When Adam tries to practice the faith of Christ – Audio
This stands to be an eye-opening message as it’s a commentary on the faith since the beginning in light of what the apostles of Christ sought to establish.
It’s also a warning to any Christian of the conditions we live under in which the results the Almighty God said are possible are not happening. That is, evil is on the rise and the testimony of the church is too often not so great, nor are other fruits promised by God for those who’d take the narrow way of the fullness of the Apostles’ doctrine.
The term “in Adam” (1 Cor 15:22) is a biblical reference to the “old man,” (Rom 6:6) or “natural man,” (1 Cor 2:14) or “flesh” (Rom 6:19) which are synonyms to speak of a person, male or female, apart from Christ.
Those “in Christ” are born again. Jesus said in John 3 to Nicodemus it is impossible to enter into or even see the kingdom of God unless one is born again. At the point of receiving Jesus as Lord, and God’s Spirit, one goes from being merely “in Adam” to “in Christ.”
The scriptures clearly teach however that even though people may be born again, they carry along the old man (who they are in Adam), and have a dual nature of both fleshly (old nature) and spiritual (new nature) in Christ vying within for preeminence, and control.
Since the beginning of the church, people have therefore been making the mistake of leaning on their natural mind, their fleshly intellect in Adam, to parse scripture, read the Bible, derive doctrines and teach the faith.
This is proven in that God said there was one faith (Jude 1:3, Eph 4:5) and today we have thousands of sects or denominations vying as the representatives of Christ’s kingdom.
That’s not saying they got no truth, but that they mixed fleshly understanding with spiritual revelation to form a composite picture that differed from the original spirit of the faith of Jesus Christ.
Almighty God is the same as He ever was, and desires all people to come to Jesus, but not an imitation Jesus.
2 Cor 11:3-4 – But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Paul the apostle says people may lack discernment and this is when the “flesh” – Adam’s mind – attempts to understand instead of one acting from the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Jesus is Immanuel (Mt 1:23), or “God with us.” He was not just with them – 2,000 years ago, and now long gone! He is supposed to be, by His Spirit (Jn 14:15-18, etc) yet in us who are born again now, today.
Col 1:27 – To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Simply put, it is only Christ in a person who is able to make one understand, know the truth in the right light, and this is conditional on being as a little child, surrendered, willing to do God’s will, and more.
God’s promise was those who fully followed Him would see great results – by their fruits we would be known, not just our arguments and position statements. Indeed, many remain bond in the spirit of their minds, not realizing though they say they know God, they may have strongholds of falsehood barring God full reign, and limiting the Holy One of Israel (Ps 78:40,41).
2 Cor 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
If the world today rejects the gospel, or Christianity, or “organized religion,” etc., it is because “Adam” sought to push Christ out of the way in men who for the past 2,000 years have been reinterpreting the faith into shades of different understandings that do not align with the Apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42).
And some Christians today wonder why evil is taking over! They wonder why there’s a lack of God-like love and unity that Jesus said were to be earmarks of the true believers who were to be a showcase to all the world (Jn 13:34,35, Jn 17:20-23).
Jesus also said “when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith in the earth?” (Luke 18:8) and Paul also prophesied the faith would be subverted.
Acts 20:28 – Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God[c] which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
All such “wolves” are men of the flesh, in Adam. Galatians 5:20 says “heresies” (false teachings) are a work of the flesh.
The good news is God is the same as ever, and He ever lives for those who will hear Him, and meet the conditions to let Him produce Christ in them, and acquaint them with Immanuel, Christ in them, the hope of glory.
This is actually a call for repentance to those to whom it may concern, and who have ears that hear.
Life is at stake!
Lord bless you.
Notes
Earmarks of normal Christian life
• Born of the Spirit (Jn 3:3-8)
• Knows it with spiritual witness (Rom 8:16)
• Surrendered as little child
• Meek, humble,
• Faithful
• Ears that hear. (Mt 11:15)
• Spiritual discernment (Phil 1:9)
• Wisdom (1 Cor 1:30,31)
• Know Jesus voice (Jn 10)
• Taught by Jesus Spirit to spirit (Jn 6:45, 1 Cor 2:10-16)
• Dead to self (Jn 12:24-26)
• In God’s rest (Heb 4)
• Not in wilderness, but promised land (Eze 36:24)
• Exchanged life (Gal 2:20)
• Holy (1 Pet 1:16. Heb 12:14)
• Spiritual (1 Cor 3)
• Understanding being retrained for life in a spiritual kingdom
• Knows “old man” is crucified with Christ (Rom 6)
• Able therefore to act on it (free from sin’s power)
• Knows law of the Spirit of life (Rom 8)
• Knows walking in spirit (Gal 5:16-18)
• Love for God and people (James 2:8, etc)
• Amazing spiritual love for brethren (Jn 13:34,35)
• Suffers long and is kind (1 Cor 13:4)
• Does not envy (1 Cor 13:4)
• Does not parade one’s self (1 Cor 13:4)
• Not proud/puffed up (1 Cor 13:4)
• Not rude (thus conscientious) (1 Cor 13:5)
• Does not seek one’s own (1 Cor 13:5)
• Is not provoked (1 Cor 13:5)
• Thinks no evil (1 Cor 13:5)
• Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth (1 Cor 13:6)
• Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor 13:7)
• Amazing unity in the spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3, Jn 17:20-23)
• Deep spiritual godly love that wells out of heart (Rom 5:5).
• Righteousness, peace, joy (Rom 14:17, Jn 14:27)
• Desire to do God’s will (Jn 4:34)
• Prayers that touch the will of God (Rom 8:26,27, James 5:16, Jn 14:13,14)
• Top priority is to be “well pleasing” to Christ, (2 Cor 5:9)
• Daily “understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph 5:17)
• Desire that in all things “Christ may have the preeminence.” (Col 1:18).
• Walks as Jesus walked (1 Jn 2:6)
• Accepts no substitutes (2 Cor 11:4, Jn 10:5).
Earmarks of a church (assembly) Jesus builds (Mt 16:18)
• The Lord builds the house It is not a “work of man” (Ps 127:1)
• Follows whole apostles’ doctrine
• Spirit confirms Word
• One Spirit in all members (1 Cor 12)
• Members love with Christ’s love (Jn 13:34,35)
• Members have deep unity (Jn 17:20-23)
• Growth expected (Acts 2:47)
• Growth experienced. (Acts 2:47)
• People want what you have (Haggai 2:7)
• A spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (2 Pet 5)
• Growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:21,22)
• More glory than the glory of Moses at the mountain with Ten Commandments (2 Cor 3:7-11)
• Whole “ministry of the Spirit” known and experienced (2 Cor 3:7-11)
• Veil removed from peoples’ hearts, liberty known in God’s presence (2 Cor 3:7-11)
• Speakers speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet 4:11)
• Speakers speak words of spirit and life (Jn 6:63)
• Believe God for great things because He is theirs and they are His.
• Do not try to put “God in a box” but submit to Him, and have that childlike trust
• No egos in the way
• Pride has no place
• Christ has the preeminence (Col 1:18)
• In Him we live and move and have their being (Acts 17:28)
• Not closed to spiritual gifts, ready to believe the God of all power who changes not (Mark 16:17-18)
• Know we serve the Almighty God in a “better covenant with better promises”
• Know God’s arm is not short, and He can accomplish His will with surrendered people
• Know the battle is the Lord’s
• Know without Jesus, they can do nothing (Jn 15)
• Hear His voice (Jn 10)
• The anointing teaches us (1 Jn 2:20, 27)
• Pray with power
