A Word of encouragement to all (traditions, Gospel, hell, punishment)

[ahigherway]

The First Adam and the Last Adam


I would like to first of all thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the Almighty God who sent Him to be the propitiation for my sins, and not for mine only, but for those of the whole world. For without Him, we would be condemned to our own devices and errors, unable to walk in holiness and True Life.


Christianity, in all of its forms and traditions, has a few elements in common, which have been held as the basis what is to be believed about God, man and the rest of creation.
These basic tenents have indoctrinated man around the world for the last 2,000 years, and have, alas, even been the motivation for many conflicts and divisions among men.


One of these basic teachings is regarding the fall of man.
They speak of the figure of Adam, as an individual whom God placed in a beautiful garden called Eden, and, together with his companion Eve, were commanded by God to “be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it.”
They were also given the command to not eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.


So as the explanation goes, Eve was one day deceived by the Serpent, who was the most deceptive of the creatures that God had made, and accepted the temptation to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. She then gave Adam this same fruit, and he did eat it.
God understood that Adam had disobeyed the command, and as a result, He condemned Adam to death and expelled him from the garden of Eden, along with Eve.


And this account goes on to say that this disobedience of Adam has had severe consequences for all mankind; that God cursed Adam's offspring to the same punishment of death that he himself suffered.


So from this much of the history, we see that Adam had an influence over all men (and women) who would be born after him. He had a type of “spiritual fatherhood” or “imprinting” or “dna” of death which carried over into all men after him.


And church teachings throughout the ages have continued to tell us that this “imprinting” of the original Adam has been carried down even to our days, which many call the “last days,” and that man alone is destined to reap what Adam sowed 6,000 years ago, unless he “accepts Christ” as his Lord and Savior.


Now this Christ is a particular figure, because we read some things about Him which are in direct relation to the first Adam, mentioned above.
Christ Jesus, the Anointed One of God, was also a Son of God. Indeed, He is the only Son who was Begotten, not through carnal heritage, but through Spiritual heritage.
And we can read in Romans 5, that Christ was called the “Last” or “Second Adam.” He was compared to the first Adam, since the First Adam was the prefigure of this Second Adam. That is, the role and power and influence this first Adam had on mankind (in this case, bringing condemnation and sin and death unto all mankind) , Christ was also to have on mankind as well, but in the opposite sense.
Adam was the head figure who brought death and sin and condemnation to mankind.
But Christ was the True Head Figure who brought Life and Justification before God to mankind, who has made us ALL “born again.” Yes! The WORLD, through the obedience of the Last Adam, has been born again! (And it seems plain to me now, that as the Son was revealed in Paul, so He must be revealed in all men, and this indeed is the second coming of Christ.)


Now the influence of both is spread unto the ends of the earth, let us make no mistake about it. Adam's fault has been automatically applied as sin unto all men and women born from him, and there has never been any other alternative for God's creature to choose.
In the same way, Christ (the Second or Last Adam) has had an equally powerful effect on mankind through His obedience to God. No, rather, an even more powerful effect on mankind, as declared by Paul: “But not as the offense, so also is the free gift...” (Rom. 5:15). Christ's power to change the course of human history is declared. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound..” (v. 20)


Man is continually being told by the Church Authorities to recognize his “binding relation” to sin through the first Adam, but he is never told that he already has a new, even-more binding relation to Christ through His obedience. Man is continually beaten down by the Religious to eat and swallow Adam's sentence of condemnation as their lot in life, when this death sentence has been superceded by Christ's (their supposed Savior) own obedience 2,000 years ago! They see the influence of the First Adam's transgression upon all humanity, but they cannot see the influence of the Last Adam's obedience upon the same entire creation! (At the most, they will tell you that Christ's obedience could have “theoretically” replaced the First Adam's transgression, but that complete restoration has been left up to man's own decision as to whether or not to accept it, and indeed, many have not done so. Therefore, Christ's obedience as the Last Adam has not been nearly as “global” and “complete” in saving mankind as the First Adam's disobedience had in condemning mankind.)


Now to say that the Last Adam had conquered all foes is faithful and true. However, it is also true that we do not yet see all things put under His Rule. But we do see Jesus. He is the Successful Adam, the One who obeyed the Father as was required of the First Adam also.


We do not yet see all things put under His Feet; it is clear that the stink of the dead (first) Adam still lingers around us, and the influences of the New Adam are yet to be seen in their fullness. We see just a taste of it in the early church, an example of power mixed with weakness. Pentecost, a celebration which required the leaven to be mixed in, and therefore we know that we are not yet at tabernacles.


