As noted in the previous two content posts, our God has in mind for us to be joined into Him in walking the ancient paths of His life lived in us. That there were some who rediscovered the ancient path of union reminded the faithful that a redemption and restoration was in the plan of our God.   Even though our God had not yet revealed how He was going to restore it, many seemed to know it was coming. No one had a clue that our God would be in a way restarting the race of those who would be His intimate companions through a new head.

There would be a second Adam to open the way back to the ancient paths for any who would choose it.  

It was the first Adam who had caused us to fall from grace, who lost the life of union with our God. It was going to take another Adam to restore us to this union.  And here is the mission of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He became the second Adam, the progenitor of a new race. This new Adam would make it so the life of our God would once again be the life in humans.

I Corinthians 15:21-23  For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Because humankind was hopelessly rebellious and fallen, certain conditions for a new Adam born into the race would have to be met. Jesus fully met these in His earthly life.

• Like the first Adam, He would have to be born without sin. Jesus was born so by virtue of His conception by the Holy Spirit.
• Like the first Adam, He would have be live by the life of our God in Him.
• Unlike the first Adam, He would live His life on earth without rebellion or sin.

I Corinthians 15:45-49 “Thus it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

Jesus Christ became the second Adam, the first of the new race of humans who once again live the life of God in them, in place of their own living.  In Christ is found the way of return to the ancient paths where the good way is found – the life of our God lived in place of our own lives.

In the next few posts, if our God so allows, we will unpack more of the Gospel of the Kingdom.  Until then, we can ponder a few important facts:

• The Gospel of the Kingdom does not teach us to simply live differently, live better.  It returns a completely new, completely consuming and transformational life to us.  It is the very life of God in us – the life Adam had prior to his rebellion – restored into us.
• This life of our God in us has always been His purpose for humankind, and it is the only life in which we find the fullness of all the promises made to us in the scriptures.
• There is nothing we can do to gain this life apart from the words of the Savior to “repent, for the Kingdom of our God is at hand.

The challenge of our God to us today and everyday is this: “Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it and find rest for your souls.”

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