The Grace of God Part III

The gospel of grace is layered with symbols of the Old Testament revealed in the New Testament. Federal Headship is a concept that began in the Garden of Eden with the first man on Earth. A federal head of a government represents every person in that government and acts on their behalf (read post on Federal Headship). Representation is an integral part of doctrine because it shows us how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection over two thousand years ago could be relevant to us today.

Note from the Author:

This is a multi-part series of explanations of the powerful and profound truths about the grace of God. Grace is all about abundance, and there is an abundance of descriptions to fully understand God’s grace.

Our First Representative

Adam acted on our behalf

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— Romans 5:12

Adam is the human race’s first representative or Federal Head. Everyone born of a man and a woman traces their lineage back to the father of all —Adam. God said when He created Adam that it was very good. He gave us a man who had not sinned, had no sin in him, and had authority and fellowship with God. Adam was a fair representative. He transgressed the law of God in the Garden of Eden and cast his descendants into sin, spiritual death, and corrupted hearts.

Adam’s transgression

How did Adam transgress the law?

The law of God came several hundred years after Adam, so how did he transgress the law? The law is the commandment of God. God gave Adam a commandment, which he disobeyed, and broke the law. The conclusive evidence that Adam was under the law comes in the second part of Romans 5:13, which says, “…sin is not counted where there is no law.” As a Just Judge, God cannot pass over transgressions of His law and remain just, so Adam had to be condemned according to the law. God would not have counted it as sin if Adam was not under the law.

Adam’s Guilt Becomes Ours

The imputed guilt on our heads

Psalm 58:3 ESV
The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

It is essential to understand how Adam works as our Federal Head to know how Christ works as our new Federal Head. David made a profound observation when he said, “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). At birth, we are separated from God, inherit a sinful nature, and subject to every curse and punishment that Adam faced. In our first Adam, we are without hope of being reconciled to God.

Where Adam Placed Us

How can we be restored to God?

Everyone is born condemned to death, with sinful natures that are opposed to God. Scripture tells us that the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). It also says our nature [the flesh] isn’t subject to God’s law, and indeed it cannot be! (Rom. 8:7) Even if we try to do good works for God, He cannot accept it because of the source. In God’s eyes, our righteous deeds are polluted (Isaiah 64:6). So if our nature cannot follow the law of God and our good works cannot be accepted by God, how can we be saved?

Romans 7:24 ESV

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

The Mystery of Godliness

God became our salvation

God desires to be reconciled with us and restore the fellowship that Adam lost. In Isaiah 59:16, Scripture tells us that God looked for an intercessor to restore us but couldn’t find one, so He came down Himself. God is so loving and willing to have a relationship with us that He made Himself subject to His creation and suffered at their hands. He spent thirty-three years living in perfect righteousness as an acceptable sacrifice for our sin.

1 John 2:2 NLT

He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins-and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

Jesus Christ: Our New Adam

He is better than our first

Some vital differences between our two Federal Heads are important to grasp. Both Adam and Jesus were born under the law. However, Adam had one law to Jesus’s six-hundred and thirteen. Jesus was not in a state of neutrality or innocence like Adam was in the Garden. He is God, so He was born righteous. Jesus did not live perfectly to achieve righteousness for Himself. He had no sin, no corrupt nature, no reason to die for Himself, and no reason to prove His righteousness to Himself.

Jesus’ Victories Become Ours

The imputed righteousness to us

Everything Jesus did was for us; He had no other reason to come to Earth. His life, death, and resurrection were equally essential for our salvation. His life saved us as much as His death on the cross. If Jesus materialized on earth as a man ready to die for us without living a perfect life under the law, it would do us little good. His blood would wash our sins and pardon our guilt, but we still wouldn’t have a way to fulfill the law. The law promises life to those who can keep it; Jesus was the only one. The righteousness that was His reward for keeping the law, His death on the cross, and the resurrection were all credited to us. Adam’s guilt and punishment were imputed to us; Christ’s righteousness and victories were imputed—without our help. We do nothing to have Adam’s guilt or Christ’s righteousness.

Romans 5:19 ESV

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Our Choice Between Representatives

It’s either Adam or Christ…

Christ’s deeds on our behalf represent every child of God. Adam represents the people who do not choose to live in Christ by faith. God deals with two men in this world: those who live in Adam and those who live in Christ. As Christians, our focus is learning how to be led by the Spirit of God and abide in Christ (John 15:4). Grace (Jesus Christ) saves us through faith. Faith brings what Christ has done, into our experience, based on our belief in Him. Everything we do stems from the works of Adam or Christ, law or grace, flesh or Spirit.

Galatians 5:18 ESV

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

In Conclusion

(there is always more to say…)

The Bible speaks about God’s thoughts about our flesh and its worthlessness (John 6:63). God crucified flesh on the cross so that we could be partakers of the new life He has for us. Christ is the firstborn of many; God intends to live on in us as He did in Christ. Christ’s mindset was, “I can of my own self do nothing” (John 5:30), and we have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16)