IF Christ " died for all " (2 Cor. 5:1414For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14)) it was because " all had died," otherwise there would have been no need of doing so. I need not go down into a pit where one will perish, if he is not in the pit. That it is not " all have died," i.e., to sin, I think evident from the correspondency of all in the sentence, and further that there those who live are taken as some out of that " all " in what follows. He died for all " that they which live " (hoi zontes, the living; not zontes, living). Hence he does not know even Christ after the flesh, as a living Jewish Messiah, whom as a Jew he would have known. God was in Christ reconciling the world. Nor does he know Christians-" So that we henceforth know no one according to flesh "; " so that if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation "-as belonging to the old creation to which they had died; nor others, for they were dead-their whole history. But if a man was in Christ it was a new creation; he belonged to that in which all things were of God. The whole subject is the promise of life in Christ as triumphant over death. Hence when he applies it, he does not say merely " who died for them," as when he speaks of all, but " who rose again," through the power and fullness of a new thing, for those taken out of death through Christ's going down into it. There was neither Jew, Gentile, sin, flesh, nor anything of the old Adam, or legal estate, but a new creation.
We have man looked at in two points of view in Scripture- alive in the old Adam, as fully in Romans, and referred to in Colossians as past, and as spiritually dead towards God (where, note, death has nothing to do with conscious existence-it is as real when we are alive as when we are dead). In the former case we have died in Christ, reckon ourselves dead, have been crucified with Him. So Romans, Colossians, Galatians and in Ephesians even, " the truth as it is in Jesus " is the having put off the old man. But then the word of God goes further as to this. It treats men as spiritually dead, and their whole existence before God rests on an entirely new life. As above, if one died for all, then were all dead; John 5, but " have passed from death unto life." In Ephesians we have the additional truth of " quickened together with him," and indeed in Col. 2, adding " having forgiven you all trespasses." But to take here the point of life in itself-it takes a person out of a state of non-existence spiritually before God, and is a new creation. Hence it does not contemplate judgment nor justifying; John 5, " shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life." Hence we find no justifying in Ephesians. We are " created again in Christ Jesus unto good works." It is a wholly new thing before God, which has its own character before God, is of Him; " Of him are ye." It belongs to that new creation in which all things are of God-a holy, blessed, and righteous condition, which is a new creation, wholly of God Himself. That is what subsists in us, " in an earthen vessel," and in conflict. That it might be righteous as regards previous responsibility and ultimate blessing, Christ, the blessed and gracious Lord, died, and, if He is our life, we are also risen together with Him. If we do not come into judgment, it is that Christ bore our sins. We were dead, and He not only has died for all, but, in coming down to the place of death, has borne our sins, so that being raised with Him then we are forgiven. He has accomplished what has put them all away, " Was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification "; so that we are justified by faith. Thus, to get this justification, we are, as alive in sin, baptized to His death, and thus die also to sin, and reckon ourselves dead, are dead, have been crucified with Him, nevertheless live, not we but Christ lives in us. This is the new life, but it is resurrection and life which, as Christ has died, come down to death (where we were) by grace is justification and forgiveness. But this, being death, is not merely sins put away, but life put away, so to speak; " sin in the flesh," therefore we read, " was condemned " (there is no question of forgiveness here, but of deliverance from a nature, " putting off the old man ") by God sending " His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin." But it was condemned in death, and hence wholly done with for faith, " That the body of sin," we read, " might be annulled " (katargethe, rendered null and void). Thus it is not only and simply a new life, but sins have been put away, Christ having borne them in His own body on the tree, so that there is no judgment for those who believe, by Christ's word, on Him that sent Him. Sin has been put away (for them) by the sacrifice of Himself. Sin in the flesh has been condemned. The old man is put off wholly (for faith) by death. We are justified from sin which is condemned, but the old man gone- the body of sin destroyed. Thus the new man is clear in its place before God, through the death of the old as to life and the person judicially, because the sins of the old man have been borne and put away, and the old man, Christ having died on account of sins, so that the question has been fully solved in judgment. Sin in the flesh has been condemned, put off and gone. All this is applied practically in Rom. 6-8
There is more, because the work of the Lord Jesus Christ has perfectly glorified God as to all this state of sin, and hence the fruits of His grace have a place in the glory of God with Him, " Whom he justified, them he also glorified." He has been made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. It is the point of death and resurrection which connects, as in Rom. 6, and Col. 2 and 3, justification, and being constituted righteous before God, with holiness of walk. We are alive through Christ, that is the new holy nature, but we are dead to sin-" How live in it " says the Apostle- we are out of the place and standing of the old man altogether- are not in the flesh-say, " When we were in the flesh "-but we are alive and in a new place, Christ risen. And this being by death and resurrection-first, Christ's, so that sins are put away, then our death with Him, so that sin, as the old man, is crucified, we are cleared from sins, have put off the old man, in Christ, and have our place, standing, and life, exclusively in Him before God.
