“Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses,
even over those who had not sinned
according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam,
who is a type of Him who was to come”
(Romans 5:14).
What is the greatest discovery in history? Some talk about fire, the wheel, or the printing press. Others say it is the computer and the Internet. But Paul, in Romans 5, talks about two events and two people who made a mark on history: “the first Adam” and “the second”: Christ.
One is a great loser, the other one, the great winner.
One is a failure; the other, victorious.
One is the one that founded and sunk the human race; the other, the One who redeems and reestablishes it.
One of them led us to death; the other leads us to life.
Because of one, we lost Eden and the eternal inheritance; through the other, we recovered the inheritance and the new Eden.
Because of one everything good ended; because of the other, everything bad will end forever.
One comes from the earth, the other comes from heaven.
Because of the disobedience of one death entered the world, and through the obedience of the other life is restored.
- Adam was tested in a beautiful garden; Christ was tempted in the desert.
- The Old Testament is the “book of the generations of Adam” (Gen. 5:1) and ends with a curse on the earth (Mal. 4:6).
- The New Testament is the “book of genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matt. 1:1) and ends with a promise that “there shall be no more curse” (Rev. 22:3).
In summary, Adam and Christ illustrate two schools of life and two kingdoms: one is earthly, the other is heavenly.
Adam’s transgression is also ours. Literally, to “transgress” means to cross a line. And have we ever trespassed!
As descendants of Adam, we have inherited his sinful nature and its consequenses. But Christ took on our sins and suffered our punishment. Christ overcame where Adam failed.
That is why satan is a vanquished enemy, and “no one is excused
from entering the battle on the Lord’s side, for there is no reason
why man may not be an overcomer if he trusts in Christ.
‘To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father
in His throne’ (Rev. 3:21)“ (Temperance, p. 282).
Thank You, Lord, because together we can overcome!
God bless you, let’s be overcomers in Jesus Christ!