Originally posted by checkbaiter
On what do you base #2? This is belief I disagree with since God cannot die.
On what do you base #2? This is belief I disagree with since God cannot die.
If Jesus was only a sinless man He could only die for one person.
Being God-man He can die for more than one person. His death is good for all mankind, especially of those who believe in Him.
The good man's death is only good for one person.
The God-man's death is effective for all the human race in principle.
Suppose in your entire life you committed only ONE sin.
The Bible says God's perfection demands that you die for that one sin.
His holiness and righteous demand is absolute.
" For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all. For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. now if you do not commit adultery but you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law." (James 2:11)
If Jesus were just a sinless man He could die as a substitute for that sin. But if you were to sin again you would have to die for the second sin.
You know that you have sinned many more times then once. To be able to die for all sins and for all mankind Jesus must not only be a righteous man but God.
His redemptive death is not only good for one sin or for one person. It is so extensively divine that it covers for all men even for thousands of years after His death. According to the Bible it is also a redemptive death for those in the past before His incarnation who looked foward towards His coming, trusting in the offerings of animals according to the Levitical priesthood.
This is an all-inclusive death carried out by God incarnate as a man.
As God-man He
can die and be raised again.