Vol.XII No.VIII Pg.7
October 1975

?You Know What?

Robert F. Turner

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 ones account. (See lexicon, Vine, etc.) It is our faith which is put to our account for righteousness instead of Christs 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) Christs 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 Christs 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.