Chapter 1
The attempt on the adamical life
The width of His love talks about the royal largesse that God has kindly agreed to graciously pour out on us in Christ Jesus. It is as if God had widened his heart to include us in His eternal plan, despite the fact that we have already missed the first time. Adam's fall reached the whole human race, and distanced us from the divine presence.
" Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. " Romans 5:12
Yet it is precisely then that the largesse of God's love comes touching us: in this sinful nature inherited from Adam, Jesus Christ came to our rescue. He took form in a body like our own, in order to help us at our level.
" Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. " Hebrew 2:14 15
Being made like us, he has kindly brought upon himself the weight and culpability of our sin by undergoing our condemnation.
" For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. " II Corinthians 5:21
This management of our sinful nature was made ??just before going to the cross. We find a representation of this fact in what Aaron the high priest had to do, to get atonement for the sins of the people: he had to offer not one but two goats as sacrifice.
" He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness. " Leviticus 16:7 10
Note this well: a goat was used to make atonement before the LORD and the other goat to Azazel. Intriguing is not it! Yet the picture is simple and clear.
" The soul who sins shall die. [ ... ] " Ezekiel 18:20
The first goat was to make atonement, and therefore, both coverage and substitute for sin in itself. In reality, this first goat would suffer the punishment for our sin, became an inherent part of our nature. Aaron had in no way to confess the sins of the people in a personal way and detailed as he should do for the second goat. This first sacrifice covered our sinful nature and God's wrath prevented from reaching us, because it fell on the animal substitute. This is what happened firstly with Christ; he is dead for our sin, as a substitute, first with the nature of sin upon him. But Christ did not remain there, he also had to remove the personal consequences and detailed of sin in the life of everyday. This is why, Aaron, took the second live goat and did as follows:
" Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land ; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. " Leviticus 16:21 22
It simply meant that God did not just want "to cover our sin", but really erase it once for all, also by taking away from us all trespasses, consequences generated by sin: hatred, fear, bondage, trouble, curses...
" He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. " Micah 7:19
This is a complete work of justification that Christ has accomplished at the cross, and not only of forgiveness. Because he has taken the very nature of sin and all its filthy consequences, he brought this to the cross to give us in exchange a new life. For he does not leave the house empty; if he removes something he replaces it by an entirely new nature, his own nature.
" Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean ; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you ; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. " Ezekiel 36:25 26
This is where God proves his love by expanding his tent and his dwelling down to us, so that we may become ourselves a tent and a dwelling place of God, and all this out of pure grace. The origin and the nature of our first ancestor, Adam, has determined the nature of all who would follow thereafter. However, when Jesus came, he broke this cycle because he started in himself a new creation, a new race of man.
" And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. " Romans 8:2 (New Living Translation)
" Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation ; old things have passed away ; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. " II Corinthians 5:17 18
God is the author of the first creation, but the origin and the starting model for all who would follow was Adam, a man became a sinner. However Christ appeared to begin a new line of man modeled on Himself.
" God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. " Romans 8:29 (The Message)
As the Apostle Paul explains several times, Christ is both the last and the new Adam:
" The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. " I Corinthians 15:45 (New Living Translation)
" The first man was of the earth, made of dust ; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust ; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. " I Corinthians 15:47 48
Christ is called here the last Adam, for it was he who had ended the first creation of sin tainted. Having accomplished all that was required by the Law, he was able terminate the natural character of sin which constantly reproduced from father to son. This is how, he started a new race of man, which contains new "spiritual genes". In him, we are truly recreated, regenerated; a new nature and new characters are now attributed by him to us.
" For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. " I Peter 1:23 (New Living Translation)
From the same Word which created the first race of people taken from Adam, of this same Word is taken a new line carrying the nature of Christ henceforth.
" Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him ; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. " I John 3:9
Many christians have a wrong idea of what is really the new birth. Several identify the new birth to the fact that the Holy Spirit has come into their lives. However, this is not entirely accurate; has always, the Holy Spirit is there, present, deeply touching the human heart like David, who under his inspiration wrote so beautiful psalms. Certainly, with Jesus, the Holy Spirit would come to a large scale on all believers, and with a power never before experienced. The key basis is not only the coming of the Holy Spirit, but God had promised to give us a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26), by circumcising our heart first. To give us a new heart, he had to remove the old one, because nobody can live with two hearts within him. This is why, Christ exercised a circumcision of the heart, carrying with him in his death our old nature sold under sin, that had put its hold within our own spirit.
