Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. We ourselves are culpable of our own sin, but that's how sin got here.
And if you are offended by such a notion and think it unfair, then good, because now you're poised to understand the gospel, oh, because there's nothing more unfair than the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.
Merry Christmas. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, He Alone is Worthy, as presented at Rinaldo Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries. As you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at PastorAlan.org, that's PastorAlan.org, or call 877-544-4860, 877-544-4860. More on this later in today's program. But now, let's get started with the teaching for today.
Here is Alan Wright. I had a friend who's set up a fundraising effort for a Palestinian pastor in Gaza. You know, his family is affected by this, right?
They're homeless now. Sad, demonically inspired, ungodly leadership that is the head of your, it affects what happens in your life. We think individualistically in Western culture, but that's not been the way people think in the history of the world. And we were born in Adam. And that's why there's sickness and death and pain and brokenness. We ourselves are culpable of our own sin, but that's how sin got here. And if you are offended by such a notion and think it unfair, then good, because now you're poised to understand that we're in sin, and we're in sin because there's nothing more unfair than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Because as much as we dislike the idea of another person who has authority or goes before us or represents us being connected to our guilt or to our curse, we should love the concept of such a notion, because if someone else is sin can bring condemnation, then it must be possible that we're in sin. And the idea of righteousness could bring us liberation. It means there's a way out. It means there's a way forward, a real path to joy and freedom and security and blessedness. And it is the only way forward.
It is a worthy one. So back to Romans 5, this is what he says. He says that the free gift is not like, in verse 15, died through one man's trespass.
That's what happened. But much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many. He's saying something is like it, but categorically better. Verse 17 of Romans 5, if because a one man's trespass death reign 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. And again, in verse 18, as one trespass led to condemnation for all, so one act of righteousness, speaking of Jesus's righteousness and going to the cross and his resurrection, one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. And in verse 19, by the one man's disobedient, the many were made sinners.
So by the one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous. We got to believe in the problem of Adam's headship that brought sin and death into the world so that we can believe in the headship of the second Adam who brought righteousness into the world and liberation and life eternal that we don't deserve. Oh, Charles Spurgeon, Prince of Preachers said it so well, though to us it is a most unhappy thing that we should all have fallen by virtue of our being represented by Adam.
Yet here is the mercy of it. It left a way open by which we might be restored. For if we fell by one Adam, there remained a possibility of rising by another Adam.
And listen to this, listen to these sweet words, savor these words from Charles Spurgeon. I dare not question the perfect justice of my fall in Adam. I should be most unwise if I did, for by so doing, I might cast some doubt upon the justice of my rising in the second Adam. In other words, it doesn't seem fair and it wasn't fair that because a one man sin death came into the world to all.
But I'll tell you what's even more unfair and far more glorious, and that is by one man's righteousness, all who trust in him have life eternal. The second Adam, the last Adam, the perfect Adam, he alone is worthy. So the first Adam and the last Adam are similar. This is what Paul said in Romans 5 14, Adam who was a type of the one who was to come. So the New Testament says of the old that the old is full of types and shadows, prefiguring Christ. God in his infinite wisdom unveiled the coming of Christ in a mystery through prophetic utterances, but also through real history where people and events were prefiguring Jesus.
He tied it all together. And so Adam in a sense is a type or a prefiguring or a foreshadowing. Think about how similar, there's so many things we could list about the first Adam and the last Adam, Jesus. In the first place, both are human, and that's what Christmas is all about.
Adam in Hebrew simply means man, Adam, man. That's his name, human. And Jesus is human.
That's the mystery of Christmas. He's from heaven, but he's a man. He's a man of heaven. But he's a man.
He's a man of heaven. John 1 14, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Hebrews 2 14, since therefore the children share in the flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil. There was something that was essential about Jesus being human. In other words, we can't have someone that is worthy to represent humanity who isn't also human.
That's what representation is, one of you. That's why He came. And Adam, the first Adam, the second Adam had this in common. Both were sent into the world as the image of God.
Remember that? Genesis 1 27, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. And this is who Jesus is perfectly.
