And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a
living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:45
Before we can understand the Last Adam, we must have a clear understanding of the first Adam. Adam was the prototype of God’s greatest creation. Unlike the animal kingdom, the first human was a spiritual being capable of language, reason, emotions, and discovery.
The engineering put into the human was amazing. The components of the physical structure consisted of several inter-dependent systems that caused the creature to move, turn raw materials into energy, increase in size and abilities, as well as make more of the species. Each body system was composed of microscopic, self-replicating parts called cells that could repair themselves when damaged.
If the hardware was fantastic, the software was even more so. Designed to be in the spiritual image of God, Adam #1 could love, show empathy, have original thoughts, and solve complex problems. More amazing yet was that he was capable of devotion, holiness, and fellowship with God. Placed in the perfect environment, Adam and all his future generations were designed to never die. However, there was one flaw.
As long as there was no temptation, everything worked perfectly. But as soon as there was an opportunity to sin, everything fell apart. Take all temptations from people today and the human condition improves greatly.
Since a perfect world no longer exists, the Last Adam, Jesus Christ, came in to fix the problem. Being both God and Man, the Savior became the mediator between Adam’s race and the Holy God.
In dying on the cross for the sins of men and women, the Lord became a substitute replacing mankind’s broken relationship with God with the perfect fellowship that He had with the Father. Through faith in the Crucified One, believers are accepted in the Beloved and the age old problem of sin is finally fixed. The flaws of the first Adam are done away with and the world is offered a free, eternal upgrade through the Last Adam.
September 2