believers by virtue of their union with him.55 That is, through union with Christ believers are made righteousness, not through imputation. From an exegetical standpoint, the latter position is easier to maintain than the former. It has been demonstrated that the instrumentality and agency of Christ, along with union with Christ, produces justification in believers (Rom 3:24; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 2:16–17; Phil 3:9). While there are only a few direct references connecting union with Christ to justification,
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