Mankind is divided into countless nations, races, creeds, colors, geographic locations, social strata, classes, etc.

These divisions have formed the basis for endless wars, oppression, aggression and discrimination among people throughout history. 

So how does God divide up humanity? After all, He was the One who personally formed the very first man with His own hands.

Furthermore, how does God regard mankind? What does He think of His creation, especially considering the mess we have made of things?

Supreme Dignity

From the mightiest king to the lowliest servant, God created man equally noble, distinguished, and precious in His sight, as noted in Psalm 8:4-8:

“What is man that You (God) think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You have him rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put everything under his feet,
All sheep and oxen,
And also the animals of the field,
The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.”

So, what went wrong?

But we know, just by picking up a newspaper or watching TV news, that our world is broken and with it, mankind. We are scattered and distrustful of one another.

The roots of this dysfunction go way back. In Romans 5:12-21, the Apostle Paul wrote about where it all went wrong and interestingly, what God has done about it in Christ Jesus:

“Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned … But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one (Adam) the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many … So then, as through one offense the result was condemnation to all mankind, so also through one act of righteousness the result was justification of life to all mankind. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”

Adam #1 did the sinning and dragged the whole human race down with him; Jesus (the Last Adam) did the dying and purchased the means of raising up (in resurrection to eternal life) all who place their faith and trust in Him.

Classifying Humanity

So based on the redeeming work of Christ on the cross, it is possible for God to spiritually transfer believers out of their position in Adam #1 and place them into the Last Adam, Jesus Christ.

Thus God has simplified human classifications into just two groups. Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:21-23:

“For since by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as (1) in Adam all die, so also (2) in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

It’s all about who you are “in” positionally.

1. In Adam
2. In Christ

The late Believer’s Bible Commentary author Bill MacDonald wrote, “It was by man that death first came into the world. That man was Adam. Through his sin, death came upon all men. God sent His Son into the world as a Man in order to undo the work of the first man and to raise believers to a state of blessedness such as they could never have known in Adam. Thus, it was by the Man Christ Jesus that there came the resurrection of the dead.

“Adam and Christ are presented as federal heads. This means that they acted for other people. And all who are related to them are affected by their actions. All who are descended from Adam die. So, in Christ all shall be made alive.”

How About You?

So which Adam are you presently “in” spiritually? You can switch, you know — by placing your faith and trust in the One who died for your sins, was buried and raised on the third day.

As written in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, “Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

4-1-1

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