Well, that’s easy. He died to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. The Bible is clear on that. “Christ died to set (us) free from the penalty of the sins (we) had committed” (Hebrews 9:15) and God gave “his Son as a sacrifice for our sins” (Romans 8:3), “so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life” (John 3:15-16). We affirm this bedrock truth of Christian orthodoxy. 

But the Bible gives an additional justification for Christ’s sacrifice. He died to make us holy. “God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time” (Hebrews 10:10). Again from Hebrews: “Jesus suffered and died…to make his people holy by means of his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12).   

And the words of Christ Himself as He was praying for His disciples (and us) just hours before His crucifixion: “I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth” (John 17:19). Jesus died on the cross not only to save us from sin but also to make us holy. My understanding was incomplete.

This is an excerpt from “Imperfect Holiness: What It Means to Grow in Christlikeness” featured in the October 2024 issue of The War Cry.

More on Holiness

• What Does It Mean to Be Holy?
• When Do I Become Holy?
• Why Did God Create Me? What is His Plan for Me?