But the understanding is now making its way into our hearts, by His Faithfulness and Patience with us, His creatures.
Indeed, many are now seeing the hope of God's salvation to ALL His creatures. The question of “hell” is being brought forth with more clarity than ever. The “torment” of such a place being understood not as the carnal inflictions which man may place upon another man, but the type of “torment” which comes from states such as regret. Regret of something not done that might've been done before, and the torment of realizing the waste of precious energy on useless things which are of no profit to man and his neighbor.


The weeping and gnashing of teeth not as physical lashings and tortures, but as weeping over time lost in the old First Adam habits and ways, not in the newness of Life which has been given to all through the obedience of the Second/Last Adam. And gnashing of teeth of those who never heard the Gospel (Good News), towards those who expound on the Scriptures to wield power over the common man, not encouraging or lifting him up into his freely-given New Nature in Christ, but beating him down with guilt of what the old first Adam did, whose punishment has long been overcome through the obedience of the Second Adam, Christ.


Many today indeed are learning to walk in this Newness of Life, this is true. Some are hearing the Voice of Jesus in them, and bringing forth sweet fruit of Love towards others, and this is the rays of dawning of the Kingdom and His Rest, for which the world longs.
Many, however, though they are seeing this Last Adamic Nature rising up in them, think it something which they have chosen for themselves, something of private property which none other has within them to share. This is their mistake.
For just as the Old Adam was poured out into every human ever born, so it is even more true that the New Adam has been poured out into us, and is overcoming and overtaking the old remains of what was the fallen nature of man.


So we must look for Christ in every man, teaching every man, as did Paul, wanting to know none other than Christ in all men. We have not been called to condemn men for an old nature who they have been obliged to take, and whose stink is still present with us today, being dead more than 2,000 years; but we must forgive all, and exhort men daily to “be reconciled to God” who has already reconciled them to Himself. For when man hears this truth that God's Last Adam is now in them, and is no longer looking at the first Adam which could not save, then they will rejoice to turn to their Master and be saved from the darkness which has so vastly covered the earth through the condemnation which the first Adam brought.
Because the focus of many today is still on the first Adam, and the condemnation which he brought. Therefore their eyes are darkened by religious teaching which says that they are bound to this old nature, and unable to know another nature unless they ask forgiveness, say a specific prayer, etc.


Christ the New Nature has been placed in the hearts of all of His creatures. And this New Nature is sinless. (1 John 3:9) The First Adam is dead and gone, the Second Adam is rising up in power in sons and daughters across the globe. And He must rise, and spread to the ends of the earth, that that saying may be true, “all flesh shall know Me, from the least unto the greatest of them.”
We mustn't preach the New Adam out of “personal authority,” as if He was ours, but unknown to them who have not heard the message. For Christ is the Last Adam, gone out into all the world, and may rise up in the hearts of men and women as He so chooses. For whether we call upon Him at a campus crusade, or whether we hear His Voice of Righteousness in us all alone at home, it makes no difference, it is He who is our new nature, and He cannot be confined to church assemblies and prayer groups. He can spring up among people at a bar, or among those in prison who shut up in nursing homes. He is the Star of David, and the Righteous Sceptre who brings healing and peace in His wings.


May we stop condemning those whom Christ died to save; and may we begin to exhort one another to heed and listen to the New Nature which is in them, which shall arise and give us True Life as was preached by the early church. Because we are all to become transformed into the Last Adam, Christ Himself!! THIS is Christ IN you, the hope of glory! Amen and amen.


Blessings to all,
brian

[bumpus7]

Originally Posted by ahigherway

The First Adam and the Last Adam


So from this much of the history, we see that Adam had an influence over all men (and women) who would be born after him. He had a type of “spiritual fatherhood” or “imprinting” or “dna” of death which carried over into all men after him.

When Adam ate of the Forbidden Fruit he Died Spiritually and So did Eve die Spiritually but they did pass on the literal dna for all of the world of man kind from that day forward.

But they them selves could not pass on Spiritual Life because they had no Spiritual life in them to pass on any more, because they died spiritually the same day they ate of the Fruit that God said not to eat.



Gen:2:16: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.


Only The Lord can give Spiritual Life, man can not do that.

.

[ahigherway]

Originally Posted by bumpus7

When Adam ate of the Forbidden Fruit he Died Spiritually and So did Eve die Spiritually but they did pass on the literal dna for all of the world of man kind from that day forward.

But they them selves could not pass on Spiritual Life because they had no Spiritual life in them to pass on any more, because they died spiritually the same day they ate of the Fruit that God said not to eat.



Gen:2:16: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.


Only The Lord can give Spiritual Life, man can not do that.

.

Yes, my intention was to say that Adam did reproduce himself, but what he passed on to all mankind was death. He transferred death to mankind, whereas Jesus transferred Life to all mankind.

Blessings!
brian