The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

the bands of justice. He is dead in Adam.When we follow Christ's example, we arereckoned in as members of His body. Rememberhow I'aul presents the matter in the 12th chapterof First Corinthians : Jesus is the " head," and we,the Gliurch, the f~llowers of Christ;. are His" body " and members invpartict~lar. All who aremembers'of Christ's body, are also sharers of thesufferings and death of Christ. In the 6th chapterof Romans, the 3rd verse, Paul says :." Know yenot, that sb many of us (the household of faith) as.were' baptistd .(immersed) into Jesus Christ (becomingmembers of his body), were baptised (immersed)into his 'death 7".Thus the world in general are dead in Adam,but those who have exercised saving faith and havepresented iheir bodies a living sacrifice, are deadin Christ. The dead in Adam die at the hands ofjustice; but the dead in Christ die a sacrificialdeath, Justice, though it accepted .Christ's death,could not demand it, for He was sinless and Hisdeath was voluntary ; neither can justice demandthe dezth of Christ's followers, for there is " now. no condemnation to -them whtch are in ChristJesus "--Romans VIII., 1. It was love which constrainedJesus to lay down His life for the satisfactionof justice, and it is love which constrainsthe members of His body to follow in His footstepsof- self-sacrifice unto death. -The First ResurrectionHere- we have, then, the two main classes ili thegrave or death-state; the dead in Adam, and thedead in Christ. Now, in 1 'I'hessalonians IV., 16,we read : The dead .in Chris$ shall rise- first."-33