1 Corinthians 15

• “Who Are We? – Embodied People” (1 Cor. 15)

  Theme: Human identity as body-soul union, grounded in God's creative purpose and the resurrection hope.

  • Humanity is a body-soul union—not merely souls with bodies or vice versa (psychosomatic unity).

  • God created humans from dust and breathed life into them (Genesis 2:7), distinguishing them from animals.

  • The body is essential to bearing God’s image, fulfilling the dominion mandate (Genesis 1:26–28).

  • Cultural errors: Materialism reduces humans to biology; dualism denies the body’s value.

  • Work is not a result of the fall; humans were created to work and cultivate the earth before sin.

  • The body matters to God: formed in the womb, sustained daily, and redeemed for His glory.

  • Sin manifests in both bodily actions and inward desires (Galatians 5; 1 Corinthians 6).

  • Christ redeemed us body and soul (Romans 7:24–25; 1 Cor. 6:19–20).

  • The resurrection hope promises a transformed, spiritual (yet physical) body (1 Cor. 15:42–44).

  • We are called to glorify God in our bodies (Romans 12:1; 1 Cor. 10:31), rejecting sexual immorality and bodily sins.

The Value and Destiny of the Human Body

1. Scriptural Foundations

• Genesis 1:26–28 – Humans created in God's image with bodies for dominion.

• Genesis 2:7 – God formed man from the dust and breathed life.

• 1 Corinthians 15 – The body will be resurrected; it is sown in weakness but raised in power.

• Romans 12:1 – Offer your body as a living sacrifice.

• 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 – Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; glorify God in it.

2. Theological Concepts

• Body-soul unity: We are not spirits trapped in flesh; the physical is good and purposeful.

• Imago Dei (Image of God): Expressed through both body and soul—rationality, relationship, morality, and dominion.

• Sin and the body: Both internal lusts and external acts matter. Sin affects the whole person.

• Redemption: Christ redeems us fully—body and soul. Resurrection affirms the eternal value of the body.

3. Historical and Reformed Context

• Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF):

  • Chapter 4.2: God created man, male and female, with rational souls and immortal bodies.

  • Chapter 32.2: At the resurrection, bodies will be reunited with their souls and made incorruptible.

• Westminster Larger Catechism:

  • Q. 17: The soul and body are joined to glorify God.

  • Q. 86–90: Resurrection of the body and final judgment emphasize bodily redemption.

• Westminster Shorter Catechism:

  • Q. 10: God created man male and female in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.

  • Q. 37: Believers enjoy their souls made perfect at death, and their bodies raised at resurrection.

4. Application Questions

• Do you view your body as a gift from God, created for His glory?

• Are there areas where you use your body contrary to God’s design?

• How can you glorify God in everyday bodily acts (eating, speaking, labor)?

• Do you find hope in the resurrection of the body? How does it shape your life?

5. Practical Encouragement

• Reject body-shaming or over-glorifying the soul—both are God’s handiwork.

• Pursue sanctification in the body: sexual purity, disciplined appetites, righteous labor.

• Hope in resurrection: Your physical suffering is not the end—Christ will raise you in glory.

