Sermon #1609                            Miscellaneous Sermons

 

     Title:           Adam — A Type of Christ

     Text:           Romans 5:14

     Date:          Sunday Morning — March 6, 2005

     Tape #        Y-63a

     Reading:    Genesis 1:26-2:25

 

(1:26)  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

 

(1:27)  "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

 

(1:28)  "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

 

(1:29)  "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."

 

(1:30)  "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."

 

(1:31)  "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

 

(2:1)  "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them."

 

(2:2)  "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."

 

(2:3)  "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

 

(2:8)  "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed."

 

(2:9)  "And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil."

 

(2:10)  "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads."

 

(2:18)  "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

 

(2:19)  "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof."

 

(2:20)  "And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him."

 

(2:21)  "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;"

 

(2:22)  "And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

 

(2:23)  "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

 

(2:24)  "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

 

(2:25)  "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

 

 

Introduction

 

I love to study and preach from the Old Testament types of Christ. They are instructive pictures of our great Redeemer and his works of redemption and grace for us. As you know, there are a great variety of types in the Old Testament.

·       Historical Types: — Noah’s Ark — Israel’s Deliverance out of Egypt — Taking Canaan — The Cities of Refuge — The Deliverance out of Babylonian Captivity

·       Ceremonial Types: — The Tabernacle — The Priesthood — Passover — Sin-offerings — Sabbath Day — The Year of Jubilee

·       Personal Types: Noah — Abraham — Isaac — Joseph — Judah — Moses — Aaron — Samson

 

One Type Named

 

Now, let me ask you a question. — Did you know that there is only one type of Christ that is specifically named as a type of Christ in the Scriptures? Does that surprise you? If so, this will be even more surprising, even puzzling — The one type that is specifically named as a type of Christ in the Word of God is almost always ignored when people talk and write about types. When it is mentioned, it is almost always given very brief and very apologetic mention, as if there might be something evil in the comparison.

 

Do I have your attention? Turn with me to Romans 5:14, and I will show you the only type of Christ in all the Bible that is specifically named as a type of Christ.

 

(Romans 5:14)  "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come."

 

In verse 15 the Holy Spirit tells us that “him that was to come” is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word translated “figure” means “type, print, example, form, and pattern.” I want us to look at Adam as a type of Christ. Being a type of Christ, Adam has much in common with him. But, like all types, Adam is dissimilar in many respects.

 

As we read through the Scriptures, we find that Adam and Christ are uniquely linked together. We would be wise to carefully and prayerfully study the comparisons and contrasts that are made of them  (Rom. 5:12, 18-21; 1 Cor. 15:21-22).

 

(Romans 5:12-21)  "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (13) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. (15) But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. (17) For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (20) Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

 

(1 Corinthians 15:21-22)  "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

 

·       Adam was made in the image of Christ, who is “the image of the invisible God” (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).

·       Adam was a representative man, a covenant head, and so is Christ, the last Adam.

·       All that Adam did was imputed to all his seed, all that he became was imparted to all his seed by natural generation. We are all the sons of Adam, “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3), by nature.

·       So too, all that Christ did has been imputed to all his seed in justification, and all that he is as a man is imparted to all his seed by the Holy Spirit in regeneration. All believers are the sons of God by grace.

 

Consider what Adam did as our federal head and representative. He repudiated the goodness and love of God (Gen. 3:5). He questioned the truth and veracity of God (Gen. 3:4).

 

Christ, the last Adam, the second and last man, the second and last federal head and representative, completely vindicated the love, truth, and majesty of God, which the first man Adam had so grievously and deliberately dishonored. Christ, as a man, as the God-man, our Mediator, honored God in thought, word, and deed all the days of his life upon the earth. He vindicated the love of God (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-10). If ever you are tempted of the devil to question the goodness and love of God, if the events of providence appear to cast a cloud over God’s goodness and love, look to Calvary and know that “God is love!”

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ vindicated the truth of God, too.

·       When he was tempted by Satan to doubt God’s goodness, truth, and supremacy, each time he answered, “It is written”.

·       Every sabbath day he went into the synagogue to read the Word of God.

·       As he chose his twelve apostles, he deliberately selected Judas that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.

·       In his last moments of agony, he cried, “I thirst,” that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.

·       After he was risen from the dead, as he spoke to his disciples, he opened to them the Scriptures (Lk. 24).

