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February 3, 2022 7:00 am
Those who would take a historical Adam away from you market. Eventually they will take your salvation away from as well since Adam is the premise of the things that lead to Christ when you kick out the slats of the foundation.
The rest of us going to fall eventually as well were so glad you joined us of the truth with Don green founding pastor of truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio hello, I'm Bill Wright and were continuing our series, you can trust. Genesis last time Don presented the evidence of Genesis and the teaching of Jesus that Adam was indeed a real historical person today. Our teacher will show us what the apostles had to say about it. You'll see there and predictably full agreement with your Bible in hand. Let's joint Don green that give a truthful, what can we glean about Adam. Then from the lips of our master turn to Matthew chapter 19 Matthew chapter 19 and is returning there.
You can also put your finger in Mark chapter 10 Matthew chapter 19 verse three.
Some Pharisees came to Jesus testing him and asking, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all.
And Jesus answers within the answers the problem of his day. In verse four he answered and said, have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female quoting from Genesis chapter 1 and said, for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. A direct reference to Adam and Eve is the narrative was described in Genesis chapter 2 verse 24 turn to Mark chapter 10 Mark chapter 10 verse six, where Mark gives a parallel account. Jesus said in Mark chapter 10 verse six.
From the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate. So in these passages Jesus quotes from Genesis chapter 1 in Genesis chapter 2 to answer questions in his day about divorce and he appeals back to the original text.
He appeals back to the beginning in Genesis and he appeals to those opening chapters of Genesis. In order to settle the discussion in order to give a context and say here's God's direction and the situation. Let's go all the way back to Genesis 1 and to remember about Adam and Eve and we see the pattern that God established for marriage going forward. From the beginning. Beloved Jesus's appeal to those opening chapters of Genesis would have no force and no meaning for the situation of his own day. If Adam and Eve were simply allegories or symbols of something else. The reason that his argument settle the matter before the Pharisees was because he was referring to something that was a historical fact true in time and space and he alluded to people who really existed, and set a pattern for humanity. Going forward, that's why what he said answered their question about divorce now his words therefore assume the actual existence of a human pair, who set a standard for those who come later in the institution of marriage. Now critics who somehow still are allowed to carry the label evangelical critics, even in the evangelical camp might say that Jesus was simply accommodating the belief of his day.
The sense of this argument is his and Jesus knew it wasn't real but he accommodated those who were around him because they believed it was real, and therefore he spoke as adopting their beliefs, even though he knew it wasn't true. And so for the sake of identifying with the philosophies of our day. These evangelical critics make the Lord a purveyor of deception and let me ask you a question. As you read the Gospels do you find Jesus as one who is afraid to confront the error of his day. Is he reticent, is he awkward is he retiring does he defer in the face of error deceiver deferring the face of lies. Matthew 23 woe to you Pharisees, you whitewashed tombs, Jews wasn't afraid at all of confronting the error of his day. This is nonsense to speak in such manners and to make the Lord a participant and up one who perpetuates deception, rather than exposing it the reason Jesus alluded to Adam and Eve to settle the argument was because they were real.
He knew them to be real and he knew that the testimony of Scripture settled the argument that was in front of and so Jesus affirmed by his teaching. The reality of Adam and Eve, just as Genesis presented them.
He quotes Genesis without qualification without alteration, and so as we start to say what are what are we to believe in our day about these issues, we go to Genesis and say this is pretty clear we go to the genealogies we say this is really clear we go to what Jesus said we say this is really clear and then as we go along we start to realize that that the rest of the New Testament builds theology of salvation on the reality of Adam is the head of the human race so that brings us to point number three the teaching of the apostles, the teaching of the apostles and let me just remind you of some things we've said about the apostles in the past.
Those of you that were with us at the time, maybe haven't heard this, the nature of the apostolic office. The nature of the 12+ Paul is really really crucial for us to understand because the apostles were Jesus is personally appointed representatives to reveal his truth to the first generation of believers.
Jesus personally appointed the apostles to be his authorized representatives. He sent the Holy Spirit to empower them to guard them to guide them in the truth and so when we read.
Here's the key beloved and are not repeating all that I said in the those two messages that you can find also online when when you read the teaching of the apostles.
