Churchwork
06-24-2006, 02:18 PM
The way you obtain the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus is the way to enter into co-death with Him. By faith and not by work, you receive the consequence of His substitutionary death—which is to say, you are free from eternal punishment. And likewise, by faith you may gain the consequence of co-death with Christ—which is to say, deliverance from the sin factor. That Christ died for you is a fact; so is your death with Christ a fact. If you were never to believe in Christ’s dying for you, you would never receive the salvation flowing from substitution in it saving you from punishment. And in like manner also, if you were never to believe in the fact of your dying with Christ, you would never have the salvation flowing from co-death in it delivering you from sin. All who believe in the substitutionary death of Christ are saved; and all who believe in their co-death with Christ do overcome. Hence, in order to receive the benefit of Christ’s death, be it substitutionary or representative, we have to believe. To believe is what God requires of us. First, believe in Christ’s substitutionary death, and then, believe in co-death with Christ.