Please expound on this claim and provide scriptural support.
Wesley this is how I would understand what Paleouss is saying
Greetings to all on this blessed Tuesday. May the grace and hope of our Lord do a great work in you all.
It would seem that Silverhair is going the direction I intended (thanks for the verses). Before I start here, I would like to put a disclaimer that my current analysis of Romans 14:9 is a work in progress. That is, it just has come across my desk as something to study and pray about. However, although this verse may be new for me, the overall heading in which I believe it should be placed under is not new to me. That being Christ's Cosmic Triumph on the cross....
1. The Incarnation, death, and resurrection of God the Son was for
multiple purposes.
2. One of those purposes was the work of the Son of God to put all things under His foot (1Cor 15:24-28, Heb 2:8, 1John 3:8, Phil 2:10, 1Pet 3:22).
Those "things" that are being put under the Son of God's foot are
"against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]" (Eph 6:12). I have highlighted the words "against powers" to focus on
the power of sin and death (emphasis on "power"). Sin and death are the tools, the powers, of the Devil, they are the
"works of the devil", one of the multiple purposes that Christ has come to destroy (1John 3:8).
In Romans 14:9 it explicitly states that one of the purposes of the IDR was that
"he might be Lord both of the dead and the living". The key word I am focusing on is "dead" or Lord of the dead. Now, my first thought was, is the Son of God not the "Lord" over the "dead" already? But my thoughts quickly turn to the word "dominion" and this fallen kingdom. For it says, "sin shall not have dominion over you" (implying sin has a dominion) (Rom 6:14).
The Holy Scriptures says that the devil is the
"ruler of this world" (John 14:30); the
"prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2); the
"whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1John 14:30); and this earthly kingdom would seem to be something that the devil has dominion and authority over, for he can offer it to Jesus (Matt 4:8-9). So now we have...
(a) Rulers of this dark age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness (this is the devil and his dominion).
(b) Powers (this is sin and death and its dominion).
So Christ's work on the cross regarding his Cosmic Triumph was that "The last enemy [that] will be destroyed [is] death" (1Co 15:26 NKJV) ... SO THAT ...
"through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb 2:14). Kinda like two birds with one stone.
The dominion of sin and death is a "lawless" dominion (power). Focusing on death, there is no law, no ruler, no rule. It is lawless (1John 3:4). It kills indiscriminately (meaning without regard to law or justice (Rom 5:13).
So Christ's work on the cross conquers the dominion of death, and He becomes Lord of the dead (Rom 14:9). As it is written, "O Death, were is your sting? O Hades, were is your victory?" (1Cor 15:55). Notice that Christ has victory over "death" AND "Hades". Christ also
"went and preached to the spirits in prison" (1Pe 3:19 NKJV).
Now that Christ is "
Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Rom 14:9), He raises from the dead,
all the dead. For it is written,
"those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame [and] everlasting contempt" (Dan 12:2).
But each in his own order. "Christ the firstfruits" is first (Cor 15:20,23), "then at his coming those who belong to Christ" (1Cor 15:23), then there is the second resurrection who are not part of the first resurrection
"who are judged according to their works" (Rev 20:12, 20:5). For those of the second resurrection have not chosen faith and belief.
So in this sense, Christ's work on the cross conquered the dominion of the devil and the dominion of sin and death over all mankind. This conquering made the Son of God the Lord of the dead and the living. This frees all mankind in a way that makes it about faith, for it says "
Therefore, it is of faith that it might be according to grace" (Rom 4:16).
Thoughts?