The impotency of law to put us in this new position and get rid of sin, is treated in Rom. 7 It is impossible there can be any condemnation for those in Christ. First, they are set free (in contrast with chapter 7) from the law of sin and death; secondly, sin in the flesh has been condemned, but by Christ's being a sacrifice for sin, so that that is no ground for condemnation. I am free, as to walk, from the power, from the condemnation and status of it, by Christ's death. But this, note, brings in the Spirit, and hence is the practical condition, and applies itself to practice; see verse 4. My whole status is a new one- righteous through Christ's obedience, set free from the law of sin, and sin in the flesh condemned, but in Christ's sacrifice. But I am passed in that from death unto life. It is to be noted how distinctly this connects responsibility, as to justifying from sin, with the old man, and how wholly it is done away. Acceptance is in the new, and responsibility to glorify Him, but that is another kind and measure of responsibility. If this be true, where is Christianity got to? And, note, it puts responsibility in the judicial sense, on the side where divine life, eternal life, is not-a point important as to some adversaries of the truth.
Note further in Rom. 8:22For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2), though the object be practice, the point stated is not practice, not an actual state, but a position in which a Christian is, all Christians, he is de facto being such, set free-" hath set me free " (eleutherose me). I was a captive- I am not. (It is not the same as " deliver," in " Who shall deliver " (rhusetai).) The ground is laid in Rom. 6, in death, and alive through Christ, but here, through redemption, there is the power of the Holy Ghost in life and presence. That is the status of the believer, " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," has made him free from bondage to the old man. Secondly, as regards the old man which' still works in us, it has been met as to condemnation by Christ being a sacrifice for sin. It is a holy nature in power, and the condemnation of the old man, condemned on the Cross in Christ's sacrifice. Then we have to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
But further on 2 Cor. 5 First, the blessed state of the apostle. If beside himself in an ecstatic state, it was not excitement or flesh, but to God; he was lost there. If sober, it was the thoughtful service of love to others; self was in neither. The two parts of the blessedness of God-His own blessedness in Himself-activity in love towards others. But this leads to the state of men and Christians, Christ's love constrained him instead of self. That was shown in death for all, then all were dead, or He need not have died. There was nothing in man towards God at all. This formal work of love led then to living to Him, who had died and risen, those who did live. But thus the whole relationships of flesh were set aside. As to unconverted people, they were dead in sin; as to the converted, how near were they to Christ! Self, flesh, and relationships in it all gone. Even Christ known after the flesh as a Jew, he knew no more thus. He had died, come in that way. That closed the old Creation; Christ was the Head and Center of the new. If a man was in Christ, he belonged to this new Creation; old things found no place in it-they belonged to the old Creation. But in a risen Christ all was on a new ground. And all things were of God-a new Creation according to Him, and of Him, and He has reconciled us to Himself. How absolutely all is done away of man, a child of Adam! It is not justifying a responsible person, though that be true. But He was dead, and there is a new Creation.
