"Two Streams of History"

Throughout the history of the human race we see an outworking of two opposing forces, one originating in Adam and the other in Christ. By the disobedience of Adam, all people became sinners, but by the obedience of Jesus Christ, all people may be declared righteous. These are two contrasting streams or paths of history; a stream that flows from Adam which results in death, and a stream that flows from Christ, resulting in life. In Romans, Chapter 5, Paul says that every human being has inherited the negative traits of sin and death that has its roots in Adam. As a consequence of Adam's disobedience, humankind became separated from the life of God. Romans 5:17 says, "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man..." We have inherited a state of spiritual death and death reigns in the sense that we are born physically well and functioning, but spiritually dead. In Adam, sin preceded death. As a result of his disobedience, he died spiritually, but for us, it is our inherent state of spiritual death, which precedes physical death and makes our sin inevitable.

The stream that comes from Christ rectifies the stream that came from Adam. If Adam's disobedience leads to death and sin, Christ's obedience leads to life and righteousness. This means if we confess our sin and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our standing before God is no longer one of being guilty and condemned. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." We are not only free from our sin, but we are cleansed and justified, a legal term meaning we are no longer guilty; the price has been paid and the case against our sin is over. Getting rid of the guilt of our sin is wonderful, but it is only a means to an end. It is clearing the decks of the barriers that have kept us from God, so that we may be equipped to live in the power of a new life. The stream from Christ allows for our being both declared and made righteous which is the means to life, so that the life of God (His enduring presence) which Adam lost in the Garden of Eden is restored into our experience. The practical consequence of this is that the negative forces of Adam when he sinned can be completely reversed. The Christian life is about being cleansed and made righteous -- coming out of sin in order to come into new life, and enjoying that new life in the power of another life - the life of Jesus Christ imparted to us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.