Christ and the Wages of Sin

Reading Genesis 5 is like walking through a graveyard looking at the headstones. The chapter gives very little narrative about the persons it names, but the repeated refrain of the chapter (recorded 8 times) is "and he died" (5.5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31).

In contrast to this common experience is the record of Enoch who "walked with God: and he was not, for God took him" (5.24). The name Enoch means "dedicated".

From Genesis 5, we want to view Christ in the following ways:

1. Christ in His Death
2. Christ in His Dedication

This post will concentrate on:

Christ in His Death

In the early chapters of Genesis, death is considered from a variety of standpoints. In Ch 2 it is the certain result of sin; in Ch 3 it is God's method to provide a covering for the sinner; in Ch 4 it is both the acceptable means of approach to God, and the measure of the depravity of man; in Ch 5 (as we shall see) it is the (almost) universal experience of humanity.

Death takes on various emphases in Scripture, depending upon the context. There is spiritual death "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2.1), there is physical death "It is appointed unto men once to die" (Heb 9.27), and there is eternal death "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Rev 20.14). The core meaning of "death" is separation. In spiritual death, the person is separated from the life of God in time; in physical death the person is separated from the present sphere of life in this world; in eternal death the person is separated from God eternally and irrecoverably. 

In Genesis 2, the prohibition given by God to Adam was "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (2.17). The death in view here was first spiritual death, Adam upon sinning, was immediately "alienated from the life of God" (Eph 4.18), and this in turn would lead to his physical death.

The certainty of death as a result of sin is stressed, "thou shalt surely die" (2.17). However, in Ch 3, in the temptation of Eve, the serpent responded by denying this fact "Ye shall not surely die" (3.4). The devil's deception was that disobedience is not dangerous, that sin has no consequences.

Ch 5 is the confirmation that it is God who was truthful! While Adam died spiritually in the very act of disobedience, he also died physically some time later, and this fact cannot be denied. The New Testament states that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom 5.12). This is a universal reality. "It is appointed unto men once to die" (Heb 9.27), "in Adam all die" (1 Cor 15.27).

Physical death is the universal experience of humanity and is the direct result of sin. While not original to the human condition as created by God, the disobedience of Adam has brought physical death upon all his posterity. There is an unbreakable link between sin and death.

There was however One Person who was born into this world without the inherited sin of the human family. He was not linked with Adam, being virgin-born "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God" (Luke 1.35 ESV). Neither did He commit any sin in His life. The eyes of the apostle Peter saw many actions of the Lord Jesus, and his ears heard many words, yet he confirms that He "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2.22). 

Here was a sinless Man. Free from a sinful nature, pure from all sinful practice, positively holy and good: the perfect, impeccable Son of God! Yet He died. 

Why did Christ die? If sin and death are so inseparably linked, then the reason for the death of Christ must be sin also! However, He "did no sin" (1 Peter 2.22), and "in Him is no sin" (1 John 3.5). The reason that Christ died is the very core of the marvellous message of the Gospel! Summarised by the apostle Paul, the Gospel message is that "Christ died for our sins" (1 Cor 15.3). 

In Genesis 5 all the men listed were linked with Adam. Some experienced death, and one escaped death. However, the Lord Jesus Christ was not linked with Adam, death therefore had no claim upon Him. His was the voluntary death of:

1. The Divine Son: "No man taketh [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10.18)
2. The Obedient Servant: "Who, being in the form of God ... took upon him the form of a servant ... humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippian 2.6-8).
3. The Dependant Man: "I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly ... and thou hast brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22.10, 15).
4. The Loving Saviour: "Christ died for our sins ... was buried ... rose again the third day ... was seen" (1 Corinthians 15.3-5).

So, relating the death of Christ to the early chapters of Genesis, we learn that Christ died: (a) To deal with the results of sin. (b) To provide a covering for the sinner. (c) To become the one means of approach to God. (d) To witness to the guilt and depravity of man. (e) To provide salvation for the human family.

"He died that we might be forgiven;
He died to do us good;
That we might go at last to heaven,
Cleansed by His precious blood!"

Christ in the Fall (2)

In our previous post we noted that Genesis 3 presents the Lord to our view in at least four aspects. He is:

1. The Contrast

2. The Caller

3. The Conqueror

4. The Covering

Having already considered Him as the great Contrast with Adam and Eve, we now see Him as:

The Caller 

After the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, "they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day ... And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, "Where art thou?"." (v8-9)

Undoubtedly the "LORD God walking" is a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God. He made man for fellowship, and now He comes down to Eden. Between His Creation of Man in Ch 2, and His Call to Man in Ch 3, sin has "entered into the world" (Rom 5.12). 

