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Bro. Turner:
 What
is meant by Rom. 5:10, “saved by His life? Does this refer to
the perfect life of Christ imputed to us?
Reply:
Note
the parallel in several verses in context: “Who was delivered
for our offences, and was raised a-gain for our justification.”
(4:25) being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him.” (4:9) “. . .we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son. . . we shall be saved by his life.”
The
“life” under consideration is that of the resurrected
Lord, not of his life before death. Reference is to the fact
that “he ever liveth to make intercession” for us (Heb.
7:25); and that he entered into heaven “now to appear in the
presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24). He was “once offered to
bear the sins of many;” (death on the cross), and “he shall
appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb.
9:28). The scriptures are filled with references to these two
categories: that accomplished in his death, and that being done
as our resurrected Savior.
The
perfect life of Christ was of course important (He could not
other-wise have been the perfect sacrifice) but the “imputation”
of that life to us is a fanciful theory, unsubstantiated by
scriptures. The scriptures usually cited for it (Rom. 4; 2 Cor.
5:21) must be interpreted with much imagination to satisfy the
theory. “Impute” means “reckon, take into account, or put
to
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one’s account.” (See lexicon, Vine, etc.)
It is our faith which is “put to our account for
righteousness” instead of Christ’s perfect life. To be sure,
it is faith, trust, in Jesus Christ (the perfect offering,
through whom we have forgiveness, etc.), but the “imputed life”
is pure fancy.
As
Christ died once, then “liveth unto God,” so also we (our
old man) must die “with Him” and be “alive unto God
through Jesus Christ” (Rom. 6:) Thus we are “the
righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
While
I am on the subject — some have made the “body prepared”
(Heb. 10) Christ’s body, prepared to live that perfect life
for us. Context makes it a “body” prepared for sacrifice.
The chapter begins by declaring that the blood of animals can
not take away sin, v. 4. When v.5, says “Sacrifice and
offering thou wouldest not” it obviously refers to the animal
sacrifices of the old covenant; “which are offered by the law,”
(v. 8b). It is true that Christ came to “do thy will O God”
— perfectly keeping the Law — and that the first (will) was
taken away (the system of law, with its curse) so that the
second (justification through faith in Christ) might be
established. But our sanctification is “through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ” (v. 10), in order to the forgiveness
of sins (read carefully, v. 10-18). — I once heard a preacher
expound (via circles on board, etc.) the “imputation of Christ’s
perfect life to us” — and afterwards I asked him to please
send me a list of scriptures he thought taught this. No
reply!!!!! Well, the request is open to others.
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