When you read the letters of the New Testament. Jesus Christ himself is the guarantee that the apostles were trustworthy because he is the one who designated them as his authorized representatives in a unique way that has not been repeated since the first century and never will be one of the qualifications to be an apostle was that they had to be an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ Martin Lloyd Jones talking about the apostles, said this Christ in appointing the apostles gave them the ability the authority and the power to provide for the people of Christ to provide for the sheep of the shepherd. The teaching that was essential for the well-being of the people for whom he died. And so the apostles were a great gift from Christ. They are the foundation upon which the church is built according to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20 Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone and so when we read the teaching of the apostles. When we read the New Testament we are reading the very word of God himself. We are reading precisely what Christ has for his church to know, understand, believe, teach, defend and obey.
There is no separation between Christ and his apostles there. Teaching is one and the same as it is recorded in Scripture because they spoke as his authorized representatives, and so with that in mind when it comes to the issue of the evening.
It's right and proper for us to say what do the apostles say about Adam, what did the apostles say about Adam. Well what were going to see is is that the apostles agree completely with the recorded words of Christ in the Gospels, the apostles agree with the teaching of Genesis and the genealogies they assume Adam's literal existence as it is recorded in the book of Genesis. Let's look at Romans chapter 5 Romans chapter 5 in Romans chapter 5 the apostle Paul is addressing the matter of Christ's redemption of humanity and he is going to make up comparison between Christ and Adam to make his point. In Romans chapter 5 verse 12. Look at it with me. He says therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned for until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when, where, and there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of him who was to come. Now this text is very involved and very complex for tonight.
All we need to see is this is that the apostle Paul is speaking about Adam as a literal man. He speaks about Adam in the same breath in the same clause as he does Moses, you can't say Moses was real and literal and then turn Adam into a symbol without destroying the entire point.
The pole is making here.
One writer said this Adam is a real person of history and therefore the events of his life are causes that produce genuine effects in the world. Adam story explains what happens because it tells us what happened in the point that Paul is making is a historical point here in chapter 5.
Adam was a real historical person who did real historical things and because Adam did those things, because Adam fell because Adam disobeyed.
There were consequences for all of humanity as the head of the human race.
When Adam sinned, it had an effect on every other man in the human race would ever live. That's his point there.
Now Paul goes further and makes a critical comparison to Christ Jesus. Look at verse 15 the free gift is not like the transgression. In other words the free gift of salvation available in Christ is not like the transgression that I hadn't committed for if by the transgression verse 15 of the one the many died. Adam's sin and therefore many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many, the gift is not like that which came through the one who send from the one hand, the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, Adam sin resulted in the condemnation of the entire race but on the other hand, the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
Verse 17 for if by the transgression of the one that is Adam, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men, so one man, Adam sin, and it had consequences for the whole human race Jesus Christ. One man did one thing in his life, his death, his resurrection, the, the actions of one man in Christ also had implications for all. That's the comparison that is making Adam did one thing and everyone was affected Christ did one thing and everyone was affected. That's the basic gist of his argument here. Verse 19 for as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous. The law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
That's a lot but grab the main point here. One man, namely Adam did had consequences for the entire human race what another one man.
Christ did had consequences for the entire human race. And what Paul leads up to what the climax of his point is is is found in verse 21 you find that that it leads into a declaration of the grace that reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so he is built up to this great conclusion that shows us know something about the reality of salvation in Christ.
Here's the thing, beloved Paul's entire explanation of salvation falls apart becomes meaningless if Adam is not a historical person. If you take away Adam and the explanation that Adam gives for human race that humanity being in sin if you take that away and you take away the entire premise of salvation you take away Adam's sin and salvation fall apart because through the first Adam we became sinful through the second Adam, namely Christ we are redeemed and if you take away the first, you lose the second as well.
Again, Anthony Holcomb of pointedly asks in this context.
He says if Paul thought of Jesus Christ here as a historical person. What right has anyone to suggest that he thought of Adam, whom he describes in each of those verses with an expression identical to the one used for Christ as not a historical person. In other words, Paul uses the same language to describe Christ and to describe Adam. How can you possibly hold to Christ as historical and reject Adam as historical.
