The Golden Chain - Robert J. Wieland

have died, for the only "wages of sin" is "death"
(the second). Christ became corporately united
with us in order that we might by faith become
corporately united to Him. He partook of our sinful
nature that we might become "partakers" of His
divine nature. Thus He was entitled to "taste death
for every man," even the second death (Hebrews
2:9, KJV).
Since the world began, how many people have
truly died? Only One! All the rest have gone to
"sleep," according to Scripture (John 11:11-13).
If Christ had sidestepped taking our sinful
nature, He could not have earned the right to be the
second Adam and die "every man's" second death,
nor could He have become our Substitute had He
not assumed our corporate nature; no "Adam "can
stand at the head of the human race unless He
corporately shares "the flesh and blood" of that
race. The first Adam in his sinless state stood at the
head of the unfallen human race; now the second
Adam must stand at the Head of the only human
race there is at the present time—a fallen human
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