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THE THIRD ADAM I concede that there can be no categorical comprehension of the glory that shall come and the enlightenment of which we will possess at our meeting with the Eternal One, on the Day of the Lord, as the scripture says, A Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Cor 13:12 What I am ready to share with you in this article is only a fragment of the revelation of The Third Adam. I am sure you are very aware of this even before I say it, the term the Third Adam is not found in scripture. My coinage of this term, The Third Adam was for the purpose of teaching this subject. I felt that once the explanation was given to the term I would not have to reestablish the idea again and again. So let me give you my definition of the term The Third Adam. The term The Third Adam is in reference to a Man. This Man has both a head and a body. This man, The Third Adam is however completely symbolic in His context. This Man is representative of multitudes of people. His Body are the redeemed of the Lord who have available to them the entire scope of the graces of God. The Body of this Man is the Church. The head of this Man is Jesus. By the Spirit of God these two the Head and the Body have become one. There was a time when Jesus stood apart from the Church before His death and resurrection. Yet, after these events and upon His ascension this solitary figure joins Himself in an eternal relationship with the Church and since then have been inseparable. The Third Adam depicts this immutable relationship of Jesus and the Church. Together, they are the Third Adam. History proves that, Jesus has existed without the Church(the Body), but the Church (the Body)has never existed without Jesus. Another term used often in scripture concerning Jesus is the title Christ. Let me take sometime to talk about the title, Christ. The word comes from the Greek word; Christos (khris-tos'); and the root word chrio (khree'-o); which means to smear or rub with oil, hence to anoint. This title Christ is the Greek equivalent to Messiah or anointed one. Before Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead and ascended on high, He alone held this position of Christ, "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." Luke 9:20 (NIV) As I have mentioned before, after His ascension Jesus chose to share the Christ Anointing and the Christ position with His Body the Church. Let=s read just some of the scripture concerning this truth I Jn 2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-- just as it has taught you, remain in him. I Jn 2:27....and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. I Cor 3:23....Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 2 Cor 1:21....for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Gal 3:27 ....made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:5-7 (NIV)
It is obvious from the above mentioned scriptures and there are many passages I could share, that since His resurrection the Lord has chosen to share His glory with His Body the Church. So I can say boldly today Christ is not Jesus only, but His Body the Church shares with Him this Anointing. In Christ we have become the Word made flesh. In Christ we have become the instrument for which salvation is revealed to the world. For we bear the only name given where by men might be saved. Men cannot be saved apart from the ministry and the preaching of the Church. Indeed Jesus is the head of Christ and obviously the preeminent one. However the Church is the Body of Christ and therefore is Christ (The Anointed One) also. The complete mystery of Christ is that it is composed of a head ( Jesus)and a body (The redeemed of the Lord-the Church), together Christ constitutes The Third Adam we are discussing. Jesus has always been the Anointed One, that is to say Christ. As you continue to read my thoughts on the Third Adam, let this prayer echo in your heart. It is the prayer of our Lord. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hath sent me. And the glory which the gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hath sent me, and hath loved them, as thou hath loved me. John 17:20-23 (KJV) Jesus is the Redeemer and Savior of all who believe and all those who believe have offered their lives to God through his Son, now they are one in relationship and purpose with Jesus and the Father. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- John 1:12 The distinctiveness of their relationship and purpose are discovered as we comprehend the mystery. The first clue given to those in search of this truth is found hidden in the model of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Further understanding this mystery will also be realized when the truth discovered with the first model is visible again between The Second Adam, the man Jesus and the His Eve, the Church. Through the salvation that came by the Lamb of God and the resurrection work of the Holy Spirit, ....offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. Rom 6:13; we have been joined to His Body and have become forever flesh of his flesh and bone of His bone, members of His body. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body. 1Cor 12:13 (NIV) If you have been baptized into that body by the Spirit then you and Jesus are the Third Adam. He is the head of this man you are body of this man. Though in scripture the church has been referred to as woman, the real meaning of this is not referring to gender, but rather position in the reality of the Spirit. Like a woman the Church is the weaker vessel, however is now being transformed and attaining to our fullness in Him. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. Col 2:9-10 (NIV) If you can receive this you will understand even more. |