OK, time for Salvation Theology 201.

First a refresher from Salvation Theology 101: God calls us to Holiness. His covenent requires that we abide by His laws. Failure to abide by His laws results in death and eternal seperation from His presence. However, "all have sinned and fallen away from God". Therefore, we are all subject to the consequences of sin; Eternal seperation from the God (i.e. Hell). God is holy, and God is good, and God is just. Therefore, He cannot just waive the requirements on us in this convenant, but He can, and has, provided a substitute. Jesus came to us, lived a sinless life (and in doing so, did not incur the blood debt that each of us owe from our sin), and yet, still paid the price that the convenant demands of us. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe for me, who had a debt that I could not pay.

But here are my questions... How is it possible for one man to pay the debt of billions? It's relativily easy to see how Jesus paid for *my* sins, but how could one life pay for all sins for all people? Wouldn't the sacrificial calculus be one sinless life in exchange for one life marred by sin?

Secondly, how does the resurrection figure into this? I have heard others say that the resurrection is proof that Jesus has broken the power of sin over us. But that doesn't fit into the sacrificial nature of the exchange. If a death and resurrection is sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the convenant, would not *my* death, followed by a resurrection, be sufficient for my sinful life?

Now, I know, based on my faith, that Jesus' death has enough for all, and that my death apart from Jesus, even with a resurrection is not sufficient. But these are the "I wonder how that works" questions that occur to me. I am perfectly willing to accept that these questions are unknowable to us, but known to God. But if there are answers to these questions that God has given to us, or that the Spirit will enable us to work out, I for one would like to explore them.

Any ideas out there?