All mankind has descended from one man-Adam; therefore, all mankind is spoken of as " in Adam" (1 Cor. 15:22). Created in God's image, with life in-breathed by his Maker, man is by creation " the offspring of God," as Scripture asserts (Luke 3:38; Acts 17:29). But the voice of the tempter was heard; through disobedience a terrible fall resulted, which morally separated man from his Maker and Benefactor. It was after this, when cast out of Eden, that Adam had a posterity. Born in the same condition as its head, all mankind is described as " alienated from the life of God " and " dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 4:18; 2:1).
Out of this condition man cannot extricate himself, and God does not patch up a ruin, nor restore it to its primitive condition, but brings in something new and higher. Therefore when ruin had come in through sin, God at once spoke of a new Man to come-not from Adam, "but the Seed of the woman," which of necessity implied another source of life. Adam appears to have understood this, for he at once calls his wife, not " Isha " (woman) as at first, in chap. 2:23, but "eve" (Living), from whom the promised Seed was to come (Gen. 3:20).
From that time the children of faith looked for the Promise-dimly it may have been (perhaps not so dim as we may think), but growing clearer and brighter to faith as the weary ages passed; faith and hope continually strengthened by foreshadows and prophecies of Him that was to come, until the glad announcement was heard, " Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord," and a host from heaven proclaimed, " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure in man " (Luke 2:14, New Trans.), 1:e., in Him and through Him now come into the world, God finds afresh His good pleasure in man, as is also shown by His genealogy through the woman in chap. 3, which runs back and up to God.
But how can fallen man enter in or have part in God's '' good pleasure ? " A new birth is the answer:a birth in which God's power must be put forth afresh, and on a higher plane than at first in Genesis; a birth in which the Word of God and the Spirit of God combine, as John 3:5-8 and Jas. 1:18 declare. The word of truth is presented to the conscience and heart of man, and by the Holy Spirit the precious seed becomes the life-giving power in man's heart. Thus, a ruined man is begotten anew, is born of God, is brought into a new family of whom Christ, " the Second Man," " the last Adam," is Head (1 Cor. IS:45,47). It is of these two headships -of Adam and of Christ-that Rom. 5:14-21 treats.
" Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature :old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new " (2 Cor. 5:17).
O Christian, does it not make your heart bound with joy that now you are a child of God-born into the family of whom Christ is the Head ?-for, says John 1:12, "As many as received Him (Jesus), to them gave He power (the title) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; " and 1 John 3:2 adds:'·' Beloved, now are we the children of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him ; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself even as He is pure."