Most people can identify the first Adam, that came about as a consequence of our Lord God forming man of the dust of the earth.
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into His nostrils the breath of life: and man became a living soul. And the Lord god planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads [river heads]." (Genesis 2:7-10)
We also know, the serpent was more subtil [cunning] than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, "Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden?" When Eve replied, the serpent said, "Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods [God], knowing good and evil." And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew they were naked ..." (Genesis 3:1-7)
Because the serpent had done this, the Lord God said unto him, "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of the thy life; and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:14-15)
And this brings us to the second Adam. The old covenant points to the coming of our Saviour. As Isaiah prophesied -- "Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good." (Isaiah 7:14-15)
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Isaiah prophesied of the day when the Lord would come forth as a mighty man. (Isaiah 42:13) God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16) "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11)
The Lord Himself taking on a sin-prone flesh (and yet without sin) so that He -- as a second Adam could offer us His gift of salvation.
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins ... God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23)
And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)
But the Lord knew the questions that would emerge?
"But some man will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die, and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: but God gives it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed His own body.
And so it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: THE SECOND MAN IS THE LORD FROM HEAVEN. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. "Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:35-57)
"But some man will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die, and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: but God gives it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed His own body.
All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differs from another star in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory, It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
And so it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:35-57)
As we see, the first Adam is the very first man God created in His image in the beginning. The second Adam is the Lord of glory from heaven, who personally brought us salvation by shedding His precious blood on the cross. His name is Jesus.
The first Adam transgressed unto death, but the second Adam offers abundant life. This is why Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him." (John 14:6-7)
To be clear, Jesus also said, "I and My Father are one." (John 10:30) Philip even went so far as to ask -- Philip saith unto Jesus, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it suffices us." What did Jesus say? "Jesus said unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." ... and how say thou then, "Shew us the Father?" (John 14:8-9)
To be clear, Jesus also said, "I and My Father are one." (John 10:30) Philip even went so far as to ask -- Philip saith unto Jesus, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it suffices us." What did Jesus say? "Jesus said unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." ... and how say thou then, "Shew us the Father?" (John 14:8-9)
The second man is the Lord from heaven. This is why Peter (standing with the eleven on the day of Pentecost) said concerning Jesus, that "He is BOTH Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)
Because of His perfect sacrifice on the cross, that tore the vail from top to bottom -- Heaven to earth -- He hath quickened us who were dead in trespasses and sin.
"And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)." (Ephesians 2:1-5)
When we ask Jesus the Christ to be Lord in our life, and are water baptized in His precious name -- the name of the Lord Jesus -- we take on His name, His garment of righteousness, and His mercy unto eternal life.
But this does not explain the last Adam a quickening Spirit, particularly when most within the modern day religious community still consider Jesus to resemble a man, made of the earthy. These have not searched the scriptures to see that after Jesus was taken up, He through the Holy Ghost commanded the apostles that He had chosen. (Acts 1:2)
"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy He has saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost -- which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7)
If it were any other way, when did the last Adam become a quickening Spirit.
Yes, "by the washing of regeneration AND renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5)
Search the scripture for truth. And in the interim, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life ... to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever, amen." (Jude 1:20-25)
Stand in the offering plate.
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