LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Jesus: Our Resurrection from the Dead
"For just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22).
All of God's creation is summed up in two men: Adam and Jesus. Adam is the first man, because the natural had to come first. Jesus is the second man, who completes creation, and who is spiritual (1 Cor. 15:46-47).
God's purpose in creating man was not only to make him a creature, but a son, in the image and likeness of His Son Jesus (Rom. 8:29). But the entire human race, through the first man, fell into transgression with him. Adam received a death sentence from God because of his disobedience.
Adam's death was not physical, but the destitution of the glory of God, the separation of His Life: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God through ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their hearts" (Rom. 3:23, Eph. 4:18).
Through Adam sin entered the world and death through sin; thus death passed to all men, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). In Adam, all of us, without exception, die. All are dead in trespasses and sins and without Christ they are destined for the second death. But, "he who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death" (Rev. 2:11).
Every man is dead in Adam. Now, the gospel brings as a revelation our resurrection in Jesus. That is what was preached by the apostles, and today it is announced to all sinners. In Adam all die, are all dead; but in Christ all will be made alive. Jesus is life: "For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and testify, and proclaim to you eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us" (1 Jn. 1:2). Jesus, on that cross, destroyed the one who had the empire of death (Heb. 2:14-15).
That is the testimony of God for men: "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son, he has life; He who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 Jn. 5:11-12). Who does not have the Son of God, has death; he is still in the first man.
The sentence of death was given to all humanity in Adam, but the resurrection of the dead was given to us by God in Christ: "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man" (1 Cor. 15:21). We were dead in Adam, but by faith we find our resurrection from the dead in Jesus. He tells us: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he is dead, he will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will not die forever. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26).