He calls "Where are you?" (v9 ESV). It was not, of course, that He was unaware of Adam's sin. It was not that He was ignorant which tree Adam and Eve were cowering behind. His call to Adam was to expose Adam to Himself. It was a call of grace. Adam must face the fact that he was not where he was before, he was separated from God, shamed before God, and under sentence from God. Yet now, in wonderful grace, he was sought out by God.  

The Caller was the Son of God. He had stooped to the garden, He was seeking the guilty, He was showing grace! How this reminds us of His incarnation. He who was the Son of God stooped to become the Son of Mary. He who was Holy, and the object of angelic praise, "came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1.15). He who was the Lord of glory showed unfathomable grace: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8.9 ESV). He had come to "seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19.10), and this required His sacrificial death upon the Cross. 

May we who were guilty, condemned, separated, and hiding from God, never forget His grace in seeking for us:

"O the love that sought me,

O the blood that bought me,

O the grace that brought me to the fold!

Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold." 

Christ in the Fall (1)

Genesis 3 is known as the chapter of the Fall. Eve was deceived, Adam was disobedient, and "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (Rom 5.12). It is a chapter of calamity, of shame, suffering and separation. 

And yet, even in this chapter of rebellion and judgment, the Lord can easily be traced. He is seen here in a variety of ways:

1. As the Contrast

2. As the Caller

3. As the Conqueror

4. As the Covering 

Over the next couple of blog posts we will consider different views of Christ in Genesis 3. Notice first, He is:

The Contrast

Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, surrounded with every blessing from God, with plenty of food to satisy their hunger, and with every evidence of God's goodness to them hanging from the branches of every tree. By way of contrast, the temptation of the Lord Jesus occured in the wilderness, during a time of severe hunger, while He was surrounded by wild beasts. 

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterwards an hungred" (Matt 4.1-2).  

However, Eve was decieved and Adam was disobedient. God's command was clear, but they did not rest upon it and obey it. Thus both failed! How different was the Lord Jesus! He rested in God's Word, saying after each of the tempter's darts was hurled at Him "It is written ...". He was perfectly attuned to God's Will, perfectly obedient to God's Word, and thus He was the victor in the trial. His victory in the trial was accomplished in such a way that ot could be an example for all believers to follow. 

"There was, of men, but One who never failed,

In every circumstance He faced, prevailed;

Our blessed, glorious Lord.

How was it then He won the day in trial?

How did He so defeat a raging devil?

By resting in God's Word"

What is my attitude to God's Word? Do I rest upon it's clear statements and promises? Do I obey it's commands? The safest place for the Christian is the place of obedience to God's Word. May we cultivate this character of obedience and submission, following the example of Christ. 

Christ and His Bride

In Genesis 1 "God created man" and "male and female created He them" (v27). In Genesis 2, the Man and Woman are mentioned, and distinguished (v23). I would like to consider the relationship between man and woman, or more specifically, husband and wife, and draw some brief lessons about Christ and the Church. 

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him...And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man" (Gen 2.18, 21-22)

Notice: 

The Woman for the Man

It was God who saw that it was "not good that the man should be alone" and thus promised "I will make him an help meet for him". 

The woman was intended to be man's companion and complement. In Ephesians 1.22-23 we read that God has "put all things under [Christ's] feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all". The word "fulness" here can have the idea of completing and filling up. 

Thus, the Church, consisting of every believer of the present age who has trusted alone in Christ for salvation, is the Bride of Christ. We are "for" Him and are intended to be His companions, enjoying His company and fellowship.  "Christ is the head of the Church ..." (Eph 5.23), as such He has authority, and we should acknowledge this by obeying His Word. 

The Woman of the Man

"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman". 

The woman was the product of man. Adam, having been put to sleep by God, produced by the power of God, his own bride, Eve. 

So Christ has produced His Bride, at the expense of His wounded side! He "hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us ..." (Eph 5.2). He "loved the church, and gave Himself for it ... " (Eph 5.25). 

The Woman unto the Man

He "brought her unto the man". Having been put to sleep, Adam was awakened to see the fruit of that sleep, his bride. So Christ will one day have presented to Himself His bride. He is going to present to Himself "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing but ... holy and without blemish" (Eph 5.27). What a wonder for those who are saved. One day we will be face to face with the One who loved us and died for us. 

In the past, Christ died to purchase and produce His bride. In the future, He intends to present us to Himself. In the present He requires our fidelity to Him in His absence. He will soon come 'and receive us unto Himself, that where He is, there we shall be also' (see John 14).