At every age, in every event, in all the details of his life, our all-glorious Savior, federal head, representative, and substitute believed, honored, and magnified God’s truth, even when it cost him dearly to do so.

 

The Lord of glory also completely vindicated the majesty, supremacy, and sovereignty of God as our representative.

·       He vindicated God’s right to be God by his willing, voluntary submission to him at all times and by his obedience to him even unto death (Phil. 2:5-11; Gal. 4:4-5).

·       He trusted God, as a man, living in perfect faith.

·       He obeyed the will of God perfectly (Heb. 10:5).

·       He fulfilled the law of God completely (Rom. 10:4).

·       He subjected his will to the Father’s will.

·       He magnified the justice of God in his death. In doing so, our blessed Savior fulfilled all righteousness and brought in an everlasting righteousness for his people, to the praise, honor, and glory of God.

·       He was made like unto his brethren. He is not ashamed to call us his brethren, because we are made the righteousness of God in him.

 

The Image of God

 

In Genesis 1:26 we read that Adam was made in the image of God.

 

(Genesis 1:26)  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

 

Men have given many explanations of that, but most seem to ignore God’s explanation of it. God the Holy Spirit tells us plainly that image of God in whose likeness Adam was made is Christ. (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).

 

(2 Corinthians 4:4)  "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

 

(Colossians 1:15)  "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature."

 

(Hebrews 1:3)  "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

 

What does that mean? What does God the Holy Spirit mean for us to understand by the fact that Adam was made in the image of Christ? Certainly he means for us to understand that though the first Adam was the first man to appear on the earth, Christ, the last Adam, who is the Lord from heaven, had a pre-existence in secret, and stood before God as the Great Head of his body the church, as our Surety before the world began. — Christ is the Wisdom man who spoke for us, whose delights were with us from eternity (Pro. 8:22-31).

 

(Proverbs 8:22-31)  "The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. (23) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. (24) When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. (25) Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: (26) While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. (27) When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: (28) When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: (29) When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: (30) Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; (31) Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men."

 

After the pattern of this Man who was to come, the first earthly man was formed. Therefore, the triune God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."

 

·       Christ, the Man, is that One upon our help was laid from old eternity, even before we needed his help (Ps. 89:19).

 

(Psalms 89:19)  "Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people."

 

·       Christ is the Man “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Mic. 5:2).

 

(Micah 5:2)  "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

 

Relationship Implied

 

(1 Corinthians 15:45)  "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."

 

We often refer to the first Adam and the second Adam; but that is a mistake. Our Lord Jesus is called “the last Adam.” In the Scriptures he is never called “the second Adam.” Our Lord is called, “the second man” (1 Cor. 15:47), but never “the second Adam.” I will show you the significance of that fact in a few minutes.

 

For now I want you to see that when Christ is called “the last Adam,” a twofold relation between him and the first Adam is implied. By giving him the name of “Adam,” the Holy Spirit implies a typical relation between “the last Adam” and “the first man Adam.” By prefixing to the name the term “last,” he tells us that our Savior is another Adam.

 

The Relation between

Christ and Adam

 

The fact that our Savior is given the name “Adam” in the Book of God tell us that the relationship between the “first man Adam” and “the last Adam” is clearly a typical relationship. Names are often used this way in Scripture.

 

·       In Revelation 11:8, the world is called “Sodom and Egypt,” telling us that Sodom and Egypt were types of the world.

·       In Revelation 17:18, the apostate church is call Babylon; telling us that Babylon was a type of the apostate church.

·       In Hebrews 12:22, the Church of God’s elect is called “Mount Sion,” telling us that Mount Sion typified the Church.

·       John the Baptist is called Elijah because he was typified by that prophet.

·       And we find our Lord himself called David at one time (Ezek. 34:23, 37:24, 25; Jer. 30:9), and Solomon at another (Song 3:7-11), telling us that these great kings were types of him as our great King.

 

The application of the name of Adam to our Lord is to he regarded as a declaration that Adam was typically related to Christ. As Paul put it in our text, he “is the figure of hint that was to come” (Rom. 5:14).

 

Adam was a type of Christ. — He prefigured and foreshadowed Christ. In the life, circumstances, and position of the father of mankind, there were things that were put there by the hand of God to present a picture of great and vital, wonderful and glorious realities in connection with “him that was to come

 

Adam As A Type

 

I cannot give you all the picture. It is just to big. Maybe the Lord will allow me to come back to it another day. For now, let me just give you some highlights in just four points.

