The first man, of the dust of the earth, the second man of heaven. As the earthly man so also the one of earth and as the heavenly man so also those of heaven. Also just as bearing the image of earthly man also we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.*
Jesus became flesh and dwelt among men, John writes. He was with God and was God, becoming flesh he bore the image of an earthly man. Also he was of the likeness of God, so as Christ was on earth, we in Christ too bear the image of an earthly man and also the likeness of Jesus. We bear the image of the first earthly man, Adam who was an earthly man created in the image of God, made of dust. The second man, Christ, was heavenly, he became flesh and dwelt among men, he was not of earth, but of heaven who became earthly. Paul writes in Jesus existed the fullness of the godhead, thus he was God and he was earthly man.
The first man, Adam, became a living soul, the last Adam a life-giving spirit... the first man of the earth, the second man of heaven*
This word for life-giving means to give or cause to rise living creatures; to quicken, make alive. This was a purpose of Christ, we were dead living in sin and trespasses, he made us alive, a new creation. God created the first man Adam out of the dust of the earth and he became a living soul.* Adam was a living soul a person, a human being whose life resides in the blood. We are born of the image of the man of dust, in the likeness of Adam and in Christ we are born heavenly so "also just as bearing the image of earthly man also we bear the likeness of the heavenly man."* We are born flesh and what is flesh is flesh, and what is Spirit is Spirit, to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of Spirit.
Even though existing dead in our trespasses, made us alive together, the Christ, by grace existing saved, and raising us up together and seating us together in the heavenly, in Christ Jesus, so that to manifest in the ages becoming, the incomparable riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus.*
Paul writes we are made alive in Christ, a new creation, in fact our spirit sits in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus. Adam was a living soul, Christ a life-giving spirit, and in Christ we receive spiritual life. When we are born of Spirit, we are born of the nature of God who is Spirit, and we are partakers of God's divine nature. To sit in the heavenlies with Christ speaks of our perfection in spirit. Though we bear the image of the heavenly man we also still bear the image of the earthly. Or we are heavenly but we also exist still in an earthly body. The missing ingredient is the heavenly body, what Christ has in heaven now, a glorified body. Jesus ascended into heaven, different than the earthly man he walked the earth as. One day we will be in fullness like him.
But if the Spirit, the one raising Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one raising Christ from the dead also gives life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit whom lives in you.*
We were dead in our sinful nature but in Christ we are made alive, resurrected in spirit and the Spirit within us gives life to our mortal body, and when our mortal body dies we will be resurrected in a new body. As Christ walked the earth in Spirit, Truth, and in Agape Love we too must walk, until, we experience resurrection of our body. Our spirit has been raised up in Christ Jesus, which speaks of it being finished, and that our victory has been accomplished in Christ. Though we exist heavenly, we would have to be deceived not to realize that we also exist in a perishable body. Christ is our great high priest because he sympathizes with our weakness, he walked the earth in the form of the earthly man, though he was without sin. Paul writes, in this weakness God's power is being perfected in us, thus we participate in His sufferings.
So also is the resurrection of the dead, sown in a perishable state, raised imperishable. Sown in humiliation, raised in glory, sown in weakness, raised in power. Sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.*
The first man God breathe into and he became a living soul, the latest Adam, or second man, Christ, is a life giving spirit. The natural came first, then the spiritual, the first man of earth, the second man of heaven. We have been born of Adam under the principle of sin and death, but in Christ the Spirit of Life frees us from this principle. There is a distinction between the earthly and the heavenly which is important to know as we are being transformed into the image of Christ, from glory to glory. How? putting to death the earthly man, that image of Adam in sin, the old self, also being raised into the new man, the spiritual man which image bears the likeness of Christ, the heavenly man. We have been born from above, so let us also bear the image of the heavenly man.* Let us walk as Jesus walked.
the one who claims to abide in God, ought to walk just as Jesus walked.*
How did Jesus walk? He walked in the Spirit, in Truth, in Agape Love, and circumspectly, Paul writes.* Now, Jesus was heavenly to begin with, unlike us, who are born earthly, but through his natural life we see a picture of the spiritual. In fact in the old Temple, which was a shadow of things to come, God resided in it on a corrupt earth, under sin. Such is a picture of the new where God resides in us who exist also in a corrupt body. We do not need science to tell us the earth is dying. And one day your earthly body will die, unless you are in Christ and He returns.