Colossians, Paul said, He is the image of the invisible God. And both Adams were assigned dominion in the earth. You understand humanity in God's design was given dominion in the earth. Genesis 1 28, God blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion. That's what Adam and Eve forfeited. This is the reason that Christ came is the perfect Adam. Have dominion. Ephesians 1 20, He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand and the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. That's what Jesus came and He said, if you see me casting out demons by the finger of God, you'll know the kingdom of God is upon you.
Dominion restored to humanity. And there's so many things to mention about how Adam is a type of Christ, but you ever think about this, that the pivotal moment of each one's life centered around a tree. Adam, who ate from the forbidden tree and Jesus, who was hung on a tree.
So they're very alike, but oh, they're so different. And that's what Paul is saying. 1 Corinthians 15 47, again, he's saying the first man was of the earth, a man of dust. And the second man is also a man, but a man of heaven. So they're both human. And when Adam sinned, he violated his humanity. He violated what a human really was designed to be. But Jesus, who never sinned, showed us what a true human is. Adam made in the image of God, but sin marred the image. Jesus, the image of the invisible God.
He lived perfectly. Showed us who God is. That's Alan Wright. And we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. In a world that often feels overwhelming, we all seek moments of encouragement and hope, as a heartfelt thank you for becoming a monthly partner with Alan Wright Ministries. We're excited to send you our blessing box featuring twenty four beautifully crafted cards filled with encouraging blessings from Pastor Alan. Each card offers daily inspiration and scripture on themes such as hope, strength, your identity in Christ, thanksgiving and much more.
These blessings are designed to uplift your spirit, providing encouragement whenever you need a boost. This unique resource can be yours with our thanks as we welcome new monthly partners to the support family of Alan Wright Ministries. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org.
Today's teaching now continues. Here once again is Alan Wright. Adam forfeit his dominion, but Jesus never relinquished his rightful place of spiritual rulership. The first Adam, when tempted, disobeyed God. But the last Adam, when tempted, said to the Father, Not my will, but yours be done. The first Adam, the head of every human being, made of dust, born in sin, born in a tendency to sin, separated from sin, born in a tendency to sin, separated from God because of a condition that came into the world because of Adam's sin. But God, oh, but God, sent his Son to be the better, the perfect Adam, a man, a human, but a man of heaven, a God-man. And as surely as humanity inherited sin from the first Adam, anyone who accepts Jesus' saving work on the cross, anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord is no longer in the first Adam, but is in the second Adam, the final Adam, the last Adam. And though we were imputed with the sin of the first Adam, something much more glorious and wondrous has happened in the second Adam. We have been imputed with his righteousness.
Wow. This is what Paul's saying, that it's similar, but what happened of the benefit of being in Jesus is categorically better and different. That's what he says, Romans 5 15, the free gift is not like the trespass.
It's better, it's of a different category. Adam's sin meant that all who are in Adam are born into sin, but those who are born in sin, that was you and me and every other human being, though born in sin, John said in his opening chapter, have the right to become children of God. So we're born in sin, but we have the right to become children of God through faith in Christ. And those who are in the second Adam, those who are Christians, those are in Christ, that are in the second, they are, the Bible tells us, are reckoned to be righteous, declared justified, declared not guilty.
And here's the glory of the gospel. Those who are in the second Adam can not be separated from God. There is no other future sin or disclosure about you that could disillusion God or thwart the saving power of Jesus Christ. So we're here in the second Adam are in a far better position than the first Adam ever was in.
Do you see that? First Adam was sinless in paradise with perfect fellowship with God, but there was the possibility that he would sin and be separated from God. We who have sinned so much are now in a position that though we continue sometimes to sin, we who are in the second Adam have been given his righteousness declared not guilty. And Paul said in Romans eight, there is therefore nothing that could separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in the second Adam. You can't be separated from him.
No demon could pull you from him. No failure on your part because Christ has come the second and the perfect Adam and friends, you have been born again into a living hope in that second Adam. You're not in the first Adam. You're in the final Adam.
You're in Christ. Hallelujah! Our destiny has changed. Our identity has changed. Another way of saying this beloved is that though the curse came through the first Adam, that curse always had the potential of being revoked and broken, severed such that we are no longer under it. But the blessing that came upon us through the second Adam cannot be revoked. Your spiritual blessedness in Christ is irrevocable because it hinges entirely on the merits of Jesus and you have been born anew in him.
