There has to be an Undoing, if God is at work (The Old Creation vs the New Creation)

Objective:

To make us aware that if God is at work in us and sanctification is real then it must be an Undoing that takes place in the believer.

Diagnosis/Question: It is true that works can’t bring about salvation. This phrase is repeated and many theological circles. However, what about the work of Christ. I have seen many give excuses for the behavior of so called Christians who claim that they have walked with God for many years, but yet their behavior hasn’t changed. The problem is, if God has declared us righteous, and if we are justified by him, and if salvation has no works attached; then what work is being preformed in the believer over time.

Sermon: Romans 5: 12-21 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

This is a obvious question, but how does this whole sanctification process work ? I mean, we are taught that sanctification is intangible; we can’t see it, but if the Holy Spirit is in us then we know that we are being changed daily. However, this passage shows us Christ at work, in which God illustrates the specifications of what the work of Christ looks like or better yet the portrait of the old steeping into the new. The Question is when I look in the mirror who do I see, the Old creation Adam or the New Creation Christ.

Last week Pastor thanked God for not being fair, In which he would be right for God does not give us what we deserve as it pertains to our sin. However, God Also plays fair, in which he shows us the Work of Christ for us to examine and ask; is this the same work being produce in me? There are Five areas at work as we look at the concept from Adam to Jesus.

First :

Pride vs Humility: God creates Adam and puts him in a real utopia (Gen 2: 6-8) . Adam Doesn’t have to do anything but work tend to the Land and listen to God. However, Jesus who is begotten from God, steps down from his throne is born into poverty. What we see is the undoing of Pride. Christ Killed Pride and exalted humility.

​Collapsing vs Endurance: James tells us to count it on joy my brothers when one encounters hard times. One man had a garden the other man had a wilderness. Nonetheless, there would be a test to see who would fall back on the Word of God. Yet brief, Adam had his moment ( Genesis 3: 6 . Let’s not forget that Adam was with his wife. Not once did Adam use the word of God and his defense. However, Jesus stood strong, and leaned on God’s very words when tempted by Satan. Matthew 4: 1-11 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus sai…” Be gone, Satan! For it is written “ You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.

Genesis 3:6 ESV

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

3. Negligent vs Extricate: Adam allowed one person, his wife to fall in the hands of the enemy. Adam could have stepped in and saved her, but yet he allowed her fall. There is a verse that we should all be familiar with ( Ezekiel 3:18 “If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.” Yet again Christ laid down his very life to protect those that truly believe in him.

4. Evade Vs. Ownership: Adam first tries to hide from God, and then he blames his wife for there Fall. Christ takes ownership, and although Christ not responsible for evil he never acted as if though he isn’t responsible for humans. Christ Death on the Cross, shows that he takes complete responsibility.

5. Disobedience vs Obedience: Philippians 2: 8 “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Adam with only one temptation failed. However, Jesus the man with many temptations never went to left or right. The law itself pointed to Christ, in which so many of Christ kinsmen look to the Law and lived under it; Jesus instead was the Law in operation.

Closing: Are you becoming undone. Can you honestly say that you practice humility, that you rely on God’s word first, that you look forward to sharing the gospel, that you confess your sins daily, and that you seek to be obedient rather then perverting grace.