Second Adam
In Romans 5:14 Paul tells us something amazing about the first man, Adam, and about God's purpose in creating him. Paul said that Adam was a pattern or type of One who was to come - Christ. Adam was a real man, and his experiences were real, yet his life was never only about him. Adam was created as a type, or representation, of Christ, the One who was to come. As a type, Adam foreshadowed a greater Man to come.
Why does this matter? It shows us that when Adam sinned, God, though certainly saddened by it, was not surprised. God knew that they would sin, and he had a plan from the very beginning to show his sin-conquering grace through the death of Jesus Christ on behalf of guilty sinners.
Long before Adam sinned in the Garden, God had determined to put his glorious character - his patience and forgiveness and justice and wrath - on display by sending his Son, the second Adam, who would be superior to the first Adam in every way. While the first Adam took something good from us and brought death, the second Adam gives us everything we need to live. "The Scriptures tell us, 'The first man, Adam, became a living person.' But the last Adam - that is, Christ - is a life-giving spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45).
From eternity past, God intended that the sin-bringing Adam would serve to point us to the sin-bearing second Adam. "The sin of this one man, Adam caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).
Every one of us lives under an unavoidable eternal reality: either we are connected to Adam and destined to die, or we are connected to Christ and destined to live forever with him.
~ Second Adam who brings forgiveness instead of condemnation and life instead of death, you were there long before we needed you. Your grace in abundance is available to us-grace that is greater than all our sin.
