Jesus' death is the substitutionary sacrifice that pays the penalty for those who are in union with Him.
As outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, death entered the world through Adam, but life comes through Christ. The doctrine of substitutionary atonement is critical; Christ tasted death for every believer, which means He bore the sins of His people and took upon Himself the penalty due to them (Hebrews 2:9). This assurance is not just a general fact but hinges on personal union with Christ—believers can ask, 'Has Christ tasted death for me?' This vital union guarantees redemption, as reaffirmed in 2 Corinthians 5:21, where God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
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