Which Saves: Christ’s Life, Death or Both? Throughout church history, Christians have pondered the relationship between Christ’s perfect life and His sacrificial death in accomplishing our salvation. While some emphasise the cross alone, Reformed theology has consistently maintained that both Christ’s life of perfect obedience and His atoning death are essential for our complete salvation. Here’s why:

 

THE PERFECT LIFE OF CHRIST (HIS ACTIVE OBEDIENCE)

At the heart of Reformed theology lies a profound appreciation for Christ’s active obedience—His perfect life lived in complete conformity to God’s law. Where the first Adam failed, Christ as our Second Adam succeeded. Each moment of His earthly existence, from His birth to His final breath, demonstrated flawless obedience to the Father’s will. This wasn’t merely about avoiding sin; it was about fulfilling all righteousness.

Christ’s perfect life matters because God’s requirement for humanity has always been twofold: abstaining from sin and actively fulfilling His positive commands. When Adam fell, he not only incurred guilt requiring forgiveness but also failed to achieve the righteousness God required. We inherit both problems—we need both our sins forgiven and positive righteousness credited to our account.

This is where Christ’s active obedience becomes crucial. By living a perfect life, Christ earned the righteousness we could never achieve. He met every requirement, fulfilled every command, and accomplished what Adam—and indeed, all of us—failed to do.

 

THE ATONING DEATH OF CHRIST (HIS PASSIVE OBEDIENCE)

Christ’s death on the cross represents His passive obedience—His willing submission to bear the penalty for our sins. The cross wasn’t merely a tragic martyrdom; it was a purposeful, substitutionary atonement where Christ bore the full weight of God’s justice against sin.

On the cross, several vital things occurred.

1. Christ took upon Himself the punishment our sins deserved.
2. He propitiated (satisfied) God’s righteous wrath against sin.
3. He accomplished reconciliation between God and His people.

The cross addressed the negative aspect of our predicament—our guilt and deserved punishment.

 

THE REFORMED VIEW OF THEIR UNITY

Reformed theology insists both Christ’s active and passive obedience are necessary for our salvation. This isn’t about dividing Christ’s work but understanding its comprehensive nature. His perfect life and atoning death work together as two essential aspects of one complete salvation.

• Consider Romans 5:18-19: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Notice how Paul emphasises both Christ’s righteous life (“one act of righteousness”) and its saving effect.
• Or reflect on 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This verse beautifully captures both aspects – Christ bearing our sin (passive obedience) and providing His righteousness (active obedience).

 

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Understanding Christ’s complete work has profound implications for believers. In justification, we receive not only forgiveness of sins through His death but also the positive crediting of His perfect righteousness through His life. We stand before God not merely as pardoned criminals but as perfectly righteous children, clothed in Christ’s complete righteousness.

For sanctification, Christ’s life provides the perfect pattern for our own obedience. We strive to follow His example, not to earn salvation, but because He has shown us what a life pleasing to God looks like. His perfect life motivates and guides our pursuit of holiness.

 

CONCLUSION—WHICH SAVES: CHRIST’S LIFE, DEATH OR BOTH?

The Reformed emphasis on both Christ’s life and death provides believers with total assurance. Our salvation rests not only on Christ’s payment for our sins but also on His perfect righteousness credited to our account. We stand complete in Him, benefiting from both His doing and His dying.

This comprehensive understanding should fill us with profound gratitude. Christ didn’t merely die for us—He lived for us too. Every moment of His perfect life and His sacrificial death worked together to secure our complete salvation.

Living in light of this truth means embracing both aspects of Christ’s work. We rejoice in our forgiveness through His death and strive to emulate His perfect life, knowing our standing with God depends not on our success but on His perfect work in both life and death.

 

Which Saves: Christ’s Life, Death or Both?—Related FAQs

Isn’t Christ’s death alone sufficient for our salvation? Why do we need His life too? While Christ’s death removes the guilt of our sin, we still need to address sin’s power over us and need positive righteousness to stand before our holy God. Christ’s death brings us forgiveness (dealing with guilt), but His perfect life provides both the power over sin and the positive righteousness we need. Think of it this way: Christ’s death clears our record of guilt, but His perfect life both empowers our victory over sin and provides the positive righteousness credited to us through faith, which we need to enter heaven.

Some churches only emphasise the cross. Why does Reformed theology insist on both? Reformed theology emphasises both because Scripture presents salvation as requiring both the payment for sin and the fulfillment of God’s positive requirements for righteousness. When Paul speaks of being “in Christ,” he refers to both freedom from condemnation and the positive status of being “the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The cross deals with the negative (removing sin), while Christ’s perfect life provides the positive (giving righteousness).

If Jesus only needed to die for our sins, why did He live for 33 years? Jesus didn’t just need to die; He needed to fulfil all righteousness as our representative. Those 33 years were spent actively fulfilling every requirement of God’s law that we fail to keep, facing every temptation we face yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Each moment of His life was part of earning the righteousness that would be credited to believers.

How does this view differ from Catholic teaching about Christ’s merit? Reformed theology teaches Christ’s perfect life and death are credited directly to believers through faith alone, while Catholic theology sees Christ’s merit as dispensed through the church and sacraments and combined with our own works. The Reformed view maintains Christ’s work is complete and sufficient, requiring nothing additional from us to secure our salvation.

Doesn’t focusing on Christ’s life diminish the importance of the cross? Not at all—both aspects are equally essential and inseparable parts of one complete work of salvation. Just as a coin has two sides but is one coin, Christ’s active and passive obedience are two aspects of one complete work. Neither diminishes the other; rather, they complement each other perfectly.

If Christ’s perfect life is credited to us, does that mean our own obedience doesn’t matter? While Christ’s perfect life is the sole ground of our justification, our obedience matters greatly as the necessary fruit and evidence of genuine faith. We are saved for good works, not by them (Ephesians 2:10). Our obedience flows from gratitude and love, not from trying to earn or maintain our salvation.

How does this doctrine affect our daily Christian life? This doctrine provides tremendous assurance because our standing with God rests not just on forgiveness but on Christ’s perfect record credited to us. It also motivates holiness by showing us what perfect obedience looks like in Christ’s life, while assuring us that our imperfect efforts don’t jeopardize our salvation. Finally, it deepens our worship as we appreciate the completeness of Christ’s work on our behalf.

 

Which Saves: Christ’s Life, Death or Both?—Our Related Posts

• Gethsemane’s Mystery: Why Did Jesus Sweat Blood?
• Why Must We Preach Christ and Him Crucified?
• The Cross For All Ages: Why Do We Affirm Jesus’ Death Was Retroactive?
• Why do We Affirm Jesus is Fully God and Fully Man?