Hence we have no justifying in Ephesians; God does not justify His own Creation. Here all is of Him; compare John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24), " Does not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life." And the ministry of reconciliation assumes our being far, and alienated from God-does not touch on responsibility, however true and important in its place, and it is so. It is not Jew near and Gentile not; all is gone-man is dead. All were dead if Christ died for all. It was the activity of God's love-God was in Christ reconciling, not imputing; not man's responsible action towards God, but God's action towards him, and the world all one common alienated thing. And the ground, that it might be in righteousness, Christ made sin for us that we in Him might be the righteousness of God-not man's toward God as responsible, but be God's righteousness in Christ. In his place, the place now his, was displayed God's own righteousness through the work of Christ. The place and acceptance we have is His righteousness. But the old thing is gone, and it is a complete new creation. It is a very remarkable passage.
The difference too of Romans, Colossians and Ephesians, already noticed, shows itself in the whole structure of Colossians. Romans is " dead with," and " alive through " Christ; Colossians is dead with and risen with, and Ephesians looks at us as dead in sin, and Christ is first seen, there, i.e., dead; then we quickened with Him, and raised up together, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Him, the Holy Ghost being in us. Now all Colossians goes on this ground-it sees the Christian here dead and risen with Christ. Hence he is to set his affections on things above-he is not sitting there. Hence there is a long practical preface in the beginning, which supposes him to be down here, though connecting his walk with the Lord up there; a hope laid up in heaven. It is to be worthy of Him. So, in ' are to be presented " holy and unblameable, and irreproachable " in His sight' time comes in. It is not the standing as in Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3), without reference to time. And it is added, as if there on the way, " if ye hold fast." Even as heretofore observed, He has triumphed over principalities and powers, meeting all our difficulties, but it is not leading captive, and conferring gifts on those once captives to Satan. Hence, too, in the mystery; it is seen on that side of it, " Christ in us the hope of glory." In this position they were in danger of not holding the Head. In Ephesians it was the assembly the fullness of the Head who filled all in all. Here it is all the fullness in Christ the Head, and we are not, as a whole, His fullness, but complete in Him. Hence the walk too is of the new man—Christ our life, not imitators of God; the new man in Ephesians being after God in his nature. In Colossians he is renewed in knowledge, after the image of Him that created him—not what he is but his state. We are the elect of God, holy and beloved; but both " God " and " we " are objective and apart. The Holy Spirit of God is in us, in Ephesians, and we are not to grieve Him, but imitate God, Christ being the One by whom we know love. We imitate Christ in His walk in Colossians. In Colossians, His word is in us. In Ephesians we are filled with the Spirit. This is full of instruction.
In the beginning of 2 Cor. 1 get the experimental realization of being thus dead (sentence of death and bearing about the dying) and the power of resurrection on his spirit (chap. 4: 12-14), but not further than Colossian ground, and with the sense of the earthly vessel as necessarily of experimental, i.e., as to death; the result in chapter 5.
Note, the resurrection of Christ, and seeking things above, is used for the putting off. We have died with Him. That is our state. But putting on the new, Christ becomes objectively all, and He is in us. " All, and in all." Then we put on, as being chosen and sanctified, and objects of love here; and this is conformity to Christ. Christ being in us, we are to manifest His character; even verses 16, 17, suppose them down here, though in what leads above, for the word comes down here.
Note too, how remarkably complete and perfect is the testimony in 2 Cor. 5 We have glory by the power of Christ over the principle of death, absolute and complete, first—supposing we are Christians; next, death, which is going to be " present with the Lord "; next, judgment, the terror of which only leads to persuade others (for we are as Christ) and connects itself with our being now manifest to God. The ground of all this is laid in being " in Christ," so that there is a new creation, and we are the righteousness of God in Him.