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While the plain fact is that for this boon you can "give" nothing, is it the less desirable because it is
absolutely free?
Scripture is most emphatic in its teaching that death reigns in mankind because of sin. To speak of death as a
part of the evolution of the race is to deny the very basis of the gospel:
"By one man sin entered into the world, and DEATH BY SIN; and so death passed upon all men" (Rom. 5:12).
When Christ therefore would deal with death, He must also deal with that which is the "sting of death", namely,
sin (1 Cor. 15:56).
"That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus
Christ our Lord" (Rom. 5:21).
Seeing that this subject is so near to each one of us, we believe that the reader will welcome a closer survey of
the teaching of Scripture on this point. We have already referred to the Scripture which reveals that Adam as the
head of the human race involved all his posterity in death, let us continue our study, and notice that:
(1)
Christ is placed over against Adam.
"Adam ... who is the figure of Him that was to come" (Rom. 5:14).
"The FIRST MAN Adam became (was made) a living soul. The LAST ADAM became (was made) a life-giving
Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45 R.V.).
"The FIRST MAN is of the earth, earthy: the SECOND MAN is the Lord from heaven" (1 Cor. 15:47).
"Since by MAN came death, by MAN came also the resurrection of the dead" (1 Cor. 15:21).
(2)
Adam sinned; Christ was sinless.
The ANGEL said before His birth: "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God"
(Luke 1:35).
GOD THE FATHER said at the commencement of His ministry: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well
pleased" (Matt. 3:17).
CHRIST Himself said to his enemies: "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" (John 8:46).
PILATE at his trial said: "I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4).
The DYING MALEFACTOR said: "We receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss"
(Luke 23:41).
The ROMAN CENTURION said: "Certainly this was a righteous man" (Luke 23:47).
(3)
Christ therefore must have died for others.
"The good shepherd giveth His life FOR THE SHEEP" (John 10:11).
"The Son of man came ... to give His life a RANSOM FOR MANY" (Matt. 20:28).
"When we were yet without strength ... Christ DIED FOR THE UNGODLY ... God commendeth His love toward us, in
that, while we were yet SINNERS, Christ died FOR US ... When we were ENEMIES, we were reconciled to God by
the death of His Son" (Rom. 5:6-10).
"Christ died for OUR SINS according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3).
"He hath made Him to be sin FOR US, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him"
(2 Cor. 5:21).
"Christ also hath once suffered FOR SINS, the JUST FOR the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Pet. 3:18).
Man is not saved by believing in "substitution" or "identification" or "representation". He is saved alone by
Christ. While it is evident from the above Scriptures that the death of Christ is absolutely essential to salvation, it is
also abundantly clear from Scripture that a DEAD CHRIST CAN SAVE NO MAN. We therefore must pass by the wealth