of the blood, and am not pushing the word to its literal meaning. The blood of Christ is the biblical phrase for His sacrifice, His death, His atonement. He did not save us by living; He saved us by dying. In the fourth place, our justification is linked for its proof to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our justification did not take place because Christ rose from the dead, but He was raised from the dead because God the Father had declared us righteous, justified freely. The