People often ask me why I talk so much about our identity in Christ. I have been asked on more than one occasion, why I don’t talk about something “more relevant”… and each time I respond the exact same way: I say, Sir / Ma’am, there is nothing more relevant than the Gospel of Jesus Christ; there is nothing more relevant than the truth of what He has done and of who we are in Him. That is the very truth that makes us free.
Now there have been some I have said that to, that had their eyes opened, and suddenly realized what I was saying – and there have been others I have said that to, that have snickered and became offended and went off in search of whatever trending topic was going on for that week, but the truth remains, that a vast majority of Christians in the world today are still living weak and powerless lives, with more defeats than victories, and it’s all because of a simple lack of understanding regarding the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s all due to ignorance of what Jesus has really done, and who we are in Him; and so that is what I want to share with you today.
As I said, I have spoken with people (who readily claim to be believers, mind you!) that often complain of this thing not working or that thing not working, whether it be some need or lack in their life in general, or finances or physical symptoms in their body. For most people, defeat is the norm, and they maybe get a victory once-in-a-while (if at all) and for the most part they are conditioned to simply accept defeat as being “God’s will”, or just a fact of life.
I have had people tell me – even leaders in churches – say that “Jesus never promised us a happy life”. Well, I disagree with that. I think that not only has He promised it, He also followed through with His promise, all the way to the cross and back in order to fulfill it and make it a reality… I think the real issue is that we do not believe that He actually did it! We are still living under the identity of the first Adam, and all that he wrought through the fall; instead of living through the identity of Jesus Christ and all that He gave us through His redemption!
There was one lady that I spoke to, a precious lady who had been attending church most of her life, and had been religiously indoctrinated instead of given the life-changing truth of Christ. This lady had sustained an injury many years ago that caused her back and shoulder issues. She was unable to walk with a straight posture, always hunched over, and she was unable to raise her arms. Now this lady claimed to be a believer in Jesus, but she did not really believe in His ability to heal her of her condition. You see, most people have been so conditioned by the world’s way of thinking – that they will instinctively defend their right to remain sick and infirm, or poor, or whatever it is, because for them it is more natural to do that than to believe in a healing and redeeming Jesus.
So finally one day after listening to this lady who will sing songs about God being a healer in church, and then afterwards tell everyone who will listen about all the things her injuries keep her from doing (and without seeing any hypocrisy in that) – I finally said to her “I think we may have different Jesus’ because mine is a healer. Perhaps I should introduce you to Him.” – she of course was offended by that statement (you see, when people’s little religious bubbles are popped, they will often become offended), and then I said to her. What if I told you that Jesus provided your healing over 2,000 years ago, and that you could raise your arm right now and stand up straight in His name. To which she replied “I can’t!”… and she got even more angry and stormed off.
The problem, my friend, isn’t with His provision for us, it’s the fact that we don’t really believe that He did it. Oh, we sing happy little songs about it in church, and we say the right-sounding words when people ask us, but the way that we live demonstrates what we really believe. Remember as I have said before in previous studies, faith is a noun and belief is a verb. Faith is information that God gives us about Himself and His Truth, and our Belief is what we do with that information. Many people are still believing not based on faith, but instead on the old Adam, and the natural world.
To understand this better, let’s start by taking a look at 1st Corinthians 15:45-47:
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
However, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.”
So what do we see here? This is a comparison between the first Adam (the man in the Garden of Eden), and the last Adam which is Jesus Christ. Now the title of “last Adam” is extremely important, because it tells us something vital about what Jesus did, and specifically for us. Hold your place here and for a moment, turn to Romans 5:14-19:
“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded to many.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses to justification.
For if by one man’s offense 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 judgment came on all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came on all men to 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.”
Take a look at these verses, with the fact of Jesus being the “last Adam” in mind. Notice verse 14: Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression. Now that’s kind of an old-English way of saying it, but what does that mean? Death from the moment Adam sinned on through to Moses and the Law, and even through to all those who did not sin in the same manner of Adam. Why? Because everyone was from the same line, the race of Adam.
