By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
MONDAY
THEME: THE FIRST ADAM: HOPE RESTORED THROUGH THE SECOND ADAM
SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:15
“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.”
REFLECTIONS
Praise the Lord; our salvation is a done deal. The first Adam, the first man to be created, goofed, lost the dominion, and almost forfeited his stewardship over all that God had created and placed under his care. Not that Adam was ignorant. He had adequate information to make the right choice and decision. The test was on loyalty, yet he chose to sell himself and the human race for that which had no life. Adam desired knowledge but chose to go a contrary way rather than go by God’s direction. God acknowledged Adam’s regrets and repentance as He unveiled His eternal plan to humanity in Genesis 3:15.
About the two Adams, we read in 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47, 49 – “[45]. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. [47]The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. [49]And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” The first Adam heard God’s verdict and the introduction of the plan of salvation. The second Adam sacrificed His life to save the whole of humanity. Like any sinner, the first Adam, hopefully with his sins forgiven and hope restored, it will be a delight to see him in heaven. What a scene! As we walk to Christ in heaven, our eyes may set on our first parent, Adam, and he smiles at us with a sigh of relief that Christ has made all things well and rescued his descendants from the planet of sin and doom.
The author of the Devotional, “Our Father Cares,” on page 195, paints an interesting scenario about the two Adams. “The two Adams are about to meet. The Son of God is standing with outstretched arms to receive the father of our race—the being whom He created, who sinned against his Maker, and for whose sin the marks of the crucifixion are borne upon the Saviour’s form. As Adam discerns the prints of the cruel nails, he does not fall upon the bosom of his Lord, but in humiliation casts himself at His feet, crying: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain!” Tenderly the Saviour lifts him up and bids him look once more upon the Eden home from which he has so long been exiled….”
The privilege of salvation that the Second Adam, Jesus, offers humanity is undeserved. The gift is priceless. There is no excuse for anyone if we do not enter the kingdom. “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” Adam caused sin and death, and Jesus has paid the penalty. Therefore, unless we decide otherwise, we can be saved. Romans 5:8 reads, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The author of Ministry of Healing states: “Grace is an attribute of God exercised toward undeserving human beings. We did not seek for it, but it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow His grace upon us, not because we are worthy but because we are so utterly unworthy. Our only claim to His mercy is our great need.” p.161. Therefore, get rid of the guilty feelings and surrender your life to Christ. His sacrifice has paid for every imaginable sin. Because of His love for us, we are more than conquerors. Beloved, you do not deserve to be lost. He died so you can live. For His sacrifice, continue to show your heartfelt appreciation to Jesus Christ. No sin can match the sacrifice He made. Place your burden of sin in Christ’s hands and have peace and rest. Every sin can be forgiven. Choose and decide right!
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 163 – “At The Cross”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for life; thank God for His unceasing love; pray for Christ’s presence in your life;
– Pray for people who find it difficult to surrender their lives to Christ due to guilt; pray for your family to remain committed to Christ; pray for people who have difficulty to forgive themselves;
– Pray for victims of wars and disasters; pray for starving children and mothers; pray for the Israeli-Hamas War to end; pray for displaced people, refugees, and asylum seekers;
– Pray for peace for the nation, job opportunities for the youth, economic development, and reduced crime; pray for Christ’s sacrifice and His grace to reach as many people as possible; pray for the sick.