For creation itself was subjected to futility, not of its own choosing, but through the one subjecting it, in hope that the creation itself is freed from its bondage to decay into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know the entire creation is groaning and suffering up this hour.*
We are born earthly, then in Christ we are born spiritual, heavenly, our spirit has been raised, born of heaven, resurrected from the dead. In fact Paul writes the Spirit is a guarantee of our inheritance as far as redemption of the possession.* What does that mean redemption of possession? Am I not redeemed? Yes, I am redeemed and my redeemer lives and as he lives so also I will live. But He exists in heaven complete and different from me. What is that difference? a redeemed body. I am born of Spirit, a partaker of God's divine nature, but I still exist in a perishable body. Therefore there is redemption of the body. The Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies here on earth, but unlike our spirit, the body is perishable and will die. Or said another way when my earthly body dies I will be resurrected from the dead, receiving possession of a redeemed body, like the heavenly body of the heavenly man, one without sickness, without tears, where death is no more.
So also the resurrection of the dead, sown perishable, raised imperishable.*
One day creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God.* Some people focus on the earthly and have made the blessings of the kingdom of God earthly but it is heavenly. One day prophecy will be fulfilled and there will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. The heavenly kingdom will become earthly reality, even the promise of land will be fulfilled but more important the earthly body will be redeemed from its corruption and will exist resurrected from dead. All earthly nations and all people are blessed in Jesus Christ, the sons of Abraham being those circumcised of the heart, consecrated, set apart, from the earthly into the heavenly, the spiritual.
Brought forth not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.*
Jesus became flesh and dwelt among men, John writes. He was with God and was God, becoming flesh he bore the image of an earthly man. Also he was of the likeness of God, so as Christ was on earth, we in Christ too bear the image of an earthly man and also the likeness of Jesus. We bear the image of the first earthly man, Adam who was an earthly man created in the image of God, made of dust. The second man, Christ, was heavenly, he became flesh and dwelt among men, he was not of earth, but of heaven who became earthly. Paul writes in Jesus existed the fullness of the godhead, thus he was God and he was earthly man.
The first man, Adam, became a living soul, the last Adam a life-giving spirit... the first man of the earth, the second man of heaven*
This word for life-giving means to give or cause to rise living creatures; to quicken, make alive. This was a purpose of Christ, we were dead living in sin and trespasses, he made us alive, a new creation. God created the first man Adam out of the dust of the earth and he became a living soul.* Adam was a living soul a person, a human being whose life resides in the blood. We are born of the image of the man of dust, in the likeness of Adam and in Christ we are born heavenly so "also just as bearing the image of earthly man also we bear the likeness of the heavenly man."* We are born flesh and what is flesh is flesh, and what is Spirit is Spirit, to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of Spirit.
Even though existing dead in our trespasses, made us alive together, the Christ, by grace existing saved, and raising us up together and seating us together in the heavenly, in Christ Jesus, so that to manifest in the ages becoming, the incomparable riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus.*
Paul writes we are made alive in Christ, a new creation, in fact our spirit sits in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus. Adam was a living soul, Christ a life-giving spirit, and in Christ we receive spiritual life. When we are born of Spirit, we are born of the nature of God who is Spirit, and we are partakers of God's divine nature. To sit in the heavenlies with Christ speaks of our perfection in spirit. Though we bear the image of the heavenly man we also still bear the image of the earthly. Or we are heavenly but we also exist still in an earthly body. The missing ingredient is the heavenly body, what Christ has in heaven now, a glorified body. Jesus ascended into heaven, different than the earthly man he walked the earth as. One day we will be in fullness like him.
