He had his appeal rejected by Hertforshire County Council. It was overthrown based on a syllabus which dated back to 1954, which stated, “The Genesis stories of creation are only part of the collection of the myths and legends (Hebrew religious folklore) which make up the first eleven chapters of Genesis, and they should be seen in that setting.”
Those who would laugh off the Bible account of Creation, are the same ones who would embrace the myth of evolution.
Although people of the secular educational world would try to turn CREATIONISM into a myth, we know the account of the creation of Adam is important for a number of reasons.
Such as:
• It discredits the unscientific theory of evolution.
• It answers man’s question, “Where did I come from?”
The reason they fight CREATIONISM so hard, is because if God CREATED US, WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO HIM.
Adam and Christ were the two representatives for the human race. However, never was there ever more SIMILARITY, and at the same time, DISSIMILARITY, than we find in these two.
Romans 5 emphasizes the importance of, and the differences in these two individuals.
• Adam, who was head of the human race
• Christ who is head of the heavenly kingdom
Let us take a look first at Adam. This is-
I. THE SINFUL ADAM
Illus: A party was given for a grandfather who was in his 90’s. He had almost a hundred people show up for this birthday party.
• His Children with their children.
• His Grandchildren with their children.
• His Great-grandchildren with their children.
He looked at that crowd and said, “It is hard to believe that this large a crowd of people came from me and my wife.
But if he found that amazing, how much more would “PAPA” ADAM be amazed to look at the whole human race he started.
Let’s look at Adam’s descendants. First, let’s look at-
A. THE FACTS
What are the facts about Adam’s family?
Look at verse 12, we read, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men. for that all have sinned.”
Notice here, the word, “entered.”
Illus: We are given the impression that sin entered the world like a murderer who enters a man’s house.
Adam, in the Garden of Eden, certainly opened the door to Satan. By Adam, sin entered into the family of the human race, and brought death to all mankind.
Some think it is very unfair to say that an innocent baby is born in sin. They ask, “How could a baby be guilty of sin when he has never committed an act?”
Regardless of what mankind says, the Word of God states, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world...”
This is a Bible fact that we can place our faith in.
We need to recognize that the sin which the Bible refers to was the first sin of Adam.
Illus: The scriptures are not referring to the accumulation of sins in his life, but the first sin. It was the first sin of Adam that brought death upon all his offspring.
We could say that by one man, and by one sin, death was brought to all Adam’s offspring.
Adam was the head of the human race, and with his disobedience, he plunged the whole human race into sin.
This is a Bible fact, and whether the liberals and the ungodly agree, it is still a Bible fact that the Word of God teaches.
The Bible teaches the total depravity of man. Even though the Bible teaches that man is depraved, there are still others who write books which state, “I’m O.K. and you’re O.K.”
But I am not OK, and you are not OK!
It isn’t hard to prove what the Bible teaches.
Illus: We see a child when he is first born, and he does look sweet and innocent, and it is true, he has never committed an act of any kind, good or bad. But the sin is there, like a dormant cancer inside of a person, that cannot be seen, that in due time becomes active and starts to grow. It is not too long after that child is born, that sin begins to manifest itself.
Illus: J. Vernon McGee, one of the great Bible teachers, illustrates it this way: He said, “My grandfather lived in Northern Ireland although he was Scottish. Even in his day they were fighting, and he didn’t like it, he emigrated to the United States. Now, what my grandfather did, I did. When he left Northern Ireland, I left Northern Ireland. And I thank God he left. I really appreciate what Grandpa did for me! What he did, I did because I was in him. The reason I was born in America is because of what he had done.”
The Bible teaches that Adam was the head of the human race, and all mankind was in the loins of Adam when he sinned. WHAT HE DID, WE DID!
We have looked at THE FACT, now let’s look at something else-
B. THE FAILURE
Look at verses 13-14, we read, “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses. even over them that bad not sinned after the similtude of Adam’s transgression. who is the figure of him that was to come.”
This passage teaches us that from the time of Adam, until the Law was given to Moses, SIN WAS IN THE WORLD, BUT SIN WAS NOT IMPUTED TO US.
WHY? Because the law had not yet come, and God could not be a fair and just God and hold man accountable for sin, when there was no law.
Illus: That would be like a highway patrolman pulling someone over and giving them a speeding ticket, when there was no law regulating how fast to go.
Sin could not be imputed to mankind until the law came and showed him he was a sinner.
But we have the evidence that shows we inherited Adam’s sinful nature, BECAUSE DEATH EXISTED BEFORE THE LAW WAS GIVEN. All men suffer the penalty of sin, which is death.
To deny this would be to make an accusation against God that He inflicts sufferings without a cause.
We see in Genesis 6, that God looked down upon sin before the flood. We read in the O.T. scriptures, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
As wicked as the people were, not a one of them had broken one of the Ten Commandments, because the Ten Commandments had not yet been given. Yet God held them responsible for their sins, because the FACT is they belonged to a LOST HUMAN RACE.
Death reigned in their lives, because verse 12 states, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin...”
• Sin was the cause of death
• Adam was the cause of sin
The same thing applies to the heathen today who do not have the gospel, they will be judged as sinners because they belong to a LOST HUMAN RACE.
