Thursday, October 28, 2010

New Creation Theology: Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

Sermon 2 -- September 19, 2010


12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Rom 5:12-17


The scripture says here that all of man is divided in to either of two camps, those that are in Adam and those who are in Christ.


The Reign of Adam

The biblical view of man is that he lost fellowship with God because of disobedience. The Bible begins with God creating a perfect and good world. Man was created to live in that world. Adam and Eve had fellowship with God. The presence of the Lord was with them in the Garden (Genesis 3:8). This fellowship with holy God was broken by their disobedience. After they disobeyed God’s command, which was to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they hid themselves from God in guilt. They were barred from the Garden of Eden, losing eternal life when they were thus denied access to the Tree of Life. As a result of this Fall, all of man has a fallen nature, one that is out of favor and fellowship with their Creator.


This concept of man, fallen and in need of a Redeemer, is at the foundation and heart of the Christian message. Paul states this in Ephesians 3 that all men are born in Adam and thus are, by nature, children of wrath.

1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Eph 2:1-3


sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned

many died by the trespass of the one man

The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation Rom 5:12,15,16


Sin is not a matter of how good we are but a matter of nature. Sin entered the world through Adam, who passed it on to his descendants. Paul states here that man was helpless, ungodly (not godlike, not good), sinners (those who had missed the mark concerning righteousness) and deserving of judging for this sin: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Rom 1:18. There was a need to be justified, reconciled to God, and that was because sin had entered the world and had spread to all men. This sinful state is not simply the result of the acts of sins that we have committed but is a flaw in the fabric of our natures as a result of being descended from Adam and Eve. For through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. Rom 5:12.



The Reign of Christ

The work of Christ is the reconciliation of man back into fellowship with God. A number of factors come into play here. First is the fact that man was unable to redeem himself. None of us could be good enough to merit being reconciled to God because each of us, as children of Adam, is stained with sin. We are, by nature, children of wrath, sons of disobedience. Paul says while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom 5:6.


6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Rom 5:6-11


The sinful, helpless, child of wrath state we are in Adam does not mean we are totally degenerate and have no resemblance to God who created us in His image. What it does mean, however, is that compared to the holy perfection of God, man cannot by any means, by his own effort, make himself holy. The good news is that the work of God, the sinless life and death of Jesus is the propitiation for our sins:


2 He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 John 4:10

17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Heb 2:17

all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Rom 3:23-26


“Propitiation is a theological term denoting that by which God is rendered propitious, i.e., that ‘satisfaction’ or ‘appeasement’ by which it becomes consistent with His character and government to pardon and bless sinners.” (Definition from Wikipedia). This is the way God chose to deal with sin. With Jesus’ sacrifice, He was able to say, “It is finished!”, the wrath of God against sin has been satisfied, appeased. It really was your and my sin that brought Christ to the cross because we were born in Adam. But if we are in Christ we are being identified with Jesus, who is the second Adam, the Adam from above. God doesn’t see us through our sin but through the work He did through Christ Jesus to redeem us from our sin.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Rom 8:1


Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Rom 5:1,2


Justified through faith in Jesus Christ, we have entered a state of being at peace with God. God views us as justified, as having never sinned. Paul says we have peace with God. We are to stand, trusting in this position, realizing our faith in the work of Christ has brought us into a place of grace, which is unmerited favor, in our relationship with God. We are to stand thoroughly convinced of this peace with God. This is the Christian message and it is the hope of our calling. God, seeing our hopeless estate, has provided so great a salvation for those who believe.


The great question for every person is whether they are in Adam or in Christ. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation and living in the reign of grace. The believer is dead to guilt for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. But more than this, the Christian is free from the reign of sin; he has entered into the reign of grace. No more is he a slave to sin. Now, he is a slave to righteousness. We receive a new nature, we are new creations, we are said to be, “in Christ”. Christ is in us, who is the hope of our glory and eternal life. His “new creation life” within us is also the power to live a Christian life today here on earth.


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