But if the Spirit, the one raising Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one raising Christ from the dead also gives life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit whom lives in you.*
We were dead in our sinful nature but in Christ we are made alive, resurrected in spirit and the Spirit within us gives life to our mortal body, and when our mortal body dies we will be resurrected in a new body. As Christ walked the earth in Spirit, Truth, and in Agape Love we too must walk, until, we experience resurrection of our body. Our spirit has been raised up in Christ Jesus, which speaks of it being finished, and that our victory has been accomplished in Christ. Though we exist heavenly, we would have to be deceived not to realize that we also exist in a perishable body. Christ is our great high priest because he sympathizes with our weakness, he walked the earth in the form of the earthly man, though he was without sin. Paul writes, in this weakness God's power is being perfected in us, thus we participate in His sufferings.
So also is the resurrection of the dead, sown in a perishable state, raised imperishable. Sown in humiliation, raised in glory, sown in weakness, raised in power. Sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.*
The first man God breathe into and he became a living soul, the latest Adam, or second man, Christ, is a life giving spirit. The natural came first, then the spiritual, the first man of earth, the second man of heaven. We have been born of Adam under the principle of sin and death, but in Christ the Spirit of Life frees us from this principle. There is a distinction between the earthly and the heavenly which is important to know as we are being transformed into the image of Christ, from glory to glory. How? putting to death the earthly man, that image of Adam in sin, the old self, also being raised into the new man, the spiritual man which image bears the likeness of Christ, the heavenly man. We have been born from above, so let us also bear the image of the heavenly man.* Let us walk as Jesus walked.
the one who claims to abide in God, ought to walk just as Jesus walked.*
How did Jesus walk? He walked in the Spirit, in Truth, in Agape Love, and circumspectly, Paul writes.* Now, Jesus was heavenly to begin with, unlike us, who are born earthly, but through his natural life we see a picture of the spiritual. In fact in the old Temple, which was a shadow of things to come, God resided in it on a corrupt earth, under sin. Such is a picture of the new where God resides in us who exist also in a corrupt body. We do not need science to tell us the earth is dying. And one day your earthly body will die, unless you are in Christ and He returns.
For creation itself was subjected to futility, not of its own choosing, but through the one subjecting it, in hope that the creation itself is freed from its bondage to decay into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know the entire creation is groaning and suffering up this hour.*
We are born earthly, then in Christ we are born spiritual, heavenly, our spirit has been raised, born of heaven, resurrected from the dead. In fact Paul writes the Spirit is a guarantee of our inheritance as far as redemption of the possession.* What does that mean redemption of possession? Am I not redeemed? Yes, I am redeemed and my redeemer lives and as he lives so also I will live. But He exists in heaven complete and different from me. What is that difference? a redeemed body. I am born of Spirit, a partaker of God's divine nature, but I still exist in a perishable body. Therefore there is redemption of the body. The Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies here on earth, but unlike our spirit, the body is perishable and will die. Or said another way when my earthly body dies I will be resurrected from the dead, receiving possession of a redeemed body, like the heavenly body of the heavenly man, one without sickness, without tears, where death is no more.
So also the resurrection of the dead, sown perishable, raised imperishable.*
One day creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God.* Some people focus on the earthly and have made the blessings of the kingdom of God earthly but it is heavenly. One day prophecy will be fulfilled and there will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. The heavenly kingdom will become earthly reality, even the promise of land will be fulfilled but more important the earthly body will be redeemed from its corruption and will exist resurrected from dead. All earthly nations and all people are blessed in Jesus Christ, the sons of Abraham being those circumcised of the heart, consecrated, set apart, from the earthly into the heavenly, the spiritual.