Please turn over with me in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. We'll continue on in our topical series on who are we? Who are we? Last time we talked about the creator-creature distinction. That it is God who made us, and we are His. We talked about who we are made in the image of God. Well, over the next two weeks we're going to talk about who we are body and soul. So this morning we'll be exploring the idea of who we are being embodied people. Let's turn to God's Word, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, after that he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles, then last of all he was seen by me also, as one born out of due time. for I am the least of all the apostles, who am I? Who am but, who am not worthy to be called an apostle? Because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. Now if Christ has preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die so, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, but each one in his own order. Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming. When he comes, when comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom of God, the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and authority and power, For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For he has put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is evident that he who put all things under him is accepted. Now when all things are made subject to him, then the son himself will also be subject to him who put all things under him. that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead if they do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? I affirm by the boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If in the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits. Awake to righteousness and do not sin, for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. But someone will say, how are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere gain, perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as he pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh. But there is one kind of flesh of men, another kind of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. But the glory of the celestial one and the glory of the terrestrial one is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first man, Adam, became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterwards, the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven, As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust. And as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall bear the image of the heavenly man. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Thus ends this portion of the reading of God's word. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. We pray that your Holy Spirit might have attended to the reading of it, and that you would not let it return void. Father, we pray where we have frailties in our flesh, you would strengthen us. Where we have wandered in our minds into unbiblical thought patterns and paths, Lord, we pray that you would teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and train us. where our lives are out of conformity with who you have created us to be, we pray that you would sanctify us, mold us, change us into who you are making us to be. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Last time we got together and we looked broadly at what does it mean to be made in the image of God this morning, I'd like to zoom in specifically at our human identity, specifically our body. Each one of you has a body and a soul. You are what theologians call a psychosomatic union. You are a body-soul union. I know each of you have a body, because I'm looking at you with my own eyeballs. I think it's an undisputable fact. Each one of us has a body. But where'd that come from? Why do you exist? What are you supposed to do with your body? Well, first we must recognize that the body was created by God. When God created man in Genesis chapter 1, he said, let us make man in our image. God made us, formed us, and as we saw in Genesis chapter 2, Genesis chapter 1 is this beautiful picture of God making the heavens and the earth. He makes the heavens, and then he puts the lights in the heavens. He makes the earth, and then he fills the earth. But in the very last day, on day 6, he made man. But chapter 2 slows down on that creation of man. And in the Hebrew, when God made man, it's almost like God's putting together clay. The Hebrew word for man is adam. The Hebrew word for dirt, for earth, is adam. He was made out of the dirt. God put him together out of the stuff of this world. And he breathed into him the breath of life. And in this image we see that it's not just man who is created by God, as in just males, but He also created females. Male and female, He created man. He made the sexes. He gave them their bodies. He made them in their proportions. God relates to us. He created us to think. He created us to mirror Him. and righteousness and holiness. He created us with an innate dignity. No other thing in creation is said to be made in the image of God. We may love our dogs, but your dog, although some people treat their dogs like kids, your dogs will never be your real children. They were never made in the image of God. They may be amazing creatures, but they were not made in the image of God. Dolphins have an incredible ability of thinking and of communicating and of doing amazing things. But they were not made in the image of God. Only humans were made in the image of God. With dominion, relationship, morality, and knowledge. And the body is essential to all of those things. The body is essential to us being in the image of God, specifically with the dominion mandate. We talked about that last time in Genesis chapter 1 verse 28 when God told them to fill the earth and subdue it. People were made to multiply, but that was also given