The Lord Jesus Christ came to this world all the way from heaven. He was the absolutely sinless One. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.

He came down here to save sinners. He came down from heaven, but He didn’t go to the mountaintop. There are no people there — He couldn’t find any man on that plane of holiness. They are all in the valley; they are all dead in trespasses and sins. So what did He do? He came down into the valley. He came down into the place of death where all men are. “And that he died for all…” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Because men were dead, He went down into death, and now He brings believers up with Him in resurrection life. Does He take them back up to the ¬mountaintop? No, He takes them with Him into the heavenlies. We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are now seated in the heavenlies. He has “…raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

He took our place, for “if one died for all, then were all dead” (2 Corinthians 5:14). And those who believe on Him are risen with Him. They are not risen so they can be put back on the mountaintop and come tumbling down again. No, He takes them all the way up to the heavenlies.

Christ took our place, and if we are going to live, it is going to be by faith in Him — that those through faith “should not henceforth live unto them¬selves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Christ died, not only that we should be delivered from death and judgment, but also that we should be brought up from our state of death into newness of life. Now our lives should be devoted to Him that we should live henceforth to the glory of God
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(From Edited Messages on 2 Corinthians by Dr. J. Vernon McGee)