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Mankind’s desire is to hold on to our sins, which keeps us under God’s wrath: 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

We try to live a good life to meet God’s standards, but this is not possible: 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

So then there is only one solution: 

“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation [the satisfaction of God’s wrath for man’s sin] by His blood, through faith... ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:24-26).

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28).

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

In return we demonstrate our faith in thanksgiving for God’s gift of Christ for our salvation: 

“Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Romans 6:11-12). 

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14).

Without Christ, depending on our own deeds, we are lost eternally: 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

But the Good News is: 

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

“It [meaning the righteousness of Christ] shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered up because of our offenses [sins], and was raised because of our justification [salvation before God]” (Romans 4:24-25).

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).

So our good deeds will only lead to death and damnation and do not satisfy God’s wrath for our sins:

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14).

Thus we must confess Christ to be saved from God’s wrath: 

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

So the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the validation of God’s acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice of atonement as payment for our sins:

“For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

But our confession must be genuine, from the heart. How is this possible? 

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

So we hear the message of Jesus Christ by the scriptures and are thus led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14) to saving faith in Christ, not by our own deeds: 

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).

Here the Spirit of God is equated with the Spirit of Christ. So you can’t have one without the other. So any attempt to do it our own way brings God’s wrath on us: 

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

So the death and resurrection of Christ is the only payment God will accept as payment for our sins. It is entirely logical. For if the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is not true and Jesus remained dead in the tomb, then darkness has overcome light, hate has overcome love, evil has overcome good and death has overcome life:

“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Finally, confirmation that Jesus Christ is God: 

“According to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen” (Romans 9:5b).

Ultimately, we must all stand before Jesus Christ, who is God, and give an account of ourselves:

 “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).

“So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). 

So you see here plainly that we will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ (God) and give an account of ourselves to God (Christ).

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