to the animals. Did you notice that in Genesis chapter 1? God told the animals to multiply, but he didn't tell the animals to subdue the earth, to cultivate the garden. to care for his created world. Our bodies are necessary for that people cannot multiply if all we are is souls. And I need to say this to you. I know you might think, well, that's kind of silly, right? But there have been cults and heretics in church history who have taught that you are nothing more than your soul. Your body doesn't matter. Well, obviously our bodies mattered a great deal to the Lord because he gave us tasks that could only be accomplished in the body. Souls don't re-multiply. People do. With bodies. Now, again, the twisted thing of our culture is often the materialists who will say, well, you are nothing more than that. Right? People who reject any type of purpose or telos in your life, their whole point is that, no, you were made out of the evolutionary muck of the ancient history, and you evolved by a great deal of genetic mutations and chance, and your whole purpose in life is for nothing more than you to be able to pass on your genes and procreate. Right? That's a materialist model of why you have a body. You have a body because you need to have a body. And why do you have a body? Because you need to pass on and make more bodies. And so they can make more bodies. And that's your entire purpose. Freud fit this into his whole twisted psychology. And that even all your thinking is nothing more than your repressed sexual desires for procreation. That's not why the Lord gave us the command to multiply. It was for his glory. It was to subdue the earth, to work it, to cultivate it. Adam and Eve, we get this picture of Adam and Eve in the garden and the different rivers that go out from the Garden of Eden. God didn't ever give them the garden to sit around like a bunch of Greeks laying around and eating grapes. We think of them just lounging around in the garden. No, he gave them a job to do to cultivate the land. They needed to go down where the good gold was and make jewelry. They needed to go to the garden and they needed to cultivate it and make it beautiful. And I gotta tell you, the only way you could do that if you get some dirt underneath your fingernails. God knew that they were going to have work to do. And just so we all understand, that work that God gave to do was before sin ever even entered the world. At a shepherding visit not too long ago, the elders heard a boy who said, I don't like school. Why? Because it's work. Work isn't bad. God's given us work to do. But again, in our hearts, we often twist this, right? And sometimes we even make work the purpose of our lives, forgetting that the work is meant to bring glory to God. Your job is not your identity. But you certainly do need a body to do that work. When the psalmist looks up at the skies in Psalm 8 and he sees the stars, he recognizes both his frailty, what is man so frail and weak that you should be mindful of him? And yet he also recognizes at the end of that psalm that God has placed him, crowned him with glory above all the other creatures. We glorify God with our bodies through our labor, through our speech, through our art, through our relationships, in your parenting, in your grandparenting. Your whole lives are built around you, body and soul, worshiping God, ringing God glory. Because you are not just a soul, but you are soul, body, union. That's what we read in Genesis 2-7. God formed man from the dust. He breathed into him and he became a living being. Humans are not souls trapped in their bodies, nor are you a body with your soul trapped in you. You're a body-soul union. You're a whole person. We can distinguish our body from our soul because we know that there's something in us And at times it's called different things in the body, in the scripture. Sometimes it's referred to as our spirit. Sometimes it's referred to as our soul. Sometimes it's referred to as our heart. But the point is we know that there's something in us more than just our bodies. And that's what we're going to talk about next week. So I'm not going to beat this point right now. But my point in this is you are an indivisible union. Probably the only time we ever use that word indivisible is in the Pledge of Allegiance, right? It means you're not able to divide it up, right? We can distinguish. We're able to say, okay, there's some part of me that's not physical, right? There's thoughts and there's emotions and there's worship and there's affections and those aren't necessarily physical. Sometimes they manifest and they hit me, and again, we're gonna talk about this next week, But yet, we also are physical. We have a soul. We have a body. And both of them are good. Your body is valuable. But I think that's because we wrestle with the flesh. We wrestle with the sinful desires, the lusts of the flesh, the desires that come with our fallen nature. That's what Paul says in Galatians chapter 5, starting at verse 19. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery. Fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresy, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Did you notice there's a difficulty with that? Some of those things of the flesh are inward, and some of them are outward. But all of them go both ways, inward and outward. The question is their manifestation. This is what Jesus was getting at when he said that, yeah, there's a way in which you can commit actual adultery, right? You can go and you can join yourself to the flesh of another person who's not your spouse, and that is just straight up adultery. You have heard it said unto you, you shall not commit adultery. But I say unto you that if you look lustfully after a woman with your eyes, you've already committed adultery in your heart. It's the flesh, it's the heart, that's the problem there too. But the thing is, it does work itself out. Unless somehow you are constrained, and I know many people like this, as I've talked to old men, who will make quips and jokes about, well I'm able to look from the menu, I just can't order. And they're trying to justify and laugh away their lust. The only thing that's restraining them is either God's mercy to them or the shame that would come with actually committing the sin that they actually desire in their hearts. And Jesus says that desire is just as bad as the sin itself. