The Two Adams!

As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.”

1Co 15:48  The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly. 


1Co 15:48  Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded).amp 


 The 'two' Adams


I. The resemblance.


1. The existence of each rose not in the ordinary course of nature. Neither came by the ordinary laws of human generation.


(1) The first was formed out of the dust of the earth, and derived his spirit from the breath of God.


(2) The second was conceived of the Holy Ghost. The pedigree of each is unparalleled in the history of the race.


2. Each commenced free from sin.


(1) The first was created in the image of God; all his faculties were well balanced and free from all bias to wrong.


(2) The latter was harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.


3. Each had a nature capable of temptation. Temptability is an attribute of all created intelligences. Where there is no power to go wrong, there is no virtue in keeping right.


(1) The first Adam was tempted, and was conquered.


(2) The second was tempted, and triumphed.


4. The character of each exerts a momentous influence upon the whole race.


(1) The character of the first generated a moral atmosphere of sensuality, ambition, selfishness, unbelief.


(2) The character of the second generated an atmosphere that is morally salubrious, sunny, and invigorating. 


He who lives in the first atmosphere is still in Adam, and is earthy. 


He who lives in the second is Christ'ly and spiritual.


II. The dissimilarity.


1. The one had a sublimer connection with God than the other. Adam was the offspring, representative, and steward of God. Christ was God-man. God was in Him in a special sense, unfolding truths, working miracles, and reconciling the world unto Himself. Be was God “manifested in the flesh.” The one yielded to the devil, the other conquered him.


2. the One possessed a higher type of moral excellence than the other. The character of the first was innocence, not holiness. Holiness implies intelligence, convictions, efforts, habits. This had not Adam. Hence he gave way to the first and simplest temptation. This holiness Christ had in the sublimest degree; and He triumphed over principalities and powers of evil, and made a show of them openly.


3. The influence of the one upon the race has been infinitely pernicious, that of the other infinitely beneficent. The first planted that upas whose pestiferous branches have spread over all men, and whose poisonous food all have tasted and been injured. The other planted the tree of life, bearing fruit for the healing of the nations.


4. The moral influence of the one is destined to decrease, the other to increase. “Where sin abounded, grace will much more abound.” “The kingdoms of our God shall become the kingdoms of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever.” (D. Thomas, D.D.)

Spurgeon

The head and members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron and part of clay. Christ’s mystical body is no absurd combination of opposites; the members were mortal, and therefore Jesus died; the glorified head is immortal, and therefore the body is immortal too, for thus the record stands, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” As is our loving Head, such is the body, and every member in particular. A chosen Head and chosen members; an accepted Head, and accepted members; a living Head, and living members. If the head be pure gold, all the parts of the body are of pure gold also. Thus is there a double union of nature as a basis for the closest communion. 


Pause here, devout reader, and see if thou canst without ecstatic amazement, contemplate the infinite condescension of the Son of God in thus exalting thy wretchedness into blessed union with his glory. Thou art so mean that in remembrance of thy mortality, thou may say to corruption, “Thou art my father,” and to the worm, “Thou art my sister”; and yet in Christ thou art so honoured that thou canst say to the Almighty, “Abba, Father,” 


and to the Incarnate God, 


“Thou art my brother and my husband.” Surely if relationships to ancient and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we have whereof to glory over the heads of them all. 


Let the poorest and most despised believer lay hold upon this privilege; let not a senseless indolence make him negligent to trace his pedigree, and let him suffer no foolish attachment to present vanities to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion of this glorious, this heavenly honor of union with Christ.