Wow! And if we are in Christ, we're in the second Adam who was a man of heaven. His identity is no longer, our identity is no longer in the man of dust. Our identity is in the man of heaven.
Oh! So as Jesus is, so we are and shall be. You're made for heaven.
Your body is dust, but your spirit is destined for heaven, and you're already a citizen in the kingdom of God. Wow! It's so beautiful what God's done. Tim Keller said it profoundly. At the beginning of history, there was a garden and a command. God put Adam and Eve in that garden and they were told not to eat of the tree. The direction was, obey me about the tree and you will live.
Obey me and I'll bless you. But they disobeyed. Now there is another garden and a second Adam and another command. Jesus Christ has been sent by the Father to go to the cross, which is also a tree. To the first Adam, He said, obey me about the tree and I'll bless you. And Adam didn't do it. But to the second Adam, He says, obey me about the tree and I will crush you.
And Jesus does. Jesus is the first and last person in history to be told that obedience would bring a curse. The Father is saying, essentially, if you obey me, if you're faithful to me, I'll forsake you, cast you off, and send your soul into hell. And yet Jesus obeyed. Even as He was dying, abandoned, He called Him my God. Words that in the Bible were covenant language conveying intimacy, even though He was being forsaken, Jesus was still obeying.
It's a story of two atoms and two gardens and two trees. And Jesus went to the tree to be crushed and killed on our behalf so that anyone who through simple childlike faith believes that He's Lord, the man of heaven, and that He died for you, that He died for you, and you receive that in faith and believe that He's Lord of all, raised from the dead, and simply acknowledge that you, without Him, are destined for death, as was the first Adam, and you want Him. As soon as you do, the gavel in the heavenly womb comes down, and it is declared, not guilty.
Your debt has been paid. And therefore, no accusation against you can stand in the heavenly court. And it is then assured you that you've become a co-heir with Christ Himself. We must think profoundly about this, Christians. We are in the second Adam.
So as much as the first Adam brought all of this sin and brokenness and problem, how much more so has the second Adam brought us life now and forever? And if you're under the sound of my voice and you don't yet know this Savior, I believe you're along with the rest of humanity, waiting and yearning for some Arthur who can pull open the sword out of the stone, some Thor that could wield the mighty hammer, some Prince who could fit the slipper onto the Cinderella. Who's worthy? Who's worthy to open all of this up? He, Jesus Christ, He alone is worthy.
And that's the gospel. We're excited to send you our blessing box featuring 24 beautifully crafted cards filled with encouraging blessings from Pastor Alan. Each card offers daily inspiration and scripture on themes such as hope, strength, your identity in Christ, Thanksgiving, and much more.
These blessings are designed to uplift your spirit, providing encouragement whenever you need a boost. This unique resource can be yours with our thanks as we welcome new monthly partners to the support family of Alan Wright Ministries. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860.
That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Back here now in the studio with Pastor Alan, sharing our parting good news thought for the day. As we've come to the conclusion of this first part of this series, He alone is worthy, and I guess in a sense as we think in leading up towards Christmas and thinking about establishing the rest of this series, you've got to start with the basics and the qualifications of Jesus. Yes, so every time you sing, He alone is worthy, and you think about it, then let your thoughts go to this, that Adam, first Adam, sinned, and we were all born in Adam, right? So if you go back to your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, however many great back you go in generations, grandfather, at some point, it's Adam. So we're born in him, and we were born in sin, and there was no way that any of us would escape that until this worthy man of heaven, a second Adam, came, who's also human but is sinless. And when you're born again, when you're in Christ, you're in the second Adam. You're in this, you're in, you're united with, your identity is in him, and all the richness of heaven's blessing for you is in Christ. So think of that all Christmas long when you hear He alone is worthy.
Yes, He is. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online at pastorallen.org or call 877-544-4860.
That's 877-544-4860. If you only caught part of today's teaching, not only can you listen again online, but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching, delivered right to your email inbox, free. Find out more about these and other resources at pastorallen.org. That's pastorallen.org. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.