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6-9, or in 1 Corinthians 6-9-11, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. How many of those sayings are done in the body, in the flesh? extortion, desiring to get something else from somebody else. How many of those were tied to this idea of self-gratification? Many of these are only possibly done by the body. We sin because we're fleshly people. We sin because we're body and soul. And part of our soul, part of our flesh is fallen, loving this world and twisting even the good things that God's created in this world and wanting to serve those or have those things serve us rather than using them for God's glory. But I wanna read to you. I stopped at verse 10, I wanna read to you verse 11. Because see, 1 Corinthians chapter 6 could make you just weep. If you just read any of those, of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, and you might say, well, hope is there for me. Verse 11, And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Maybe some of you have been struggling with these sins of the flesh. Struggling with the temptations towards these things. Struggling with the outward performance of these things. Struggling with knowing I should not be doing these things and the things I don't want to do, yet I still do and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who could possibly save me from this bondage to my flesh? Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, who was tempted in every way with those and yet did not sin. He redeemed you body and soul on that cross. So you might be embodied for God's glory. We know in this life, It's one of those hard things when we come to prayer meetings and as we talk to other Christians, we hear about the difficult things going on in people's physical environments. We hear about the aches and the pains, the fear of cancer and the prognosis of cancer and the fear of the cancer returning. We hear of the pain that people suffer. when they don't have enough food, when they don't have security in their lives, when they don't have the funds they need to live out basic functions, paying their rent, having transportation. It breaks our hearts because we know that all creation is groaning for the day of redemption. Because see, someday this battle with the flesh will end. Someday who we were created to be will come. And that's what we were reading about in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. And so is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown in a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. Do you see your body someday Unless the Lord returns before this, you body will most likely end up someplace like out here in the north churchyard, where there are dozens upon dozens of dozens of saints who bodies are resting in the grave, awaiting the day of resurrection. Their souls have been made immediately perfect and have gone into God's glory, but that's not the normal state They long for the day of resurrection, and so do we, when the bodies that have been sown will raise up in immortality. Paul affirms this continuity and this transformation where our physical bodies are sown in dishonor. They go down like a seed into the ground to decay and die, but when they rise again from the ground, they will be risen in glory. They are sown in weakness, but they are raised in power. Our natural bodies will be sown into the ground, but be raised a spiritual body. And when Paul says a spiritual body, he's not saying a ghostly body. Not an immaterial body. But a body made perfect. Ruled by the Spirit and dwelling in us. Unable to sin. full citizens, having their work done complete by Christ. Philippians 3, for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body and make it conform to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. So what is the spiritual body? Well, we'll talk about that in a later sermon. But the body will be important. Your body today is important. Your body is important to God. He knits you together in your mother's womb. He counts every hair on your head. He gives you your daily bread. He counts the number of your days. He knows you, body and soul. His thoughts about you are innumerable. The question is, will you glorify Him with your body? Do you say of Him, Lord, Lord, Master, Master? And yet, when you use your tongue, do you say whatever you want? Do you call him Lord who purchased your body at a price and then refused to exercise the fruit of the Spirit with self-control when you pick up your fork? Do you call him Lord, Lord? And yet the one who has washed you in the blood of his Son, do you make yourself filthy with sexual immorality? May it never be. May we live consistently both soul and body for His glory. For whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, may we do so under the glory of God. Christian, He has redeemed you soul and body. Therefore, glorify Him with your bodies. Let's pray. God, we pray that we would offer up to you our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you. Lord, please forgive us, for we are sinful people. Our brains think wrong. Our stomachs often rule us. Our tongues get in front of us lighting fires that can never be put out. Lord, you know how often we fail. we sin, God please cleanse us from our sin by the blood of your Son. And Lord, we pray that your Spirit would indeed be so working powerfully in us that you would conform us to the likeness and image of your Son. Give us hope, Lord, and teach us how we

