Issues From Death

Issues From Death

            He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. (Psalms 68: 20)

            Certain things necessarily ensue upon death; as release from the laws that bound the one who died, release from the relations that were made during this life, release from indebtedness, and so on. In his epistle to the Romans, chapter seven, verses one through four; the Apostle Paul takes the law of marriage to illustrate this principle. The Apostle says “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that k now the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man so long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to anther man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that ye should bring forth fruit unto God.” The husband’s death brought freedom from the law of marriage to his wife, so that through the death of her husband, the wife is freed from the law of marriage. So it is with those who are in Christ; union with Christ in death brings freedom from the law (as a covenant of works) and its curse.

            “Wherefore, my brethren, ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;” This is the result of union with Christ in death. (Romans 6:3, 4) Those who are of the body of Christ, have been in  secret union with Christ from everlasting, (Psalms 90:1) because chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world;(Ephesians 1:4) they are his members, (I Corinthians 12:12,13, 27) who are of his flesh and of his bones,(Ephesians 5:30) who were in him in all his did as surety of the New Testament; (Hebrews 7:22) they have died in Christ; (Galatians 2:20) and therefore are dead to the law by the body of Christ. That is, Christ’s members have (in the divine reckoning and according to the declarations of the sovereign will of God) died in him and with him, because of the eternal union that exists and has existed from everlasting; see the following scriptures: II Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:1-9; Romans 8:28, 29; I Peter 1:2: Jeremiah 1:5.

            Because of this eternal union of Christ with his members (the church); two things become clear: first; that according to reckoning of God and in the justice of God, it is right that the sin of the church should be imputed to Christ the head of the church, for; “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5, 6) Second; it is as well right that; the righteousness of Christ should be imputed to his body the church, (see Romans 4:22-25) and “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” (Romans 10:4). These things are clear because God “hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22, 23) The church is the fullness of Christ mystical, (I Corinthians 12:12; Psalms 139:16; Hebrews 12:22, 23; Revelation 13:8) that are his spiritual members; each member in Christ has his particular position to fill: (I Corinthians 12:27) which God has appointed, and for which the particular member was from eternity designed, and it is Christ that filleth all things in them who are his fullness (I Corinthians 1:30, 31; Ephesians 1:3; II Peter 1:4; John 1:14; Colossians 1:19; 2:9, 10).

It is written “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” (Romans 6:10); “in that he died” Jesus Christ died unto sin (or because of sin) once, but he had no sin of his own, it was sin imputed for which he died, but whose sin was imputed? If Christ died for all men with out exception or distinction then every son of Adam who is currently in hell; is in hell because of sin which has already been punished in Christ; is this divine justice? No; but, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21). Now those who are made the righteousness of God are certainly not in hell; but it is their sin which was imputed to Christ, whose sin Christ put away (Hebrews 9:26) else they could not be made the righteousness of God in Christ. Therefore it is clear that our Lord Jesus Christ died for all those, and only for those, who the Father chose in him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) whom he predestinated to the adoption of children (Ephesians 1:5) whom he justified by his blood (Romans 5:9) in whom they are “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

           

            “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13) “Christ hath redeemed us” who is it that is redeemed? It is us; and who is that us? It is the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, (Hebrews 12:23). It is we, or us, who have obtained like precious faith with the Apostles; we share their same faith, the faith of Jesus Christ. (II Peter 1:1). How have we obtained that faith? It is the gift of God; “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9) Why have we obtained this precious faith? It was given us; not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. (II Timothy 1:9)

A.J. Ison