Brought forth not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.*
We were brought forth by the word of God, an imperishable seed planted, through Christ whose words exist eternal life. When we heard the word of truth and believed we were sealed by the Spirit of God. Abiding is to connect and it is to remain, thus by abiding in the truth we know the truth, which sets free from the corruptible, the earthly man. Sanctification comes through abiding, which is transformation, the renewing of the mind. The Law was spiritual and earthly man is carnal, as Paul writes, the carnal man can not subject to the Laws of God. How did God solve the issue? He so loved the world, sending his Son as an earthly man who lived an indestructible life, condemning not man, but sin in the flesh. He did so by making us alive in Christ, a new creation, giving us the power to become sons of God, thus His righteous and holy nature we now partake of. Or said another way we become spiritual, heavenly, thus we can fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law. It is an amazing thing and this is how the Law is fulfilled.
For knowing that the law exists spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold as a slave under sin.*
A slave doesn't remain in the house forever, but a son does, and in Christ we are not slaves but sons. The child of God is born of Spirit, as prophesied, God would put his spirit within us and give us a new heart. This plan was hidden in God in the beginning, Jesus would redeem earthly man, who was under the principle of sin and death because of the act of the first man, Adam. Sin existed before Adam, conceived in the heart of Lucifer, who tempted Eve to sin. God knew such would happen and on Christ the Father put his seal. In such a mystery we see God's wisdom being manifested in the heavens and on earth, the solution for sin. The new creation is born of Spirit, but also exists earthly with a carnal mind, and the carnal can't submit to the laws of God, which are spiritual. This is the weakness of the Law and how sin increased, evil took opportunity through the carnal mind to bring men into captivity to sin. The solution is to take away sin's power, which was through the Law.* The Law was spiritual but through the weakness of earthly man sin took opportunity to abound.* Jesus conquered death, taking away the power Satan had, also nailing the commandments that were adverse to us to the cross. Instead of fruit unto death, we are made alive, and have fruit unto Life.*
For knowing that the law exists spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold as a slave under sin.*
A slave doesn't remain in the house forever, but a son does, and in Christ we are not slaves but sons. The child of God is born of Spirit, as prophesied, God would put his spirit within us and give us a new heart. This plan was hidden in God in the beginning, Jesus would redeem earthly man, who was under the principle of sin and death because of the act of the first man, Adam. Sin existed before Adam, conceived in the heart of Lucifer, who tempted Eve to sin. God knew such would happen and on Christ the Father put his seal. In such a mystery we see God's wisdom being manifested in the heavens and on earth, the solution for sin. The new creation is born of Spirit, but also exists earthly with a carnal mind, and the carnal can't submit to the laws of God, which are spiritual. This is the weakness of the Law and how sin increased, evil took opportunity through the carnal mind to bring men into captivity to sin. The solution is to take away sin's power, which was through the Law.* The Law was spiritual but through the weakness of earthly man sin took opportunity to abound.* Jesus conquered death, taking away the power Satan had, also nailing the commandments that were adverse to us to the cross. Instead of fruit unto death, we are made alive, and have fruit unto Life.*
Flesh and blood can't inherit the kingdom of God, nor can the perishable inherit the imperishable.*
Jesus said one must be born from above, of the heavens, to enter the kingdom of God. Thus those born of Spirit are children of God, partakers of divine nature, of the imperishable. The natural, fleshly perishable dies and is destroyed, like twigs thrown into a fire. The last to be placed under the feet of Jesus is death, death also will be thrown into a fire. The principles of this world based on human commands and teachings are also destined to perish.* These things have no value in overcoming the desires of the earthly man, and as the earth they too will perish. But we are a new creation, partakers of divine nature so we will escape the corruption of this world.* What strengthens us in this mortal body is being a new creation, having the imperishable seed, and what strengthens is faith active through love. The imperishable, word of God brings forth unto eternal Life.
