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Adam a Type of Christ in His Marriage

Ephesians 5:25-32

 

Adam was a beautiful and instructive type of Christ in his marriage. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church.” Then he says, “We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” Because Eve was one with him, a part of his body, a rib taken from his wounded side, he was utterly devoted to her. He said, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” The Holy Spirit tells us specifically that the great mystery of which Adam spoke in the garden was the mystery of the union that exists between Christ and his bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:32).

 

Marriage Union

The union between Christ and the Church is often described as a marriage. He is the Bridegroom; she is the bride. He is the King, whose garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces; and she is the Queen, who sits at his right hand in gold of Ophir. — One entire Book of Scripture (the Song of Solomon) is devoted to the subject considered in this aspect alone.

The marriage of Adam and Eve was preceded by a deep sleep, into which the Lord God cast him, proclaiming that the marriage of Christ and his Church must be preceded by a similar sleep. The sleep of Christ was deep. It was the sleep of death. He was cast into it by the hand of God’s justice.

After Adam awoke from his sleep, the Lord God brought the woman to the man. So it is with Christ. The Lord God brings his wife to him by the hand of omnipotent grace.

 

Amazing Love

Oh, how Adam loved his wife Eve! Nowhere do we see the love of Christ for his Church set forth so fully as in the case of Adam’s love for Eve. The popular notion is that Eve beguiled Adam. Eve did nothing of the kind. Satan beguiled her, and allured her by deception into sin and rebellion against God; but the Holy Spirit tells us plainly that “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (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. Adam made himself sin for Eve. Adam made himself accursed for Eve. Adam plunged himself into guilt and just damnation for Eve. Adam died for Eve. In all this he was the figure of him that was to come, our dear Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

 

Naked and Not Ashamed

First, the Lord God caused Adam to go into a deep sleep. Then, he open his side and took out one of his ribs. From Adam’s rib, he made “an help meet for him.” Then, the Lord God brought Eve to Adam. Then we read in verse 25 of Genesis 2 — “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

When the Lord God brings his elect to Christ, giving chosen, redeemed, eternally loved sinners the blessed union of life and faith with Christ, trusting him as our only righteousness and redemption, finding all in him, these two things are true of us and our Savior.

First, we stand with Christ, one with Christ, in Christ, married to Christ, and we stand naked with our Savior before the eyes of God’s omniscient holiness (Hebrews 4:13).

Second, standing before God, naked before him who knows all things, Christ is not ashamed to have us as his Bride; and we are not ashamed to stand before the holy Lord God in Christ! Our Savior says, “I shall not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:7). And he declares that we shall not be ashamed (Isaiah 45:17; Romans 9:33; 10:11).

 

Three Great Wonders

Here are three great wonders of mercy and love, grace and peace, justice and truth revealed in the Book of God. These three facts are too great for anyone to believe, except by a God-given faith in Christ.

1.    The Lord Jesus Christ has no reason to be ashamed of me! He has made me perfectly holy and righteous before the holy Lord God.

2.    I am not ashamed of Christ. I am not ashamed to own him as my only Lord, my only Savior, my only Redemption, my only Acceptance, my only Righteousness, my only Salvation, my only Trust (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

3.    In Christ, being one with Christ, I have no reason to be ashamed before the thrice holy Lord God, who is a consuming fire! I have no sin. I have no guilt. I am perfectly righteous. I am perfectly holy in “the last Adam.”

 

The Last Adam

Our Lord Jesus is specifically called “the last Adam.” He is never called the second Adam, but only “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). The “first man Adam” ruined everything. Christ, “the last Adam” restored everything. The “first man Adam” broke the law. Christ, “the last Adam,” fulfilled the law. The “first man Adam” refused to bow to the will of God. Christ, “the last Adam,” completely obeyed the will of God. The “first man Adam” failed. Christ, “the last Adam,” prevailed. The “first man Adam” was a miserable failure. Christ, “the last Adam,” was gloriously successful!

Christ, “the last Adam,” the last Representative Man, is a complete success. He cried, “It is finished!” There is, therefore, no need and never can be need for another. The great work is done. And by virtue and merit of his finished work, “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit,” to give eternal life to as many as the Father gave him in electing love and covenant grace before the world began. Because “the first man Adam” was such a miserable failure, and because we bear his image, we are like him of the earth and earthy. Because “the last Adam” is such a glorious success, he “was made a quickening spirit,” and we now bear his image. Soon, we shall bear his image perfectly (1 Corinthians 15:47-49, 51-58).

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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