 

1. Adam typified our Lord Jesus in the holiness of his nature. Of all the human race there have been two men, and only two, who were free from every taint of sin when they came into the world. Two men were holy, harmless, undefiled, at the very outset of their earthly existence, just two. — “the first man Adam” and “the last Adam.” In the word made flesh, the woman’s promised seed, we see the one; and, looking across the intervening ages, back to the day when God made man in his own image, we see the other, “a figure of him that was to come

 

2. Adam was typical of our Lord in his dominion. The dominion God gave Adam over all things prefigured, and was intended to prefigure the dominion he has given to Christ over all things as our God-man Mediator.

 

In Psalm 8:4-8, we read, — “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas

 

All this dominion is ascribed to man. We read in Genesis 1:26 that God said to “the first man Adam,” with the decree that accompanied his creation, — “ Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth

 

But the first man is not here alone. A greater than he is in the words. If we read Paul’s exposition of these words in Hebrews 2:8-9 we that this dominion is ascribed to “the last Adam,” our Savior, the Man of God’s right hand. — “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet,” Paul says, quoting Psalm 8. Then he explains, — “For in that he put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him; but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor

 

The grandeur of the position of Adam as the lord of this world, and the creatures contained in it, symbolized the grandeur of that King who has on his head many crowns, and in his hands all power in heaven and on earth, with the keys of hell and of death, and of whom it is told that God has highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth!

 

3. Adam was a type of Christ in his marriage. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church.” Then he says, “We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones,” using the language of Adam concerning Eve, “This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.” Because Eve was one with him, a part of his body, a rib taken from his wounded side, he was utterly devoted to her. He said, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” The Holy Spirit tells us specifically that the great mystery of which Adam spoke in the garden was the mystery of the union that exists between Christ and his bride, the Church (Eph. 5:32).

 

(Ephesians 5:32)  "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."

 

The union between Christ and the Church is often described as a marriage.

·       He is the bridegroom; she is the bride.

·       He is the King, whose garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces; and she is the Queen, who stands at his right hand in gold of Ophir.

·       A whole book of Scripture (the Song of Solomon) is devoted to the subject, considered in this aspect alone.

·       The marriage of Adam and Eve was preceded by a deep sleep, into which the Lord God cast him, proclaiming that the marriage of Christ and his Church must be preceded by a similar sleep. The sleep of Christ was deep. It was the sleep of death. He was cast into it by the hand of God’s justice.

·       After Adam awoke from his sleep, the Lord God brought the woman to the man. So it is with Christ. The Lord God brings his wife to him by the hand of omnipotent grace.

·       Oh, how Adam loved his wife Eve!

 

Nowhere do we see the love of Christ for his Church set forth so fully as in the case of Adam's love for Eve. The popular notion is that Eve beguiled Adam. Eve did nothing of the kind. Satan beguiled her, allured her by deception into sin and rebellion against God; but the Holy Spirit tells us plainly that "Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (I Tim. 2:14).

 

Adam was not deceived to any degree, neither by the devil nor by his wife. He knew exactly what he was doing and sinned with his eyes wide open. He saw her in the depths of her guilt and shame; and out of nothing but love for her, before he would be parted from her he would be damned with her. He cleaved to his wife, for they were one flesh. And into ruin he plunged himself for her sake. In all this he was the figure of him that was to come. So it was with our dear Savior!

 

The horrid load of all my guilt

Was on my Savior laid;

He loved me so that, for my life,

My sin His own He made!

 

Forsaken, there, by God in death,

His heart was fixed on me!

His love embraced my guilty soul,

When nailed to the tree!

 

For me He took the cup of wrath,

And drank damnation dry!

His love sustained His soul in death, —

That I might never die!

 

Oh, love amazing! love beyond

The reach of human thought!

That love shall be my endless song,

Which my salvation bought!

 

Genesis 2:21-25

 

Turn back to Genesis 2. Let’s read verses 21-25.