For since death through a human being, resurrection of the dead also through a human being. For as in Adam all died, so also in Christ all live.*
Paul writes without the resurrection of the dead, from the human or earthly body and form, our faith would be in vain. If Christ was not resurrected then what do we have hope for? Hope is produced as we mature, through suffering, we realize Life is in us, but we are limited by this earthly body and mind, and as we endure we see transformation into the likeness of Christ. Or we have the stature or character of Christ, as we become like Christ, we receive glory, which gives us hope in that one day we will be fully like Him. This is our transformation from glory to glory. We exist a spiritual being in an earthly body, like the old Temple which God dwelt in on a corrupt earth, body, likewise God dwells in us, an earthly body. Faith exists hope in things unseen, so if hope in Christ only existed for the earthly life, then we exist men to be pitied.* But in fact those who have died, the earthly in Christ have experienced the resurrection of the dead. So will those who will die in Christ, and those who belong to Christ when he comes. When Jesus rose again, he existed in another form, heavenly, and just as he exists we too will be resurrected in a heavenly body.
Although you existed dead in your trespasses and the foreskin of your flesh, you were made alive in Christ, forgiving us all our transgressions*
Dead was man in sinful nature, the promise was made before circumcision and the Law, it is based n grace. The Law judged and condemned man, saying none were righteous, all had fallen short of the glory of God. But God found grace and passed over previous sin, sending His Son as a spotless Lamb to take away the sin of the world. More so he gave the ones who receive Jesus the power to become children of God. Jesus condemned not man, but sin in the flesh by becoming a sacrifice for sin, atoning for sin, and he died establishing a new will, a new testament, a covenant in His blood. He put to death the earthly man thereby condemning sin in the flesh. We are baptized or participate in the likeness of His death, also in the likeness of His resurrection.
Regarding your former way of your life, lay down the old self, the one corrupted, deceived according to lustful desires, and renew the spirit of your minds, and enter the new man, created according to God's likeness, in righteousness and observance of truth.*
The word for lay down speaks of putting off as of garments. Lay down the old earthy man, reckon or consider him dead. How can one observe truth if he has the mind of an earthly man? So one must have a new mind, a mind that approves of God, accepts God's will, as perfect and pleasing. The carnal mind can't subject to the laws of God as they are spiritual. Does a child of God have a carnal mind? his true identity is spiritual, yes, but he doesn't yet know his identity as his mind is not renewed, so he exists inwardly in the likeness of Christ, but outwardly earthly. Paul writes of children in the Church who are still carnal so he has to give them spiritual milk, desiring they would grow up.* The solution is not fear of punishment, nor judgement and condemnation, not consequentialism, no, but in the truth they will be set free.
since putting off the old man with its practices and entering the new, that renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.*
Here we see the word, put off, to take off. This word for creator speaks of one who calls us into being, into existence as the new man, to create spiritually. So who takes off the old man? the creator. Adam was created in the image of God, out of dust, and so are we born earthly. In Christ we are created, a new creation, out of the heavens. "Also just as bearing the image of earthly man also we bear the likeness of the heavenly man."* Transformation, which renews the mind, is putting off the old man, and entering into the new. It is interesting, we are to put off the old man, lay down the old self, reckon and consider him dead, but we enter into the new.
Jesus said one must be born from above, of the heavens, to enter the kingdom of God. Thus those born of Spirit are children of God, partakers of divine nature, of the imperishable. The natural, fleshly perishable dies and is destroyed, like twigs thrown into a fire. The last to be placed under the feet of Jesus is death, death also will be thrown into a fire. The principles of this world based on human commands and teachings are also destined to perish.* These things have no value in overcoming the desires of the earthly man, and as the earth they too will perish. But we are a new creation, partakers of divine nature so we will escape the corruption of this world.* What strengthens us in this mortal body is being a new creation, having the imperishable seed, and what strengthens is faith active through love. The imperishable, word of God brings forth unto eternal Life.
