Union before Faith !
Union before Faith !
Are those Christ died for in Union with Him before they believe ? The answer to this very important question is absolutely YES, for there did and must have been a Union between Himself and them He died for, or their could not have been any just and legal grounds for Him to have died for their sins, no grounds for their sins to have been charged to His account, and such scriptures as these would be invalid and without legal warrant 1 Cor 15:3
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
This is without warrant if no previous Union existed !
1 Pet 2:24
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
This is without warrant if no previous Union existed !
Isa 53:5
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
This is without warrant if no previous Union existed !
Now understand, this Union between them and Him had to be and was just as real and legally binding as it was for them in Adam, since if they were not really legally in Adam when he sinned, then they could not have sinned with him as it is surely indicated in Rom 5:12
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:
All men sinned in and by Adams One sin, death passed upon all men because of Adams sinned,
or better yet they could not have been made sinners by Adams one act of disobedience as indicated here Rom 5:19
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
This could not have justly occurred apart from a legal union recognized by the Judge of all the earth, God !
Paul writes that all die IN ADAM 1 Cor 15:22
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
The word in here is a prep that means:
en (a preposition) – properly, in (inside, within); (figuratively) "in the realm (sphere) of," as in the condition (state) in which something operates from the inside (within).
This denotes a Union in Adam, in that Union all died with Adam !
But in antithesis all in Christ shall be made alive, So all in Christ legally shall be made alive; Now we have already showed that in order for Christ to have died for our sins 1 Cor 15:3, He had to be in a Legal binding Union with Us, as it was likewise with us in Adam, and such Union constituted us as being In Christ, as no less as being in Adam, and because of being in Christ legally for Him to die for us, there can never be from God legally any condemnation charged to us, Rom 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Those of Us Christ died for, sin cannot and will not be charged or imputed to us Rom 4:8
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Not to impute sin is not to impute condemnation as well !
So, if there was no Union with Christ before Faith, Christ's death could not have been for us, and faith in Christ would be in vain or to no avail with God !