 

(Genesis 2:21-25)  "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; (22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

 

First, the Lord God caused Adam to go into a deep sleep. Then, he open his side and took out one of his ribs. From Adam’s rib, he made “an help meet for him.” Then, the Lord God brought Eve to Adam. Then we read in verse 25, — “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

 

Naked and Not Ashamed

 

When the Lord God brings his elect to Christ, giving chosen, redeemed, eternally loved sinners the blessed union of faith with Christ, trusting him as our only righteousness and redemption, finding all in him, these two things are true of us and our Savior.

 

1.       We stand with Christ, one with Christ, in Christ, married to Christ, and we stand naked with our Savior before the eyes of God’s omniscient holiness (Heb. 4:13),

2.       Standing before God, naked before him who knows all things, Christ is not ashamed to have us as his Bride and we are not ashamed to stand before the holy Lord God in Christ! Our Savior says, “I shall not be ashamed” (Isa. 50:7). And he declares that we shall not be ashamed (Isa. 45:17; Rom. 9:33; 10:11).

 

(Isaiah 45:17)  "But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end."

 

(Romans 9:33)  "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

 

(Romans 10:11)  "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

 

Three Great Wonders

 

Here are three great wonders of mercy and love, grace and peace, justice and truth revealed in the Book of God. These three facts are too great for anyone to believe, except by a God-given faith in Christ.

 

1.    The Lord Jesus Christ has no reason to be ashamed of me! — He has made me perfectly holy and righteous before the holy Lord God.

2.    I am not ashamed of Christ. — I am not ashamed to own him as my only Lord, my only Savior, my only Redemption, my only Acceptance, my only Righteousness, my only Salvation, my only Trust (1 Cor. 1:30-31).

3.    And in Christ, being one with Christ, I have no reason to be ashamed before the thrice holy Lord God, who is a consuming fire! — I have no sin. — I have no guilt. — I am perfectly righteous. — I am perfectly holy in “the last Adam

 

The Last Adam

 

I told you at the beginning of my message that I would show you the significance of the fact that our Lord Jesus is specifically called “the last Adam.” He is never called the second Adam, but only “the last Adam.”

 

(1 Corinthians 15:45)  "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."

 

4. I will have to come back to this another day, but I want you to see that it is particularly as a covenant head and representative that the Spirit of God tells us Adam was a type of Christ (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:21-22). As such…

 

·       The “first man Adam,” ruined everything. — Christ, “the last Adam,” restored everything.

·       The “first man Adam,” broke the law. — Christ, “the last Adam,” fulfilled the law.

·       The “first man Adam,” refused to bow to the will of God. — Christ, “the last Adam,” completely obeyed the will of God.

·       The “first man Adam,” failed. ‑ Christ, “the last Adam,” prevailed.

·       The “first man Adam,” was a miserable failure. — Christ, “the last Adam,” was gloriously successful!

 

(Romans 5:12-21)  "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (13) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. (15) But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. (17) For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (20) Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

 

(1 Corinthians 15:21-22)  "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

 

The first man, Adam was the first representative man. As such, the first man Adam was a complete failure. If there had been a second, he would have been a failure, too. But Christ, “the last Adam,” the last Representative Man, is a complete success. He cried, “It is finished!” There is, therefore, no need and never can be need for another. The great work is done. And by virtue and merit of his finished work, “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit,” to give eternal life to as many as the Father gave him in electing love and covenant grace before the world began.

 

“Nothing, either great or small,

Nothing, sinner, no;

Jesus did it, did it all,

Long, long ago!

 

When He, from His lofty throne,

Stooped to do and die,

Everything was fully done;

Hearken to His cry -

 

‘It is finished!’ Yes indeed,

Finished every jot.

Sinner, this is all you need.

Tell me, Is it not?

 

Weary, working, plodding one,

Why toil you so?

Cease your doing, all was done,

Long, long ago!

 

Till to Jesus’ work you cling

By a simple faith,

Doing is a deadly thing.

Doing ends in death!

 

Cast your deadly ‘doing’ down,

Down at Jesus’ feet.

Stand in Him, in Him alone,

Gloriously complete!”

 

·       Because “the first man Adam” was such a miserable failure, and because we bear his image, we are, like him of the earth and earthy.

·       Because “the last Adam” is such a glorious success, he “was made a quickening spirit,” and we now bear his image, soon, we shall bear his image perfectly (1 Cor. 15:47-49, 51-58).

 

(1 Corinthians 15:47-49)  "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (49) And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."

 

(1 Corinthians 15:51-58)  "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

 

Amen.