Romans 5--The reign of Adam II

The Hatfield’s and McCoy’s eventually didn’t know why they had hated each other. The hate had been handed down from generation to generation. If there ever had been a day when the two families were friends, the distance that time created and the hate handed down had made that day a simply fantasy or illusion. Paul introduces similar imagery here when he discusses the first and second Adam’s (also in 1 Corinthians 15).

Paul is explaining to us that Adam is like a representative head of state. At one time, Adam and God were allies. Yet, Adam rebelled against God and brought himself and all his descendents into a state of rebellion against God and his way in this world. As the first Adam’s descendants, we are born as enemies to God and into a rebellion against His purposes in this world. The effects of this are similar to DNA that transfers from one generation to the next. This Cosmic rebellion that we are born into is not only external in that we begin as enemies of God, but it is also internal. We are born as sinners. Sin is the disease that binds us as enemies together under our head of state, Adam I.

Yet, we do not have to continue under the first Adam’s leadership. Jesus comes as Adam II, Son of God just like Adam I (Lu 3:38). Supernaturally, through a miraculous birth, Adam II is not infected by the disease of Adam I. He resists all of the temptations of Satan that Adam I could not (Lu 4:1-13). But he dies an undeserved death as if he had been an enemy of God, crushed by the disease and rebellion of Adam I. Because he was ultimately innocent, the Holy Spirit resurrected Him and now counts His death to be the payment for all of the treasonous acts of his followers

Now, all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ follow a New Adam. He is our head of state and we share in His innocence and righteousness. Not only that, by the Holy Spirit (who provided the miraculous conception to bring Jesus into the world) we receive a new DNA that is inherently bothered by sin. We have a new desire to resist sin and begin conforming ourselves to the New Adam, our new leader who is not just God’s ally, but God’s son. Now, sin and death no longer reign over us because we are not under their government. We are under Jesus’ government where grace, righteousness and eternal life reign. This gives us power over sin that tempts. This gives us hope in the face of death and disease. This gives us confidence the forces of sin and death in our life will be defeated.

But this is not just theology. This is real and this comes from real love. As your head aligns to the ideas of being a part of Jesus’ new government, let your heart warmed to the reality of God’s love demonstrated for us in this: While we were still sinners (powerless and ungodly v.6), Christ died for us.” (5:8).

Posted by Marc

2 Corinthians 6: Your Kingdom Come

There is an old phrase that has been floating around the church for a long time, “He is so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good.” The problem does not lie in the fact that individuals focus their life toward heaven, but in that they fail to see how it applies to today. Jesus even prays this in Matt 6, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” So how do we live this in our daily lives?

Paul lays out an interesting contrast in Second Corinthians 6. Initially, he seems to be encouraging the Corinthians to live boldly and to expand their love for others (v. 1-2, 12-13), but then he commands them to separate from the sinful world (6:14-7:1). So what’s the deal? Does Paul contradict himself?

Simply, no. One of the major problems with the Corinthian church was their involvement and interactions with the temple cults of Corinth. These were places that would far surpass the moral decadence of Las Vegas. Rather they themselves are the holy temple of God and must live like it. But his is different from ceasing to interact with all unbelievers. We can think of this charge in light of 1 Peter 1:14-15, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” It is a call to purity of heart and mind.

The day of salvation has come with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (v. 2), but we must live in purity before God and the world (7:1). Our culture affords us the opportunity to live in almost any sin imaginable. But in our zeal for purity we must not also forget to seek to bring the kingdom to our culture.

Posted by Aaron

1 Corinthians 3: True Spirituality

What does it mean to be spiritual? This is a central question of the entire book of 1 Corinthians. To answer, Paul would say, first and foremost, that to be spiritual is to be capital-S Spiritual. That is, to be filled and led by God’s Spirit.

And what is the mark of being Spiritual? Well, it’s not how much you pray and read your Bible, as vital as these disciplines are. And it’s not how often you attend church or how many ministry activities you’re involved in, although these too are important. Rather, the hallmark of true Spirituality is loving unity. That’s Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 3.

There were factions in the church. People had bought into cults of personality, resulting in rivalry over favored leaders, sniping, backbiting, and division. Paul said that makes you “mere men” not truly Spiritual people.

As “mere men” all your petty politicking is like building a tinder box on Christ. All your activity will burn one day; but in the mean time it’s destroying God’s Temple. It’s deconstructing the unified people God intends us to be.

As a solution, Paul proposes that we sober up and realize all we have in Christ. Why fight over Peter, Paul, or Apollos? Why argue over the present or the future? In Christ, all things are ours together. All godly leaders belong to all of us. The whole world, the whole kingdom, has been given to us and will one day truly be ours. That’s the Spiritual perspective on life.

Posted By Greg