Chapter Two
WHY CHRIST HAD TO DIE
The love of God has been shown towards man even from the beginning. He created the whole world with all the dry lands, seas, greater light, lesser light and animals etc. But out of all these, it is only man he made in his own image.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:26-28
God made man in his own image and likeness-spirit. In John 4:24 Jesus said ‘God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Now, man is a spirit, he has a soul and lives in a body.
God commanded Adam to eat freely of every tree but not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if he does, he shall surely die (Genesis 2:15-17).
In Genesis 3:1-24, we see how the serpent deceived eve consequently she ate out of the forbidden fruit and gave her husband Adam from it and he also ate. Genesis 3: 7 says their eyes were opened, they knew they were naked then they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron. Physically Adam and Eve did not die but their spirit died, that is their relationship and communication with God was seared; they were disconnected from the ultimate source- God.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they sinned and Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death, thus through the first Adam sin and death came into the world and through the death and resurrection of the last Adam (Jesus Christ) we were made righteous.
5:12 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: 5:13
(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when
there is no law.
5:14 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.
5:15 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.
5:16 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.
5:17 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.) 5:18 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.
5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 5:21 That as sin hath
reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:12-21
When Christ died, we died with; when he was glorified, we were also glorified with him and we shall eventually be with him when he comes back. We were restored back to God, that which the first Adam lost was restored by the last Adam (Jesus Christ).
6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may
abound? 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein?
6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 6:4 Therefore we are
buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life.
6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6:6 Knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live
with him: 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no
more; death hath no more dominion over him.
6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God.
6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should
obey it in the lusts thereof.
6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from
the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under
the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:1-14
Jesus’ death destroyed him that hath the power of death-the devil (Hebrews 2:14).
2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
Through faith in the name of Jesus, every knee (problems, tricks of the devil, challenges etc) must bow (come to naught).