Adam In The New Testament

The Results of Sin

From the first man Adam, until to today, sin has infected the whole of mankind (Romans 5:12;18). No one anywhere at any time is untouched by it. Every person is born into sin. Every person sins. Romans 3 is clear about this when Paul states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23 NASB). But leading up to this verse on the seriousness of our condition, Paul lays the groundwork so that we have no doubt in our minds about our standing before God: He sums up his argument in Romans 3:10-11, as he quotes from Psalms 14:1-3 and 53:1-3, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is no one who seeks for God”.

The Consequence of Sin

Sin must be punished. When we sin, it is an act of rebellion against God. It is hostility toward Him, and He cannot be a just God if He ignores a crime – especially when it is against Himself. Ezekiel 18:20 tells us that the “person who sins will die” (NASB). In the New Testament, Paul tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 NASB). Because we sin, we have a death sentence. After we die physically our spirit lives on forever in eternity in one of two places. We will either be in heaven, a place of never-ending bliss and happiness in the presence of God, or we will be condemned to the lake of fire, locked in a prison of torment, pain and loneliness, separated from God. Both are forever without end. But God, who is rich in mercy, provided a way for sin to be paid for: faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross who died in our place!

This is great news! This is the Gospel! Romans 3:24-25 says that we’re justified (declared not guilty), by grace, through redemption (the price of our deliverance from slavery)!

Redemption

Because we are sinners we are held in bondage, we need someone to deliver us out of that bondage. Redemption is the act that frees a person from slavery; in our case, delivery out of the slavery of sin. Jesus said of Himself in Mark 10:45 (NASB), “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many”. Jesus Christ is our redeemer!

A redeemer is one who pays the price for a slave’s freedom. When God was about to deliver the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, He said, “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6 NASB). The Israelites were brought out of slavery in epic fashion, culminating in them passing through the Red Sea on dry ground and the whole Egyptian army being drowned in the sea as they pursued them. That is a story of dramatic deliverance! And the story of our deliverance from sin is indeed equally dramatic!

Propitiation

This is a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath toward us into favor. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10 NASB). The wrath of God toward rebellious people could only be satisfied by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, bearing our sin on the cross, dying on our behalf. God’s justice and His love both met at the cross in and through His Son.

The Contrast Between Adam and Christ

1 Corinthians 15:21-22
For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

ADAM = DEATH
CHRIST = LIFE

Romans 5:18-19
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

ONE TRANSGRESSION = CONDEMNATION
ONE ACT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS = JUSTIFICATION

DISOBEDIENCE = MANY MADE SINNERS
OBEDIENCE = MANY MADE RIGHTEOUS

There exists a life-giving union between Christ and his own that is similar to, but more powerful than, the death-producing union between Adam and all his own.

Are we sinners because of Adam’s sin, or because of our own sin? Paul says both: “all die because all sin” and “all die because of Adam’s sin”. And there is no conflict or contradiction because the sin of Adam IS the sin of all. Douglas Moo says that all people stand condemned in Adam, guilty by reason of the sin all committed in him¹.

Either a person belongs to Adam, attached to him and under a death sentence because of his sin, or disobedience. Or a person is attached to Christ and possesses eternal life because of Christ’s righteous act, or obedience. We would say that those belonging to Christ are “in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17)!