Day 4 - One man’s failure – One man’s redemption.

Adam was the first created man and yet Jesus is called the firstborn of creation. As referenced below, Jesus was before creation and creation itself came from Him. The term “firstborn” does not necessarily point to the first born according to the calendar, but it refers to the one who carries the rights of inheritance and authority through the generations. Jesus brought with Him not just a “representation” of God, but God himself. One of his many names is “Emmanuel” (God with us).

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. ESV

1 Corinthians 15:45-49

45 Thus it is written, the first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life]. [Gen 2:7.]

46 But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual.

47 The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven. [Gen 2:7.]

48 Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded).

49 And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven. AMPLIFIED Bible

Galatians 4:4-7

4 But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. 5 Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. 6 You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father!" 7 Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.

Romans 5:10-20 – “The Mirror Bible” Francois du Toit

10.Our hostility and indifference towards God did not reduce his love for us; he saw equal value in us when he exchanged the life of his son for ours Now the act of¹ reconciliation is complete, his life saves us from the guttermost to the uttermost. (Reconciliation from ¹katalasso, meaning a mutual exchange of equal value. Thayer Definition: to exchange as coins for others of equivalent value. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” – RSV)

11. Thus, our joyful boasting in God continues; Jesus Christ has made reconciliation a reality.

12. One man opened the door to sin. Sin introduced (spiritual) death. Both sin and (spiritual) death had a global impact. No one escaped its tyranny.

13. The law (Torah) did not introduce sin; sin was just not pointed out yet.

14. In the meantime (spiritual) death dominated from Adam to Moses. (2500 years before the law was given) no one was excluded; even those whose transgression was different from Adam’s. The fact is that Adam’s offense set sin in motion and its mark was globally transmitted and stained the whole human race.

15. The only similarity in the comparison between the offense and the gift, is that both Adam and Christ represent the masses: their single action therefore bears global consequences. Spiritual death introduced by one man’s transgression is far superseded by the grace gift lavished upon mankind in the one man Jesus Christ. (But God’s free gift immeasurably outweighs the transgression. For if through the transgression the one individual the mass of mankind has died, infinitely greater is the generosity with which God’s grace and the gift given in his grace which formed expression in the man Jesus Christ, have been bestowed on the mass of human kind Weymouth, 1912)

16. The difference between the two men is further emphasized in that judgment and condemnation followed a single offense, whereas the free gift of acquittal and righteousness follows innumerable sins.

17. If (spiritual) death saw the gap in one sin, and grabbed the opportunity to dominate mankind because of one man, how much more may we now seize the advantage to reign in righteousness in this life through the one act of Christ, who declared us innocent by his grace. Grace is all out of proportion in superiority to the transgression.

18. The conclusion is clear; it took just one offense to condemn mankind; one act of righteousness declares the same mankind innocent. (Phillips translation: “We see then, that as one act of sin exposed the whole human race to condemnation, so one act of perfect righteousness represents all men freely acquitted in the sight of God!”)

19’ The disobedience of the one man ¹exhibits humanity as sinners; the obedience of another man exhibits humanity as righteous. (¹kathistemi, to cause to be set, to exhibit. We were not made sinners by our disobedience; neither were we made righteous by our own obedience.)

20. The presence of the law made no difference, instead it merely highlighted the offense; but where sin increased, grace superseded it.

God’s heart is to override weakness and failure, not to punish it. He has chosen to display Himself in the weakness of flesh. His strength is made perfect in our weakness (1 Corinthians 12:9)

Mankind has forgotten their maker and in the process, their identity. You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth (Deuteronomy 32:18 RSV) The mission of Jesus was not to begin the Christian religion. His mandate was to reveal and redeem the image and likeness of God in human form.

Discussion Questions:

Day 4 - One man’s failure – One man’s redemption.