The Daily Word of Righteousness

First Corinthians, Fifteen, #22

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (I Corinthians 15:49)

In the day of resurrection we shall receive that which is spiritual. If we have been faithful in the least we shall be entrusted with the greater.

The first man is of the dust of the ground. His name, Adam (red), refers to the red clay from which he was formed.

The second Man is the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is representative Man. Jesus did not receive all authority in Heaven and on the earth because He is the Son of God but because He is the Son of Man. The Scriptures assign all authority to man, and the Scriptures cannot be changed in any manner.

Man was created to be the eternal throne of God.

During our present lifetime we are the children of Adam and under the curse of death that was placed on Adam and his environment.

In the day of resurrection we shall be as the second Adam, the Lord Jesus. We shall be the Kingdom from Heaven that is to come to the earth. We shall bear the image of God. The name of God, the name of His city, and the new name of Christ will be inscribed on us for eternity.

The saved peoples of the earth will realize we are members of the royal priesthood and that we are the Lord's representatives. We are in the image of Adam at the present time. In the day of resurrection we shall be in the image of God.

But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. (Isaiah 61:6)

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (I Corinthians 15:50)

Flesh and blood is another name for the adamic race. The adamic race is a perishable creation. No doubt it is a prototype, a forerunner of the eternal kingdom that God had in mind from the beginning.

Attempts to reform the adamic nature are a waste of time except as they strengthen and encourage people to press into the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

The Kingdom of God consists of people who have died and been resurrected and an environment that also, so to speak, has died and been resurrected. God is making all things new. The Lord Jesus Christ will be the eternal Center and Circumference of the new creation.

It is useless to attempt to bring Adam into the new creation, into the Kingdom of God. It would be easier to teach a dog to read than to reform Adam so he could partake of the life of Heaven. Adam is the dust of the ground. The new man is from Heaven and is of the life and ways of Heaven. There is no method by which Adam can be brought into the new world of righteousness and eternal life.

Some scientific effort has gone into teaching gorillas and dolphins various human skills. The results are relatively very meager. So it is true that all attempts to make Adam in the image of Christ have very meager results. A human child soon is behaving in a manner that never will be possible for a gorilla. The new creation in Christ soon is behaving in a manner that never will be possible for the adamic man no matter how well trained in religion.

To be continued.