ÒThe man is become as one of us.Ó

 

Genesis 3:22-24

 

ÒAnd the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us.Ó — What a statement that is! It is not the statement of a mere man, but the declaration of the Lord God Himself. — ÒBehold, the man is become as one of usWhat can it mean?

First, this is a declaration of the fact that Adam was a type and picture of Christ our Substitute, as the Holy Spirit tells us in Romans 5:14, Òthe figure of him that was to come.Ó Nowhere do we see the love of Christ for his Church set forth so fully as in the case of AdamÕs love for Eve. The popular notion is that Eve beguiled Adam. Eve did nothing of the kind. Satan beguiled her, allured her by deception into sin and rebellion against God; but the Holy Spirit tells us plainly that ÒAdam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgressionÓ (1 Timothy 2:14).

Adam was not deceived to any degree, neither by the devil, nor by his wife. He knew exactly what he was doing and sinned with his eyes wide open. He saw her in the depths of her guilt and shame; and out of nothing but love for her, before he would be parted from her, he would be damned with her. He cleaved to his wife, for they were one flesh. And into ruin he plunged himself for her sake. In all this he was the figure of Him that was to come, our dear Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

The horrid load of all my guilt was on my Savior laid;

He loved me so that, for my life, my sin His own He made!

Forsaken, there, by God in death, His heart was fixed on me!

His love embraced my guilty soul, when nailed to the tree!

For me He took the cup of wrath, and drank damnation dry!

His love sustained His soul in death, — That I might never die!

Oh, love amazing! love beyond the reach of human thought!

That love shall be my endless song, which my salvation bought!

This is also a declaration of AdamÕs present state and condition, and of ours, in Christ. Though fallen by nature, we are now, as Adam was, restored by grace. What God here says of Adam is true of every believer. Though in Adam we fell, in Christ we are restored, just like Adam was. Like Adam, we have been clothed with ChristÕs righteousness, and we are Òrighteous, even as he is righteousÓ (1 John 3:7; Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16). — Like Adam, being renewed by grace, we are now created in the image of Christ, conformed to Him, created new by the grace of God Òin righteousness and true holinessÓ (Ephesians 4:24). — Like Adam, we are now reconciled to and one with God in Christ (John 17:21).

Enmity has been put away! Reconciliation has been made by God! Now, we are in a state of friendship with God! But more, in Christ we are one with God. — Like Adam, having been called from darkness to light in Christ, we know both good and evil. We know both the goodness of God and the evil of our own hearts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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