Apr 16 – Death Through Adam

“¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.”

Over the next several devotionals, Paul will use verses 12-21 to explain how it is possible for the sin of just one unrighteous man (Adam) to condemn all generations to death, yet the blood of just one righteous man (Jesus) covers all sin. He begins by explaining that sin entered the world through Adam, and with sin, death was also allowed to enter the world. Everyone dies because everyone sins. Yes, there is not a single human being alive who has not sinned (See Romans 3:23), but also, through the one initial sin of Adam, the whole of humanity is condemned.

God perfectly communicated His command to Adam and Eve in the Garden, and God made it clear to them that the consequence of disobeying His command was death.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.’” — ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬-‭17‬

Despite God’s clarity and stark warning, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the very fruit of the tree for which God had forbidden! As soon as Adam and Eve were confronted by God for their sin, God told them of the consequences for their actions. The curse upon humankind ends with this:

“‘You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.’”  — ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬

The New Testament also confirms death as the consequence of sin. 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬

“But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.” — ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” — 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭56‬‬

In today’s text, we can see how Paul uses Adam as a negative analogy of what Christ is. It can be explained like this: In the same way that through the one man’s (Adam’s) sin, death came to all, so through the one God-man’s (Jesus’) life, death, and resurrection, righteousness and justification come to all who believe.

Paul teaches the Corinthian church the same principle. 

“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”  — ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭21‬-‭22‬

And later in the same passage, Paul explains that Jesus, here called the last Adam, is a better Adam than the one in the Garden. The last Adam not only has life, but is the giver of life! 

“So it is written, The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” — 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭45‬

Paul will expound on this concept further in the verses to come, and we’ll explore them in the coming devotionals.