• Why is human righteousness insufficient before God? Human righteousness is insufficient before a holy God because, as Romans 3:10-12 and Genesis 6:5 highlight, we are all inherently sinful. Our thoughts, intentions, and actions consistently fall short of God's perfect standard. We are prone to evil, and even our best efforts are tainted by selfishness and pride, meaning we cannot achieve a state of righteousness that would satisfy God's justice. This demonstrates the dire need for an external source of righteousness.

• What is meant by 'substitutionary atonement' in the context of Jesus' suffering? Substitutionary atonement refers to the concept that Jesus, who was completely righteous, willingly took the punishment for our sins upon himself. As Isaiah 53:4-6 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 show, he suffered and died on the cross as a substitute, bearing the consequences of our wrongdoing. This act of love and sacrifice satisfied God's justice, allowing us to be reconciled to him. Christ's suffering was not merely a demonstration of love but a means of payment for the penalty that we deserved, hence the "just for the unjust".

• How does Christ's resurrection impact our hope and justification? Christ's resurrection is vital because it proves the completeness and success of his sacrifice. Romans 5:1-5 and Philippians 3:9-11 describe how it demonstrates that God has accepted Jesus' atonement. It signifies not only the forgiveness of our sins but also our restoration to a right relationship with God. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, the believer has been given an "alien righteousness", one that was not earnt by them, but imputed to them by God through faith. It is through Christ's resurrection that we have the hope of eternal life, having been both acquitted of our sin and declared righteous in God's sight.

• What does it mean for a Christian to be "blessed" in suffering for righteousness? According to 1 Peter 3:13-17, suffering for righteousness is a blessing because it means our lives are aligning with Christ's teachings, and we are participating in His suffering. When we are persecuted for our beliefs, it is not a sign of God's disfavor, but rather a testament to our faith and a confirmation that we are following Christ's example. It gives us a unique opportunity to testify to the hope we have in Christ. Instead of fearing such suffering, we are to view it as an honour and an opportunity to glorify God.

• How should Christians respond when they face evil or persecution? Christians are called to respond to evil or persecution not by retaliating, but by exhibiting compassion, humility and love. 1 Peter 3:8-12 says, instead of returning evil for evil, we should bless those who persecute us. We are to seek unity and pursue peace, trusting that God is ultimately just and will avenge us. The focus should be on reflecting the character of Christ, showing grace even when facing injustice. This includes being gentle and respectful when defending our faith.

• Why is the concept of Christ's finished work so crucial for Christians? The "finished work" of Christ means that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection were all sufficient for our salvation. This means our righteousness is not based on any personal achievement, but a gift given freely by God. As the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms point out, Christ's obedience and sacrifice fully satisfied God's justice. Because of this, we can have full assurance of our salvation. There's nothing more we can or need to add to what he has already accomplished. This frees us from the burden of trying to earn our salvation and establishes Christ as the sole foundation for our relationship with God.

• How should the assurance of Christ's finished work influence our daily lives? The assurance of Christ's finished work should lead us to live with a deep sense of gratitude and confidence in our relationship with God. Knowing we are righteous because of Christ, not ourselves, should cultivate humility and motivate us to pursue a life that is pleasing to him. We should seek to display unity, peace, and love in our interactions with others. In our lives, we must seek to give a defence to others for the hope that we have in Christ, in meekness and fear. This should inform the way we approach every aspect of our lives.

• What is the practical application of the phrase "the just for the unjust" in our lives? The phrase "the just for the unjust" highlights the central tenet of Christian faith: Jesus, being perfectly righteous, took the punishment that we, being unrighteous, deserved. This realisation should foster a spirit of gratitude and humility. We must acknowledge we have no merit of our own, and our salvation comes entirely through grace. The just one took our place so that we might be brought into the presence of God. The application is that we can never rely upon ourselves for our own righteousness, and so must place our full trust in Jesus. This should lead to living lives that honor God's grace.

• Justification: God's act of declaring a sinner righteous in his sight through faith in Christ, not through their own good works or merits.

• Imputation: The act of crediting or transferring something, in this context, God credits Christ's righteousness to believers.

• Atonement: The reconciliation between God and humanity through Christ's sacrificial death, which covers the debt of sin.

• Substitutionary Atonement: The doctrine that Christ died as a substitute for sinful humanity, bearing the punishment and penalty for their sin.

• Righteousness: Moral perfection and conformity to God's law. In Christian theology, it's seen both as a standard and a gift of God through Christ.

• Sanctification: The process of being made holy, where God works in believers to transform them into Christlikeness over time.

• Passive Obedience: Christ's willing submission to suffering and death as part of his obedience to God's will, not limited to simply his active obedience to the law.

• Alien Righteousness: A righteousness that is not inherent to the individual but comes from an outside source. In Christian theology, it refers to the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers.

• Reconciliation: The restoration of a relationship to harmony, specifically, the bridging of the gap between God and humans through Christ.

• The Spirit: In the context of this study, refers to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is believed to give life and bring about spiritual regeneration.