Now I realize I realize that those who want to be friends with our our evolutionary philosophy of our age. I realize that that puts them in an embarrassing position. I'm not sympathetic you have to choose what it is that you're going to be loyal to our you going to be loyal to Christ and his word and stand apart from the philosophies of the world that would undermine the clear teaching of God's word or will you come out from the camp and stand with Christ and stand with his word and stand with that which gives the word internal consistency and clarity as it speaks about the only way of salvation for man tell you the me that's not a hard question to answer. This is not a difficult choice, in part, it's not a difficult choice because of the work of the Spirit of God in my heart that is open my eyes to see that these things are actually true, but what I want you to see here beloved. I think I use this upon last time when people start to monkey around with Adam the consequences of that go throughout the Bible. The principle that would make you monkey with Adam eventually undermines the only hope of your soul and you can see that as you see other apostolic teaching turn to first Corinthians 15 in first Corinthians 15 when is talking about our resurrection hope in first Corinthians 15 verse 21 he ties it into Adam. He ties it into Adam. First Corinthians 15 verse 21 he says for since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. And then in verse 45 in first Corinthians 15 he says, so also it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam, referring to Christ became a life-giving spirit. And so what you see beloved is this we bear the image of Adam now as physical beings here on the earth. One day we are going to bear the image of Christ in glory. Those of us that belong to him and so and so when we when we step back is Christian say what is the most precious thing that we have the most precious thing that we have is the certain hope of eternal life seen Christ face-to-face and one day being like him.
We will be like him, because we will see him as he is.
First John three verse two well what I want you to see is is that is is that according to Scripture that that the great eternal, infinite value of that hope is tied to compared to related to the historicity of Adam. Lastly, Paul addresses male leadership in the church in first Timothy chapter 2 turn over there with me. First Timothy chapter 2 Paul is dealing with the issue of male leadership in the church, he says in chapter 2 verse 13, it was Adam who was first created and then Eve. And was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
Beloved Paul's solution to a real problem in the church in real time and space in his day was a real appeal to a real person who settled the argument who made his case who illustrated his point and so you have Genesis you have the genealogies you have Jesus you have the apostles in multiple places for each one. The testimony of Scripture here is abundant. On the positive side, the Bible affirms a real Adam on the negative side, biblical theology collapses without him, biblical theology collapses the reality of salvation collapses as well beloved market market. It's not long in time chronology.
It's not long in logic. It's not a far leap that those who would take a historical Adam away from you market. Eventually they will take your salvation away from you as well since Adam is the premise of the things that lead to Christ and the salvation that Christ brought when you kick out the slats of the foundation. The rest of us going to fall eventually as well. Leland Reitan says this in a quote are salvation connection to Christ is grounded in our human connection to Adam. If we remain in Adam than the guilt of his sin and our sin will bring us under the wrath of God.
But if we come to Christ.
We will be rescued by his atoning work. Both men are real representatives which makes our salvation as real as our sin.
Beloved, we have not followed cleverly devised fables, when we believed in Christ, we have not believed in myths and fancy stories when we committed ourselves to the truth of Scripture. We have committed ourselves to that which is true, that which is right and that which God will vindicate in the May God bless our efforts individually and collectively as a body of believers here, truth, community church, to be faithful to his precious in every respect. Any question left in your mind about Adam and Eve being real people will after hearing Pastor Don Greene's message on the subject. There shouldn't be Donald take us further into our series, you can trust Genesis on our next broadcast, and we hope you'll join us then your other truth pulpit right now though Don's back in studio with the resource offer, my friend. I am committed to the dynamic of verbal preaching. I love to preach and speak.
I think there's a dynamic when a preacher opens the word of God to hearers that that the audio component of that is a means that God uses greatly in the lives of those who here but I also understand that sometimes you want to go back and study what was said more closely. We have transcripts of all of my full-length sermons available on our website and I would encourage you to go there to find them and to be able to study the messages more closely through the written word as you've also enjoyed it through the spoken word. Thanks, Don and friend to find those in all our resources.
Just visit the truth. Pulpit.com that's the truth. Pulpit.com by Bill Wright, inviting you back next time. When Don Greene presents more from the truth