Have you ever thought of Adam and Eve and wondered, “What if they had not eaten the forbidden fruit?” Or have you ever been ashamed that Eve was deceived by the devil? Perhaps you thought you could have resisted the temptation? Well, regardless of what we would or would not do, Adam sinned. And just to be clear: Adam’s sin was the sin of rebellion, direct disobedience to the Lord. Eve may have been deceived, but Adam knew exactly what he was doing, and he did it anyway. Can you relate?

Did Adam’s sin of rebellion doom us for all time? Are we stuck with his choice forever? Does his choice have that much power over us, that we have to live in rebellion against God our entire lives? I’ve got good news for you; Jesus is greater than Adam. The one act of Jesus’ obedience invalidated Adam’s one act of rebellion.

Jesus versus Adam

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22 (ESV)

Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall [or ‘let us’] also bear the image of the man of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (ESV) [words in brackets mine]

Remember in grade school when you had to write a ‘compare and contrast’ paper? The teacher may have given the assignment to compare and contrast alligators and crocodiles. Then you would have to find the similarities and differences between the two. Well, let’s contrast Adam and Jesus, using the verses from 1 Corinthians 15.

Adam’s Description

Notice the attributes of Adam: he was the first living man, natural, from the earth, a man of dust, acquainted with death. Adam failed to resist the temptation in the garden. His temptation was knowledge without God; it was becoming his own man, becoming the boss of his life. It was rebellion against the Word and command of God. His failure was imparted to mankind. 

Jesus’ Description

Now compare this to the attributes of Jesus: He is called the last Adam, a life-giving spirit, spiritual, from Heaven, giving people life. Jesus successfully resisted the tempter in the wilderness and submitted His will to God in the garden. His victory was imparted to all of us. 

Now what about us? We have borne the image of Adam in our previous lives, but now we are renewed into the image of Jesus. We are now “of Heaven” and “bear the image of the man of Heaven.”

New Creatures in Christ

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (ESV)

Since Jesus died for us all, and since we (our old fleshly selves) have died with Him, then we now live for Him instead of living for ourselves. We once thought Jesus was a good teacher or prophet or some religious guy, but now we know Him as our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend, our Brother. Now we know we are one in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Here’s some really good news: since we are in Christ, we are new creatures. We are re-created. Our old selves are dead. Our old fleshly, sinful selves were crucified with Christ. And now the life we live in this body we live by faith in Christ. 

The New and Improved Law

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)

So what about sin? It’s empowered by the old law, and we get a choice to live under the old law or the new law. When a new law is passed, the old law doesn’t exist anymore except in the minds of the people who used to follow the old law.  

The New Speed Limit

Here’s a real world example of a new law. Suppose you’re driving down a new highway under construction, and the speed limit is 45 mph. You drive this route back and forth every day for months. Then finally, at one point in time, when the work is finished, the speed limit gets updated to 75 mph with a 45 mph lower limit (believe it or not, these lower limits exist in West Texas). Now, instead of it being against the law to drive faster than 45 mph, it’s now against the law to drive slower than 45 mph. That’s the impact of a new law. 

For us, it’s now “against the law” to try and live under the Old Covenant of works-based righteousness.

We’re not under the Old Covenant law any longer, but we’re now under the new law, called “the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ.” This new law sets us free to think correctly, to actually believe there is no condemnation for us who are in Christ. You are at a place of perfect liberty; that is what grace is. 

Reign in Life Through Christ

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Romans 5:17-20 (ESV)

Whatever Adam’s sin did to condemn you, Jesus’ grace has done much more. So now we presently receive the overflow of grace. And we get to open a present, a gift called righteousness. We get to reign in life through Christ as part of the Kingdom of Heaven that’s here right now. Gone are the days when we keep bringing up our past sins that God has forgotten about and paid for already. It’s the enemy that still accuses you, not God. Jesus has taken up your case, and He declares you innocent, righteous. He’s wiped your slate clean. And He wants you to realize how much you already have in Christ, how much He desires a daily relationship with you, how He loves doing the things you enjoy with you even more than you enjoy them!

Prayer

Lord, thank you for sending Jesus into this world, to do the work once and for all, to show your love to us, so that we might live through Him. Thank you for making us into new creatures! I thank you for giving us new eyes to see and new ears to hear, so that we no longer regard Christ according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Thank you that we have no condemnation in Christ, that we have victory in this life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Continue to show us what it means to live according to the new law, the law of Spirit of Life in Christ, basking in your amazing grace every minute of every hour of every day. Thank you for making us righteous in your sight through the work of Jesus. We desire to be Men after your own heart, and to have the mind of Christ in all that we think and say and do. In Jesus’ name, Amen!