|
Question: How can a child be born spiritually alive
and at the same time be born an heir of Adam, with his sin or fallen nature? I
was taught since Sunday School that Adam's sin brought spiritual death to not
only himself but all of his descendants.
A Possible Answer (and Vince, this is to you
too): If we take into account the go'el (kinsmen redeemer) aspect of
Christ's atoning work (see my earlier post for the go'el ), we can then
begin to understand how it is that the Second Adam is truly greater than the
first. Why did it take THE go'el to redeem humanity? because the
only other kinsmen that we all have in common besides the
go'el, is Adam. We have his blood running through our veins. That
blood had to be destroyed and recreated, if we were to stand a chance against
the tyrants. But the go'el is not only the go'el, he is also
pedah. He defeats the tyrants in the flesh, his own flesh, and thereby
defeats them in humanity's flesh.
In this way, humanity is included in the
Incarnation. Christ is David, so to speak (although on a much smaller
scale), standing before Goliath and representing all of the Israelites
in his battle. When David was victorious, all Israel shared in his
victory. How is that? Because these people understood representation. Even
though David was from the line of Judah and others were from the line of the
other brothers, he could represent them all because he was go'el for
them, through their common heritage in Abraham. What David defeated on a small,
external scale, that being Goliath, Christ defeated on a grand, internal
scale --sin, death, the devil, the world (See Col. 1 for the scope of
Christ's victory and a context whereby now to grasp it).
It is neither hyperbole nor is it error to say that
we are included in Christ in the Incarnation. Indeed that is where our adoption
takes place (see Eph. 1). Now if we refuse to believe in Christ, what do we
lose? not our adoption, but our inheritance, which of course includes
everlasting participation in the eternal relationship into which we were
adopted, the relationship between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit:
This is hell. On the other hand, when we place our faith in Jesus Christ,
what do we receive, if not adoption? We receive the Holy Spirit, who guarantees
our inheritance (eternal life among other things. See again Eph 1 [verse 13
specifically], along with other passages which speak of the work of the Spirit).
The Holy Spirit then is Christ in us, the hope of glory, the hope of everlasting
fellowship with the Father and the Son.
Why are children born spiritually alive when Adam
can only give them death? Because the work of the first Adam was destroyed in
the work of the Second Adam (see Rom. 5, e.g., and I Cor. 15). When Christ died,
all died. When he rose again victorious, he brought with him all who had died in
his death. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the
flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know
Him thus no longer (II Cor. 5:17).
There is much more to say on this, but I do not
want to so overwhelm you as to lose you. Please respond.
Bill Taylor
|
- Re: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sin... Wm. Taylor
- RE: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sin... Wm. Taylor
- RE: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same... David Miller
- Re: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the ... Wm. Taylor
- Re: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had... Wm. Taylor
- RE: Fw: RE: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sinf... Pastor Bob
- Re: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sinful flesh... elextech
- Re: Fw: RE: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sinf... elextech
- Re: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sinful flesh... elextech
- Re: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sinful flesh... elextech
- Re: [TruthTalk] Last words on Jesus had the same sinful flesh... elextech

