Romans 5:10

[cih1355]

Romans 5:10 says, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." According to this verse, we shall be saved by Christ's life. How does His life save us?

 

[Kim G]

I would imagine that one reason is that His life fulfilled all righteousness, something that we could never do. His righteous life has secured the salvation of His people who are unrighteous apart from Him..

 

[Oecolampadius]

I believe this has to do with the covenant of works which is clearly in the context (Read Rom. 5:12-21).
Romans 5:14 says:

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Adam broke the covenant of works and thus, reaping death for all mankind. Now, contrast that to what Christ did:

17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

I read somewhere (can't remember where exactly I read it) that a simple formula for the covenant of works goes like this:

Covenant of works - disobedience - condemnation - death
Covenant of works - obedience - justification - life

The life in the spirit that believers have and the eternal life that has been promised to them has been graciously granted to them by virtue of Christ's fulfilling the requirements of the covenant of works.

 

[larryjf]

The life referred to is the resurrected life of Christ, for it is by both His death and resurrection that we are saved. This is a common theme of Paul's.

[bible]Rom 6:5[/bible]

 

[Idelette]

Our salvation is made possible by both by the propitiation of sin (through the Sacrifice of Christ's death and resurrection) as well as the imputed righteousness of His life and perfect obedience to God's Law. Crediting it to the believer's account.

Taken from Wikipedia:

"Adherents say that God the Father resolves this problem by sending His Son, who is sinless and indestructibly perfect in character, to lead a perfect life and sacrifice himself for the sins of mankind. The sins of the repentant sinner are cast onto Christ, who is a perfect sacrifice.[2] First of all, they note that the New Testament describes the method of man's salvation as the "righteousness of God" (Rom. 3:21, 22; 10:3; Philippians 3:9). They then note that this imputed righteousness is particularly that of the second member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30). When they refer to the "imputed righteousness of Christ," they are referring to His intrinsic character as well as His life of sinlessness and perfect obedience to God's law on this earth, usually called His active obedience. The need for a human life of perfect obedience to God's law was the reason that Christ, who is God, had to become incarnate (take on human flesh) and live as a human being. Paul's statement in Romans 4:6, that God "imputes righteousness apart from works," bolsters the fourth step in the argument that this righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer's account. By this terminology, they mean that God legally credits the believer with the righteous acts that Christ performed while on this earth. Luther uses the language of a "fortunate exchange" to describe this, borrowed from Saint Paul's imagery in Colossians 3. Christ trades his "garments," holiness, righteousness, being blessed by God the Father, in exchange for human sin. This is really Good News for sinners - Christ takes their sin and believers receive His blessed condition and righteousness.
This righteousness of Christ and its relationship to the recipient can also be likened to adoption. Adoption legally constitutes a child the son or daughter of a person that is not that child's birth parent. Similarly, in marriage the married partners are considered one entity legally.[3] When a sinner believes in Christ, he or she is spiritually united with Christ, and that union makes it possible for God to credit believers with the righteousness of Christ without engaging in "legal fiction."[4]

 

[larryjf]

Dealing with the resurrection life of Christ i would also point to...

[bible]1 Cor 15:21[/bible]
[bible]Philippians 3:10-11[/bible]
[bible]1 Pet 1:3[/bible]
[bible]1 Pet 3:21[/bible]

 

[Semper Fidelis]

This is part of vital union with Christ. Those who have Evangelical faith in Christ are united to Him in His death and resurrection and will be raised again in Him.

See Ephesians 1:

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Basically agreeing with Rich,

I think that what Paul has in mind is the necessity of the Resurrection to complete the work of salvation by Christ.

His death was necessary to pay the penalty for sin. The resurrection of that human body was the sine qua non that our life is secure, for He Who Lives will surely give life to our mortal bodies as well. Hence, if his death saves us, how much more then his life?

 

[Whitefield]

I would also add:

Romans 8:34 Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

The living Christ intercedes for us, even now.

 

[Iconoclast]

Romans 5:10 says, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." According to this verse, we shall be saved by Christ's life. How does His life save us?

What exciting verses are posted in this thread! David Silversides recently preached a sermon with the title - Jesus is the answer.
As death could not hold Him,Psalm16 by virtue of our saving Union with Him, death will , or cannot hold us any longer.

14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We are saved by His life;
from sins dominion,[ the reigning power of sin] and penalty,[second death]
This is true for everyone who has new birth.2cor 5;17

 

[ExGentibus]

I would have thought that life was Jesus' earthly life and perfect obedience, but after reading all those verses I now understand it as referring to His resurrected Life, especially because in Romans 5.10 it comes after we have been reconciled.
Thank you all for posting all those wonderful verses!