hear me well: you will never “walk in the steps of Jesus” or “die to sin and live to righteousness” or return to the Shepherd and Overseer of your soul until you come to grips with the fact that because of what Jesus has done on the cross there is therefore now no condemnation for you!
What you read here in Romans 8:1 is the result of one thing and one thing only. It is the result of Jesus bearing our sins in his body on the cross.
Paul emphasizes three things: (1) the nature of the gift; (2) who enjoys it; (3) when is it ours?
(1) The nature of the gift – “No condemnation!” None! Not any at all! Ever! The word “condemnation” has a dark and ominous sound to it. It’s hard to imagine a more sinister, depressing, hope-killing word than “condemnation.” We hear it used often.
We read of someone “under sentence of condemnation” for some heinous crime committed.
The President “condemns” the terrorist activity of 9/11.
A dilapidated building is “condemned” by the city and consigned to ultimate destruction.
No less foreboding is the use of the word in Scripture where it refers to the liability or exposure of sinners to the penal sanctions of divine law; vulnerability to divine wrath, etc. It is the opposite of justification. If to be justified is to stand boldly before God because righteous in his sight, to be condemned is to cower with fear because unrighteous and worthy of death.
When we think of that word and all it entails: the loss of hope, fear of the future, uncertainty of today, shattered dreams, painful separation, etc., Paul’s declaration suddenly begins to echo and reverberate in our hearts with a power and force that makes it feel as if we are going to explode with joy, exuberance, gratitude.
If you are in Christ Jesus, there is no valid reason why you should ever again experience fear or apprehension about your relationship with God or your eternal destiny. That doesn't mean you won't experience such fear. It just means there’s no condemnation if you do! It means there is no valid reason why you should experience fear
Address the charge that this leads to sinful license . . . Romans 5-6. Do you use this truth as an excuse to defect to the other side? Do you use it to rationalize sin? Or does it create such joy and release in your soul that your only thoughts are of how you can enjoy this God who has made it possible, how you can honor him for what he has done, how you can tell others of so great a salvation?
Living under condemnation actually strengthens and solidifies sin in your life. How? The pressure of condemnation, the feeling of shame, the fear of judgment, eventually become unbearable. You need relief. You are driven to self-pity and eventually to self-indulgence. We despair of ever being free, of ever feeling good about ourselves. Sinning then becomes even more attractive: an outlet, an appealing escape, a way of easing the pressure of bringing some measure of feeling alive and valuable.
No condemnation, not even in the midst of those experiences and trials that tempt you to believe that God is far removed, unconcerned, or angry:
- Physical pain, suffering
- Relational breakdown
- Marital difficulties
- Depression
- Children’s rebellion
- Business failure
- Rejection by peers
- Poor self-image
Also, note that Paul doesn’t say there is no conviction, no complaints by ourselves or others, no spiritual disciplines to pursue.
Why is this declaration by Paul so important? Three reasons: (1) Nothing paralyzes as powerfully as guilt/shame. Financial worries, family struggles, physical pain, etc. are hindrances and create pressure in life. But nothing makes life look like it’s not worth getting up for like guilt/shame/condemnation. (2) Because the only sin we can defeat is a sin that has been forgiven. There are natural ways of overcoming bad habits: therapy, formulas, will-power, etc. But they invariably produce self-righteousness, not God’s righteousness. (3) When you feel beautiful before God, you feel powerful before sin.
Forgiveness of sin, the removal of guilt, with the consequent declaration: no condemnation, must precede our battle against sin if it is to empower our battle against sin. God’s declaration of No Condemnation must precede and enable and energize our transformation into righteousness loving, Christ exalting people. The divine declaration must come before the human transformation. Being right with God must precede doing right for God.
(2) Who enjoys it - But note well: Paul does not say Christians are free from condemnation because they are sinless but because they are in Christ. No Condemnation is not a universal blessing. It is reserved for those who are in Christ through faith. We must be careful to resist the temptation of false sentimentality that beckons us to give false assurance to a non-Christian simply because they are “sincere,” “nice,” “religious,” “believe in God,” etc.
(3) When is it true? – Now! Not when we get older. Not when we get more mature. Not when we overcome all sinful habits. Not when we get past being hurt by others. Not when all our bills are paid. Not when we get a new job. Not when we learn more of the Bible. Not when people start treating us nicely and with respect. Not when we get the praise and public adulation we think we deserve. Not when our enemies stop persecuting us. Not when the wrongs against us have been put right. Not when we’ve been vindicated. Not when we stop making fools of ourselves in public. Now!
Question: We have no condemnation. But is it ok to enjoy it? To relish it? To delight in it? See Psalm 32:1; 103:1-3,10-12.
Conclusion:
And the most glorious news of all this is that by suffering for us and by bearing our sins in his body and by enduring our wounds or stripes God has made it possible for us to return to the “Shepherd” and “Overseer” of our souls (v. 25b)!
How can you read this in 1 Peter and not think of Psalm 23? “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
There are countless descriptions of God in the Psalms: he is a King who rules over us, a rock of immovable stability, a deliverer in times of distress, a fortress in whom we find refuge, a shield behind whom we safely retreat. But there’s something special about his being a shepherd. There’s a dimension of personal tenderness and intimacy in the image of God as the one who shepherds his lambs. David well remembers the attentive watch and protective love he had for his sheep. “Yes,” he may well have cried out in a moment of revelatory insight; “that’s what God is to me and you!”
He’s MY shepherd! If he be a shepherd to no one else or to everyone else, he is at least my shepherd. He cares for me, watches over me, provides for and protects me, all the while doing it for his name’s sake (which is why it’s truly an act of love; see the previous meditation).
What inference does David draw from this marvelous truth? The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I can do anything I want! No. The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I can wander off whenever I choose, disregarding his commandment that I stay close by his side! No.
The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I lack nothing! There is nothing I need, says David, that God has not or will not supply. I am altogether satisfied with God’s management of my life. David isn’t being insensitive to the pressing demands of life, as if it is unimportant whether or not we have money to pay our bills and adequate clothing and a roof over our heads. His point is simply that everything we have above and beyond God is a luxury.
David’s point is simply this: “Take everything from me except my God and I’ll die the wealthiest man in the world” (cf. Psalm 16:2).
As Shepherd he will guide you no matter the circumstances, when options have run out, when the world threatens you with destruction, when friends run out of good ideas, when you are left wondering where next to turn . . . He is your Shepherd.
As Overseer he will provide you with moral authority in a relativistic age, answers for your questions, satisfaction for your soul, provision for your spiritual health, and protection against wolves and deceivers and Satan himself.