Look at verse 15: But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. Again this is old-English and a bit awkward to us, but what does this mean? The offense, the sin, and the punishment, came on many people, even death came on people, all because the head of the line, the representative of the entire human race, Adam, sinned. So also is the free gift. Just as the entire race became sinners and condemned to death all because of one man, Adam – so also are many given righteousness and life by the One Jesus Christ. Why? Because we are part of a new line; where the head is no longer fallen Adam, but perfect Jesus Christ.
Verse 16 locks it down even further: And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. Just as the first man, Adam sinned one time and judgment came on all people. So also Jesus performed one perfect sacrifice, and righteousness came on all people.
Now this righteousness is not just a tingly feel-good thought. It can and should be your reality. Notice verse 17: For by one man’s offense (that’s Adam) death reigned by one, much more… take a moment on that much more part. We think pretty highly of death most of the time, we think of death an a boogey man, much like sickness and disease. But notice not only the “much more” but also the use of past-tense language here… by Adam’s offense, death reigned, that’s the past-tense of “reign”, which means what, exactly? The reign of death is over, it is done, a new kingdom and dominion is here, we can call it the kingdom of Heaven like Jesus did, but one thing is clear: much more they which receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Notice who is doing the reigning – we are! And notice what we are reigning in: Not death, but life! Specifically the very life of Jesus Christ! I think that’s a pretty good life! I don’t think it’s a maybe, so-so kind of life, I think it’s a flat-out, perfect, all-inclusive, no gray-areas kind of life!
Now notice how it comes. This does not say, those who receive the abundance of laws, and the earned-merit of God’s blessings reign in life. Although many have been deceived into thinking that’s actually how it comes.
Instead, those who receive abundance of Grace more-than enough, and the gift of righteousness, those are the ones who reign in life by Jesus Christ.
Righteousness is a gift. It’s not a reward. It’s not a payment for services rendered. It’s not even any kind of barter-system. It’s a gift.
Now, understanding this. Remember our scripture from 1st Corinthians 15? One of the title’s of Jesus is the Last Adam. What is that telling us? This goes straight to your identity. And if you have ears to hear this today, it will open your awareness to the truth that makes you free, and your entire life will by changed. This not an overstatement either, because this is straight Gospel here… by calling Jesus the last Adam, the scripture is signifying the end of the line of Adam. When Jesus came as a man, He was born as a man, born under the Law, that’s the Law of Moses , the Old Covenant (as stated in Galatians 4:4). And by His sacrifice, He put an end to the Old Covenant, by fulfilling it completely, and in so doing He ended the line of Adam, by taking upon Himself every curse that Adam brought, every lack, every failing, and Jesus gave us freely His divine life, and righteousness and absolute blessings!
You are not in the line of Adam anymore. You are now in the line of Jesus Christ – and if you allow it, that truth can change your entire life. You are not a son of Adam, you are a son of God. You have the very Spirit of Christ, the holy Spirit of God on the inside of you, crying “abba father” (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6). If the Spirit of God inside of you is testifying that God is your Father, then that makes you His son. If you truly receive that, then your world just split wide-open.
So now when you come face to face with the issues of life, you don’t just lay-down and take it like a powerless son of Adam; instead you raise up as a Son of God and do exactly as Jesus did. You command waves and wind to stop, you command mountains to move, you command sickness to leave and people to be raised up in the Name of Jesus, because that name belongs to you! And when others ask how you are doing these things, you tell them the truth: It’s the Kingdom of God, here let me tell you… And that’s exactly the way Jesus told them to testify in Luke 10:9.
This is your identity, and your reality in Christ. He has done the work, you are “born again” into a new line. One not based on Adam and sin and curse even to death; but one based on Jesus Christ and righteousness and blessing, all the way to eternal life.
I encourage you today, live the truth, believe the truth. It’s the Gospel. The truth of Jesus, that makes you free.
Be blessed.