onewithhim wrote:
Jesus as a human was not included in the group of humans that were "appointed to die." He was perfect and sinless. It was only because of humans' SINS that they are appointed to die. Jesus did not belong in that category.
If he hadn't been murdered at the insistence of the Jewish leaders, he would've never died at all. He wouldn't even have grown old.
So, with that thought, how do you answer my question?
It is appointed to all men to die once:
And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)
For as in Adam all die, . . . (I Corinthians 15:22)
And Jesus was a man:
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)
Jesus Christ was made to be "a little lower than the angels," exactly as man was created!
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? ...For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, (Psalm 8:4-5)
Not only was Jesus appointed to die as all men, the Word was made a man
specifically for the purpose of dying! Death was a requirement!
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)
Without the possibility of dying, He could not have completed His mission.
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The result of His never sinning was not that He could never die His "first death."
The wages of our sins is the everlasting second death!
Jesus does not have to face being cast into the lake of fire and suffer the second and everlasting second death.
Why not? Because He never sinned.
Under the New Testament Covenant the wages of sin is death, Jesus never sinned, thus He is an heir to everlasting life under that covenant. His name is written in the Book of Life as an heir. In fact, He is the only true heir under that covenant.
Had He never died, there would always remain the possibility that He could sin. His first death sealed the deal. That ended His life without sin and His reward is that He is an heir to everlasting spiritual life.
Here is the "legal" justification:
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth (Hebrews 9:15-17)
The inheritance under the new testament becomes the reward earned by Jesus living a sinless life under the old covenant.
Christians become joint-heirs to everlasting life with Christ even though we
sin:
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ ... (Romans 8:16-17)
How can that be?
God allows Jesus to refuse His inheritance and offer it to those who believe in Him as their Savior from the wages of their sins.
Here is the "
legalize" for that:
Romans 5 wrote:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
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So as I stated earlier:
Our salvation is based on Jesus living a sinless life and thus becoming an heir to everlasting spiritual life under the Old Testament Covenant.
Jesus then has something to "barter" with!
He then offers His inheritance of everlasting life to those who accept Him as their Savior.
Thus salvation becomes a gift of God through Jesus Christ.
To be honest, it sounds like at least a bit of a cop-out.