For since death through a human being, resurrection of the dead also through a human being. For as in Adam all died, so also in Christ all live.*
Paul writes without the resurrection of the dead, from the human or earthly body and form, our faith would be in vain. If Christ was not resurrected then what do we have hope for? Hope is produced as we mature, through suffering, we realize Life is in us, but we are limited by this earthly body and mind, and as we endure we see transformation into the likeness of Christ. Or we have the stature or character of Christ, as we become like Christ, we receive glory, which gives us hope in that one day we will be fully like Him. This is our transformation from glory to glory. We exist a spiritual being in an earthly body, like the old Temple which God dwelt in on a corrupt earth, body, likewise God dwells in us, an earthly body. Faith exists hope in things unseen, so if hope in Christ only existed for the earthly life, then we exist men to be pitied.* But in fact those who have died, the earthly in Christ have experienced the resurrection of the dead. So will those who will die in Christ, and those who belong to Christ when he comes. When Jesus rose again, he existed in another form, heavenly, and just as he exists we too will be resurrected in a heavenly body.
Although you existed dead in your trespasses and the foreskin of your flesh, you were made alive in Christ, forgiving us all our transgressions*
Dead was man in sinful nature, the promise was made before circumcision and the Law, it is based n grace. The Law judged and condemned man, saying none were righteous, all had fallen short of the glory of God. But God found grace and passed over previous sin, sending His Son as a spotless Lamb to take away the sin of the world. More so he gave the ones who receive Jesus the power to become children of God. Jesus condemned not man, but sin in the flesh by becoming a sacrifice for sin, atoning for sin, and he died establishing a new will, a new testament, a covenant in His blood. He put to death the earthly man thereby condemning sin in the flesh. We are baptized or participate in the likeness of His death, also in the likeness of His resurrection.
Regarding your former way of your life, lay down the old self, the one corrupted, deceived according to lustful desires, and renew the spirit of your minds, and enter the new man, created according to God's likeness, in righteousness and observance of truth.*
since putting off the old man with its practices and entering the new, that renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.*
Here we see the word, put off, to take off. This word for creator speaks of one who calls us into being, into existence as the new man, to create spiritually. So who takes off the old man? the creator. Adam was created in the image of God, out of dust, and so are we born earthly. In Christ we are created, a new creation, out of the heavens. "Also just as bearing the image of earthly man also we bear the likeness of the heavenly man."* Transformation, which renews the mind, is putting off the old man, and entering into the new. It is interesting, we are to put off the old man, lay down the old self, reckon and consider him dead, but we enter into the new.
Also just as bearing the image of earthly man also we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.*
In Christ do we exist a heavenly man? yes and no, for those in Christ who have gone on before these exist in a heavenly body in fullness like Christ. Those in Christ on earth, bear the likeness of heaven in spirit but also we bear the likeness of the earthly man. I am in an earthly body, and I am a heavenly spirit, and one day I will have a heavenly body, "as the earthly man so also the one of earth and as the heavenly man so also those of heaven."
For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If also now living in the flesh, this is fruitful labor for me also I know, not knowing which I prefer.*
Paul understood to die in the earthly body is gain, and we have such hope in Christ, a resurrection of the dead. Paul also understood that to live on in an earthly body is Christ, "Christ is manifested to an extra ordinary degree in that my body, whether through life or through death."* Through suffering we are being perfected, or in our weakness God's power is perfected. This is how Christ as an earthly man was perfected, "although existing a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and perfected he became for all those obeying him the source of eternal salvation."* Christ is manifested in our earthly body as we are being transformed into His image, from glory to glory. Thus perfection is not like giving control to God, not like a robot doing God's commands, no, perfection is that we are becoming like Christ, the first fruits of a new creation. What this means is that as the old earthly man is put to death, we enter into the new, the new man in Christ is manifested, we become Christ like. And one day we will be like Him in fullness, the heavenly man.
Who You Say I Am
Who You Say I Am