" For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. " Romans 7:14
" In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins[a] of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. " Colossians 2:11 12
It is important to understand this: Eve was taken from Adam, she is somehow born of him, not by natural course, but by divine surgical intervention that has made her, as it is written in the Word of God: " bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh " (Genesis 2:23). We ourselves have been taken from Christ because we are His Bride. We were born from him by divine surgical intervention, and we became "spirit of his Spirit, body from His Body". It is exactly this new birth: we receive a new spirit from Christ as the same essence.This was made possible because Christ first extracted the old spirit "corrupted by sin" by nailing it at the cross with him. We can also see a beautiful image of this in the fact that the side of Jesus was pierced just below his ribs (John 19:34). God has also had to pierce Adam for him to remove a rib to create Eve his wife; for this purpose, God made Adam falling on a deep sleep (Genesis 2:23). Similarly, Jesus had to pass through the sleep of death, so that his Father could remove one of his ribs and create the new Church, the Bride of Christ.
We have been recreated from Jesus, from his body bruised and pierced. Jesus' death was necessary to bring the final and fatal stroke to the old breath (spirit) which animated us all corrupted. From his nature and his essence, we came back to life with Christ, resurrected to a new life. The child that leaves the womb actually dies to his old environment and its former way of life and existence, culminating in a whole new life. Thus it was with us: we have ceased to live within the matrix Adamic, which had been defiled by sin, now live in the open air of the Spirit of God. This new spirit born of the very nature of Christ is still a newborn, which is why he is placed under the direct control of the Holy Spirit which acts as a mother. This is also the Holy Spirit who is the agent incubator of this new spirit in us, by allowing the glory of Christ to reach us. Jesus Christ actually becomes our new Adam, the father of all living creatures in Christ that now shall rise to a new life, through faith in Him.
" And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. " Colossians 1:18
You see, it is important to fully understand what the Scripture says about the new birth. For it is in our inheritance to know that Christ has really initiated a new nature in us, his own nature, which is no longer subjected to sin.
" But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. " Romans 8:9 10
It really is a new reality that can make all the difference in our lives, because it refers to a justice that was given to us by God from above, entirely free of charge that has nothing to do with our own righteousness.
" For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. " Romans 14:17
God calls us to live not as a desolate widow who is still fighting against sin, but as a bride who is highly graced and that benefits from the very nature of Christ, which is fully victorious over sin. We only need to fully seize it by faith and live with what has been provided at the cross of Christ. For it is well so far that the generosity of God went, a legacy to the height of God's love which surpasses all knowledge.
One last interesting detail concerning the new birth relates to where we need to go through to reach this new life. Indeed, the newborn must pass through the narrow passage of the womb before coming into this new life. We also, we are required to pass through a narrow passage, where we must leave behind our entire life, if we want to inherit this new life. The Adamic life, defiled and corrupted by sin, can not follow through this narrow pass and must be left behind. Losing his life to Jesus, it's really finding it back. Wanting to keep it, still looking to improve it, it's to lose the power of Jesus to deliver us forever from this sinful nature. As long as human pride still believes that there is something good in his life, he will refuse to lose it in the hands of Jesus. If, on the contrary, we recognize that there is nothing good in us, that our life is a complete failure because of sin, it will be easy for us to abandon it in his hands in order to rise with him into a new life.
" Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. " Philippians 3:8 9
United in His death and resurrection
As the Apostle Paul often explain, this new nature begins as a newborn and calls to grow. As a baby, it needs to be constantly nourished by the faith that comes from the Word of God, to grow and develop in all areas of our lives. At all points, this spirit is modeled on Jesus Christ, for in essence it is born of Him. Our union with Christ becomes complete in every sense of the word, as in his death as in his resurrection.
" Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. " Romans 6:3 7
This is what Paul also explains in the Epistle to the Galatians:
" For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me ; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. " Galatians 2:19 20
Think about it! God does not do things halfway: if He began in us a new creation is that it has already put to death what was before. The former condition is outdated. What we once were has disappeared. The new creation has already begun, behold: everything has become new (II Corinthians 5:17 18). Jesus is really " the firstborn among many brethren " (Romans 8:29), therefore, is that all who follow thereafter are called to be like him in every way. Likewise that Jesus had a human nature in him undefiled by sin, as well, newborns that he recreates in his image also possess a regenerated human nature and not tainted by sin. On the other hand, this new nature will require more and more to grow and to invade our minds and thoughts. There is a whole part of us that needs of adjusting with this new spirit.
