Conformity: God has called us to salvation (2:9; 5:10) with a purpose on earth that we conform to Christ and walk in His footsteps. Christ gave Himself an example for us “to follow in His steps.” This is no vague cliché like WWJD. This is to practice righteousness and mortify sin even in times of suffering and under duress. Suffering can feel like a pressure cooker and sin like the pressure release valve; but Christ never set off that valve. While He suffered, He did not complain. Under pressure, men lie to avoid further pain[1]; Jesus never uttered a lie. When reviled, the knee-jerk reaction may be to retaliate; Christ never responded in kind. When afflicted by those weaker than Him, He did not threaten with the power which He possessed.[2] Instead, Jesus trusted in the Father.[3] He left all matters of justice to God who “judges righteously,” and was “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”[4] Conformity to Christ is our calling. Even in suffering, we practice righteousness.

Redemption: Why did Christ undergo such a travail? To redeem us from our sins: “He bore our sins in His body on the cross.” He propitiated the Father,[5] so that we would die to sin and live to righteousness. Friends, be sure that you have severed your ties to sin and that righteousness is now your life. As those dead to sin and alive to God (Rom. 6:8-11), our purpose as God’s redeemed people is sanctification (“Christ lives in me” [Gal. 2:20]), not lawlessness.[6]

[1] Cf. James 5:12. Cf. also Gen. 18:15; Psalm 15:4; Prov. 30:7-9.

[2] Cf. Matt. 26:53. Cf. also 2 Kings 6:17; Dan. 7:10; 2 Thess. 1:7; Jude 14.

[3] Cf. Psalm 46:1-5; 56:3-4; Isaiah 26:4.

[4] Cf. Phil. 2:8. Cf. also Luke 22:42; John 10:18; 12:27.

[5] Cf. Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10.

[6] Cf. 1 Thess. 4:3. Cf. 1 John 3:4. Cf. also Matt. 7:23; 13:41; Rom. 6:19; Tit. 2:14.