A question about the wages of sin and Christ

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Bandguy

Puritan Board Sophomore
Please bear with me. I hope this makes sense. Today, my pastor focused on two main scripture verses in his sermon, namely 2 Corinthians 5:21:

21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

and Romans 6:23:

23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


He described the death of Romans 6:23 as being a physical and spiritual death. He also made the point that Christ suffered that punishment as a substutionary atonement for our sin. When we think about how God punished sin on the cross, we (or at least I) have always thought about the physical death of Christ. But was there also a spiritual death as well? Does this question open a theological pandoras box? It has for me. It would be very hard for me to wrap my brain around the idea that God, the son, could die spiritually. It is also even more troubling that this spiritual death would be eternal seperation from God. Is it possible that I am simply not grasping what my pastor is trying to say here? Might some of you theological geniuses here help me with this issue of the spiritual death of Christ as the atonement for my sin?

Thanks.
 
Spiritual and physical death is the result of Adam’s sin which brought a state of misery. Sin brings on a state of unrighteousness and a loss of communion with God, which is commonly called spiritual death. Jesus endured these conditions in his soul during the time our sin was imputed to him which brought these torments since he was made a curse for us. So Christ did indeed die spiritually, but I do not think this is somehow problematic.

What is the problem that Lord Jesus died spiritually? You might say that spiritual death only happens to sinners, but spiritual death is apart of the misery caused by sin and not sin itself. Does spiritual death always happen for an eternity? The length of death that Christ Jesus had was not an eternity but three days because infinite duration only applies to reprobates since they sinned and sin stays with them.
 
We are spiritually dead with respect to God, but we still have a spiritual element to our being although corrupted. Spiritual death is separation from God not annihilation. So I would suggest that -- as hard as it might be to fathom -- Christ suffered a physical death as well as a spiritual separation (albeit temporary) from the Father as he bore God's wrath for us.
 
We are spiritually dead with respect to God, but we still have a spiritual element to our being although corrupted. Spiritual death is separation from God not annihilation. So I would suggest that -- as hard as it might be to fathom -- Christ suffered a physical death as well as a spiritual separation (albeit temporary) from the Father as he bore God's wrath for us.

I have always been taught that spiritual death is eternal seperation from God. But now you say it is temporary seperation from God. Would you please clarify?
 
I have always been taught that spiritual death is eternal seperation from God. But now you say it is temporary seperation from God. Would you please clarify?

Those without Christ will be punished for an eternity in hell. If sinners in hell are punished for an eternity, then why wasn't Jesus punished for an eternity? Jesus completely satisfied God's justice whereas sinners in hell will not be able to completely satisfy God's justice. Moreover, Jesus bore the full measure of God's wrath, but sinners in hell will not be able to do this.
 
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