2 Corinthians 5:14-17 “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; (15) and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (16) Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
So how did God use the death of His Son, to deliver men from the second death? The above passage of scripture teaches us that Jesus died for all men, but that same passage goes on to say that because Jesus died for all, that all died. So what does that mean? It simply means that all who were in Christ when He died also died with Him. And because all men were already spiritually dead before they were placed in Christ, the death that they died in Christ was in fact their second spiritual death. And so, in this manner God redeemed mankind so that they do not have to partake of the second death, because in Jesus that has already happened. We know that this passage is referring to those who are in Christ, because the same passage goes on to say that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. And so, although this passage states plainly that Jesus died for all, it is evident that all who died were only those who are in Christ.
Michael E.B. Maher
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