For indeed, if we have been regenerated at the level of our spirit, soul and the body, however retain some traces left (residues) by sin. It still affects our feelings, our will and our intellect so that, by force of habit, it can be easy for the devil to bring us back to our old life. It is essential that our faith remains firm against the attacks of the enemy, in order not to be shaken as to the work already accomplished by Christ.
" Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. " I Peter 5:8-9
The truth of the Word will provide for a firm faith in this new creation place in me by Christ Jesus. Moreover, it will renew our minds so that our soul is cleansed of any bad memories. So the Word of God will become like a pure water who cleans the conscious parts of my being (my soul) of the memory of sin. At the same time, it sheds light on the new paths that my regenerated spirit is led to explore. The Holy Spirit administers all this as a gentle overseer; It ensures that its implementation and speech becomes its own as an offensive weapon of the most dangerous, to counter the attacks that may occur.
" For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. " II Corinthians 10:3-5 (New Living Translation)
It is as if one wished to implement a new machine in a factory, then the employees would need time to relearn how to operate in this new environment. It is the same with us, we need to be constantly renewed in our minds by the truth, to relearn how to live according to the heavenly pattern. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, but we must take part continually by cultivating an intimate relationship with the Lord. Prayer, reading the Word of God, praise and worship are all assets used by the Spirit of God to prompt us to the renewal of our mind.
" If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. " Colossians 3:1 3
This is how the Holy Spirit can lead us into the paths he has traced out in advance for us. Having explored the width of God's love which extends to remove this adamic nature to us to put in place, we may also find that by doing this, God the Father could adopt us as sons and daughters. Now, we are raised to the position occupied by his own royal son, Jesus.
" For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. " Romans 5:17
The expectation of the Bridegroom to the Bride
" [ ... ] Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. " Ephesians 5:25 27
Christ wants us at his side. He wants to raise our hearts and our thoughts to heavenly things, for that we savored who he is for us and everything he did. As a bride in love with him, he expects from us a whole heart to love him, follow him, regardless of the vexations of life. The Psalms describe very well the relationship that exists between the believer and his Saviour.
" Whom have I in heaven but You ?And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail ; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish ; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God ; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works. " Psalm 73:25 28
In the original hebrew text, the expression " those who desert You " refer to those who prostitute themself, that commit adultery with someone else. God wants us wholly to him; he can not bear spiritual adultery. He wants us near him, near his heart, close to him as a husband in heaven. He has done everything to make this possible, but it's still up to us the liberty of replying to his call and choose to live very close to him.
" You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. " James 4.4 5 (The Message)
If such strong words as " cheating ", " flirting ", " lover ", " fiercely jealous " are used, it really is that God puts great emphasis on the intimate relationship we have with him. Christ's death on the cross has provided for the complete and final deliverance from the power of sin in us, and he has completely freed the way to make us like him, "flesh of his flesh," "spirit of his Spirit." But even after having done so much for us, he will not force our love towards him. We remain free to cherish him in return, or being overwhelmed by the cares and concerns of this world. His grace is never something irresistible; precisely, because it is gracious, it expects a positive reply, free and voluntary on our part to live up to what Christ has done for us. It is up to us to choose, knowing for sure that what Christ offers us there is nothing comparable in the world. His love is so great and so marvelous, it would be foolish not to get caught by such grace. The psalmist warns us again in this same psalm that was mentioned earlier, not to let our eyes be enticed by things of this world, not to be seduced by Satan the great enemy of our souls.
" Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled ; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. " Psalm 73:1 3
" When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me — Until I went into the sanctuary of God ; Then I understood their end. " Psalm 73:16 17
We need to learn to find our joy and happiness all in Christ, and not to let visible things around us, turn away our eyes from him. Do not look to visible things, but on what is unseen (II Corinthians 4:18) ; Let us sit down with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), to where we were transported by faith.
" Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. " Colossians 1:12 13
The Heavenly Bridegroom could soon act towards his Bride, who day and night, fixed, his eyes on Him! The royal largesse of our Bridegroom are so majestic that He is worthy to receive from us all praise, all love, all thanksgiving and of course our entire faithfulness.
" For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. " II Corinthians 11:2
Before being able to claim that his power is made on us, we must learn to live and find in him all our joy, knowing that he is the source of our life.
" Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.” " Psalm 87:7
" Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy ; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God ! " Psalm 43:4
His altar, this is where Christ died for us, but we also we find the death of our old nature and so we receive His own. All our inheritance is there hidden in him. Here at the cross, also opens for us the second dimension of His love, that we will explore in the next chapter.