How does the death of the Lord Christ on the cross save us from sin, the curse, and death?
Q355 · Our Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the World
The apostle Paul highlights the role of the Lord Christ in the salvation of humanity by comparing Him to Adam, who is considered the head of all humanity according to the flesh. On the other hand, Jesus Christ came from the seed of Adam by His incarnation but became the head of humanity because He is the Almighty, the Giver of divine grace. He unites us with Him as our Head, through our faith.
688 St. Cyril of Alexandria, In Psalm 15:8.
689 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Thesaurus de Sancta et Consubstantiali Trinitate 29 (PG 75:429–438).
690 St. Cyril of Alexandria, A Commentary upon the Gospel According to St. Luke: Part I , trans., R. Payne Smith (Oxford University Press, 1859) Sermon 11: p. 47.
691 St. Cyril of Alexandria, A Commentary upon the Gospel According to St. Luke: Part I , trans., R. Payne Smith (Oxford University Press, 1859) Sermon 12: p. 52.
692 St. Cyril of Alexandria, A Commentary upon the Gospel According to St. Luke: Part II , trans., R. Payne Smith (Oxford University Press, 1859) Sermon 81: p. 371.
In Adam, we inherited corruption through sin , condemnation came upon us, and we fell under the judgement of death . But the Lord Christ, because of His love for us, accepted the suffering and death of the cross and came to be subject to the curse; not because of any sin He committed, but in order to unite us with Him, abolish sin, grant us His righteousness to work in us, free us from the curse, and grant us the resurrected life in place of death. In this way, the mercies of God upon us have come to us through His justice. By Him, we live the life of victory and are worthy of the blessed eternal life.
The Holy Bible describes this mystery as “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:26–27).
“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17).
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1–4).