Man is a sinner whether he believes it or not, or even knows it or not. ADAM’S FAILURE was also OUR FAILURE.
Illus: If we all had a complete genealogy done of our families, we would find that we all came from Adam. Everyone, at times, has been curious about having his family tree researched. I do not mind telling you, that may be a surprise in many ways.
We may be like the man who spent a great deal of money to have his family researched, and once he got the report, he paid a great deal to make sure no one else knew what kind of family he came from.
The Bible gives us an accurate picture of where we came from. We ALL CAME FROM THE LOINS OF SINFUL ADAM, and when he sinned, we sinned. Death is the evidence of sin.
We have looked at THE SINFUL ADAM, but let us also look at-
II. THE SAVING ADAM
We all can be thankful that the Bible does not stop with the first Adam.
The second Adam was similar in that He also is head of a kingdom of people.
Before we can appreciate that, we need to consider some more things, such as:
A. THE OFFENCE
Look at verses 15-19 “But not as the offence. so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead. much ‘more the grace of God. and the gift by grace. which is by one man. Jesus Christ. hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned. so is the gift: for the iudgment was by one to condemnation. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one: much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one. Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Look at three things this passage teaches:
1. The offence originated with man. “Therefor as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation.”
2. The free gift came through Christ. “Even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
3. The result of the offence was death, but the result of God’s gift is everlasting life. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Verse 18 states again, “Therefore as by the offence of one..” Notice the word “offence” is singular.
• Adam’s one offence dethroned him as ruler of God’s creation, and death became ruler.
• Because of that one offence, death is the destination of all men born after Adam.
• Through the last Adam, Jesus Christ, anyone who is born-again shall receive eternal life.
• From the first Adam we received sin and death, but from the second Adam we received salvation and eternal life.
There is a similarity between the two, but there is also a vast dissimilarity.
Illus: We can see the contrast so clearly when we compare the two. For example,
THE FIRST ADAM:
(1) Was made of the earth
(2) Was king of the old creation
(3) Was tested in a perfect garden, and failed
(4) Brought sin and condemnation
(5) Brought death
(6) Made all men sinners.
We are “In Adam” through physical birth.
THE SECOND ADAM:
(1) Is the Lord from heaven
(2) Is Lord of the new creation.
(3) Was tested in a wilderness and was victorious
(4) Brought life, righteousness, and justification
(5) His righteousness reigns
(6) Makes believers righteous
We are “In Christ” through spiritual birth.
• The Old Testament begins with Adam (Gen. 5:1-2), and ends with a curse in Malachi 4:1.
• The New Testament begins with Christ (Matthew 1:1) and ends with “no more curse” (Rev. 22:3).
Illus: It is not too unusual these days, to hear that because of a train engineer, or an airplane pilot, who is involved in drugs or alcohol and lives a sinful life-style, hundreds are killed. One act can affect so many, just like the one sin of Adam affected the whole human race.
How refreshing it is to hear of PREACHERS, MISSIONARIES, SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS, DEACONS, BUS WORKERS, etc., whose lives have affected so many for good.
The first Adam, the first of the human race, plunged us into sin, but the second Adam was Deity, and provides salvation.
Look at the words, "... .Much more...” in verse 15. Paul is saying that if we have DEATH from Adam, how MUCH MORE we have from Christ.
He tells us exactly what that MUCH MORE is.
Look at verses 17-19 “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one: much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one. Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offense of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
We have looked at THE OFFENCE, but now let us look at-
B. THE OFFER
Look at verses 20-21, we read, “Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded. grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death. even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."
In verse 20, the law enters the picture, not to make man a sinner, but to show him what a sinner he is.
In spite of the fact that the law shows us what great sinners we are, God’s grace is even greater. "... But where sin abounded. grace did much more abound...”
In verse 21, we find that through Christ, sin has been dethroned, and now righteousness rules and reigns in the lives of the believers.
Conclusion:
As we close this message, the thing that each person needs to consider today is: are you “IN CHRIST” or are you “IN ADAM”?
If you are “IN ADAM”, sin will continue to manifest itself, and physical death and spiritual death are certain.
If you are in Christ, righteousness shall reign in your life, and everlasting life is yours to enjoy.
Many today are trying to solve their problems, but they will not admit that the problem is, they are in Adam, instead of being in Christ.
For some, this could be because they do not know the source of their problem.
Illus: A preacher was in his office studying, and he kept hearing a cricket. He tried to ignore it, but finally he could not ignore it any longer. He laid his book down, and began to look for the cricket. After a lot of shuffling, he still could not find the annoying cricket. He went back to studying again, and tried to ignore the sound, but finally decided he could not continue to ignore it, so he began to search again. He even went and got some bug spray and sprayed the area, hoping to eliminate the distracting noise. Still he kept hearing that annoying cricket. Then he found out the noise was not coming from a cricket at all, the noise was coming from the laser printer.
Many today are suffering greatly. They think the problem is someplace in their lives, so they search there, but all this is a waste of time. The problem cannot be solved until they realize that they are in Adam, instead of being in Christ.
I. THE SINFUL ADAM (Verses 12-14)
A. THE FACT
B. THE FAILURE
II. THE SAVING ADAM (VERSES 15-21)
A. THE OFFENCE
B. THE OFFER
