Everyone: United in the Last Adam

I want to go on and talk some more about this plan in Ephesians chapter 2. This is just the way I look at this chapter. What if Ephesians chapter 2 is not talking about us as individuals—which is true, as individuals we are—but rather about our existence in Adam? When the last Adam came into the world, when the Son of God became flesh, He became the last Adam. That means there’s none after Him, right?

We were in the first Adam—that’s where we descended from. That’s the way we look at it. I’ve already belabored the point, but that’s all right. God did something in Christ regarding us before time began. It was secured in the past, but we came into this world as descendants of Adam. That’s the way we understand it; that’s what we’re taught. But there was a last Adam. Somehow, the last Adam gathered up the first Adam and all the Adams in between. We were counted in the first Adam, but we were also counted in the last Adam.

What if Ephesians chapter 2 is describing us as being in the first Adam, and what God did in the last Adam? What happened to us? Read the whole chapter. I’m not going to read it all to you, but starting in verse 4, it says:

“But God still loved us with such great love."

He describes the world’s darkness, sin, disobedience, corruption, and all that. But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, He united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by His wonderful grace.

When were we united into the life of Christ? He raised us up with Christ. Hold up—He raised us up with Christ, the exalted one. We ascended with Him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ.

What does that mean? It means God did something in Christ that affected you and me. Throughout the coming ages, we will be the visible display of the infinite riches of His grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ. Think about this: Paul wrote this some 2,000 years ago, but he was speaking of the coming ages. I submit to you that the past 2,000 years are included in that. He was speaking of the coming ages—not just these 2,000 years, but we are included in that.

Even today, we are described here. It says we will be the visible display of the infinite riches of His grace and kindness. This is what God is doing in the earth—putting us on display as the visible evidence of His infinite riches of grace and kindness, showered upon us in Jesus Christ.

How are we a display of God? As we learn to live from within the life that is ours—the life that is Christ in us—as we learn to live that life with the Father, hearing His voice, living and walking in Him, we display the grace of God. He says:

“For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ.”

Now, we read that and say, “There’s nothing you can do, but you’ve got to have faith.” I submit to you that it is the faith and faithfulness of Jesus that saved us. He is the Savior of the world. He did it, and He said, “It is finished.” Just as the one man, Adam, through disobedience caused death to enter the world, the last Adam, through obedience, caused righteousness and justification to be imputed and entered into the world. Stop here for a HAPPY DANCE!!!

He did it! He’s the Savior!! It’s done!!! Your faith in it isn’t going to make it a reality—it’s already done. I’m not saying you don’t need to believe it. I want you to believe it. I want you to have faith in it. I want you to come more and more into the life that is yours in Christ Jesus. It’s a life of victory, joy, presence, power, and purpose—what God is doing in the earth. That’s where life is.

So yes, have faith. I want you to repent too. Even though that’s not a popular word, repent. How about just change the way you’re thinking? Stop thinking the way you’ve been thinking and start thinking the way God thinks and the way God would have you think. What’s going to happen is, as you begin to think differently, things are going to change. Your life is going to change. Your world is going to change.

I’m not telling you not to have faith, but listen to what He says:

“For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ. So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving.”

We have become His poetry—a recreated people that will fulfill the destiny He has given each of us. For we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. When did we get joined to Jesus? That’s my question. God did something before He did anything, in Christ. For we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it.

There’s that plan again. God got this thing rolling. It’s all in Christ, and it’s all for the glory of God. If you could realize who God is and who Christ is—who He is to you, who you are as a son or daughter—you’d begin to look at other people a little differently. You’d think, “Maybe I could love them like God loves them.” And in loving them, help them to see who they are, who we are—God’s offspring.