Last Adam?
Other than losing their “lodging” in the Garden what was the primary thing Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden? Was it that they were going to be slaves of satan and sin? Read on to find out.
1 Corinthians 15:45 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life].
What was really lost in the Garden that day that Adam and Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit? (And, No it wasn’t an apple) Was it that they had now sealed the fate of the entire human race to slavery? Was it that they had traded places with satan making him the god and guardian of this world? Was it that they now had to make a living by the sweat of their brow, and Eve had to endure child birth?
Some would offer that it was the fact that they had been separated from God. That would be correct but the statement has been made so often that many in the church fail to get the full ramifications. Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. What’s implied here? Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden – in the cool of the day. They were in His Presence having conversation, communion and fellowship with God. In other words, they had a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Jesus, being the Last Adam, walked with God on earth as a Man, having relationship with Him. Scripture records that Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. It also records that Jesus was hearing the Father speak, and on occasion others heard the sound, but didn’t recognize what was being said. Jesus, according to Phil. 2:5-7 emptied Himself of His divinity. The passage states: Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.
Thus Jesus became the Last Adam, who walked as a man walked, yet filled with the Holy Spirit, and cut off from the curse of sin through the virgin birth. Jesus came to accomplish what the first Adam failed to complete. He redeemed what had been robbed and stolen, by walking in complete dependence upon the Father, and vitally connected to Him in relationship. Jesus as a Man, heard the Father speak. Jesus as a Man, walked in communion with the Father. Jesus has redeemed this for us as believers. But what do we believe?
2 Timothy 3:5 states that the Church will be in perilous times in the Last Days. One of the perils will be that many will have a form of godliness but deny the power of God. Was Jesus godly? Absolutely? Did Jesus hear the Father and walk in communion with Him? Thus it can be deduced godly people hear God the Father and walk in communion with Him. That’s godliness with power. Godliness without power denies that man can hear God or walk in communion with Him. That’s having a form of godliness. A form of godliness has “self” as it’s center, and does things by the strength of the soul. What is the soul? Mind, will, emotions, and personality. That’s soul power. The Bible states that this version of godliness hates God: Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
The word for hatred means to “disregard, detest, postpone love or esteem, to love less, or to slight.” What’s really scary is that in the Greek it also means “to be indifferent; to not care; to be apathetic.” Romans 1:24 states: Therefore God gave them up…” Why did God give them up? It lists several reasons but the top two? Romans 1:21, 28 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks.. And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind…” A form of godliness without power hates God and reveals that hatred through not being thankful to God, and indifference to knowing Him. Why? Because they don’t think He is worth the knowing. In other words, they practice Church and Christianity as if He is not even there.
This form of godliness is manifested perfectly in the Church of Laodicea found in Rev 3. They couldn’t see spiritually that Jesus wasn’t even in their worship services. They couldn’t see that they had left Him outside of the building. They couldn’t hear Himcalling – because they couldn’t hear or recognize His Voice. They couldn’t hear Him knocking at the front door of the Church. Why? They had closed the door to His entrance.
Jesus came so we could have godliness with power that sees and hears Him. A godliness that walks and communes with God. That power can only be provided and supplied by the Spirit. Are you practicing His Presence or a form of godliness?
