Chain Reaction in Realms of the Spirit
Beauty For Ashes Part 4 - George H. WarnockCHAPTER 4 - TWO MEN/TWO KINGDOMS
Paul speaks in Romans 5 of TWO RACES OF MANKIND--JUST TWO. And the one is the figure or type of the other. Nor is it left to our imagination as to the manner in which the first Adam prefigures the Last Adam, for the apostle expounds all this in great detail. But as we consider this let us note the COMPARISON as well as the CONTRAST, in all that the apostle is saying. Just as we might compare the darkness to the light, a blade of grass to a mighty tree, a pebble on the beach to a rocky mountain dazzling in its splendor, a shooting star to a galaxy, so does the apostle mention the attributes of the first Adam, and how we inherited all this from him, and then he proceeds to magnify the contrasting attributes of the Last Adam, and all that we inherit from Him.
The Two Men (v. 14)
Sin and death entered the world through the first man, so that in the first man all are afflicted with his sin and death... But Adam was a "figure" of another "Adam," who would likewise birth a generation of men, in whose family all would partake of Life.
Two Initial Causes (v. 15)
One trespass was the first cause, and this brought death to the whole race of Adam... But the grace of God was the second cause, and this brought the gift of life to all in the new race of the Last Adam.
Two Effects (v. 16)
The effect of the one trespass was condemnation to the whole family of the first Adam... But the free gift follows on the heels of condemnation, with the free gift of justification to all who are born anew into the family of the Last Adam.
Two Dominions (vs. 17)
The first man's offense brought into being a kingdom in which death became supreme lord over all in Adam's realm... But grace and righteousness have overtaken the old kingdom, and have brought into being a kingdom of life, so that now life becomes the Lord and Monarch in the new realms of the Last Adam.
Two Judgments (v. 18)
It took just one act by one man to bring a sentence of condemnation and guilt on the whole family of man... So also it took just one act of righteousness by One Man, who by His sacrifice on the Cross brought a decree of justification to the whole family of the New Man.
Two Pathways (v. 19)
This one offending act sprang from disobedience, a deliberate choice by the first Adam... and this made sinners out of the whole race... So one act of righteousness sprang from obedience to the will of the Father, a deliberate choice by the Son, and this brought forth righteousness to all in the new race of the Last Adam.
Two Chain Reactions (v. 20)
The chain reaction of sin and death was greatly accelerated by the law, so that sin abounded in still greater dimensions of its dominion... God's ultimate design being that when sin had abounded beyond all imaginable proportions, then He would reveal His grace that would abound far beyond all the realms of the dominion of sin and death.
Two Reigning Monarchs (v. 21)
In consequence of all this, SIN became the KING, and he would co-reign with DEATH as lord on the throne, and would overtake and consume the whole family of Adam...
BUT GOD'S DESIGN WAS THAT WHEN SIN HAD RUN ITS DEVASTATING COURSE, AND HAD CONSUMMATED ITS REIGN OF TERROR--THEN GRACE WOULD FOLLOW ON ITS HEELS AND REIGN IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND CONSUMMATE HIS KINGDOM IN ETERNAL LIFE, IN THE WHOLE FAMILY OF THE NEW ADAM!
How can we miss the "logic" of the Holy Spirit as He sets forth in this comparison the overwhelming attributes of the Kingdom of Grace and Righteousness and Life that is inherent in the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus?
What is our problem then? Simply this: We know the power and the authority of the Law of Sin and Death. We know from experience how effective it is. But the other Law--the Law of the Spirit of Life--well, it still seems to be rather vague, impractical, unworkable, and intangible. We would probably be very happy to discover the Law of Life working within us that would be EQUAL to the authority and the power of the old Law of Sin and Death. But can we not hear what the apostle is saying--NOT ONCE, BUT FIVE TIMES IN THIS CHAPTER--
MUCH
MORE...
MUCH
MORE...
MUCH MORE...
MUCH
MORE...
MUCH MORE...
This is the way it is in Adam--there is a chain reaction of overwhelming, devastating dimensions--Then, if this be so, WE ARE TO HAVE MUCH MORE EXPECTATION--TO BELIEVE AND TO ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE A CHAIN REACTION OF LIFE, THAT WILL HAVE FAR GREATER DIMENSIONS THAN WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH.
For not only did the old law have great power... IT HAD DOMINION! IT RULED AND REIGNED! But now we have been delivered from that old monarch, and have become the subjects of a new Kingdom, ruled over by a new Monarch, and subject to a new Law--a Law that functions in grace and in truth. God tells us that His grace is not only to be revealed--IT IS TO REIGN IN RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO LIFE! GRACE IS TO BE IN SUPREME COMMAND AND CONTROL! WHERE SIN WAS ONCE IN CONTROL, RIGHTEOUSNESS IS TO BE IN CONTROL! WHERE DEATH ONCE HAD DOMINION-LIFE IS NOW TO HAVE DOMINION!
Now it is for this very reason that God sent His Holy Spirit to abide in His people in the earth, THAT HE THE HOLY SPIRIT MIGHT TAKE FROM CHRIST AND BESTOW UPON HIS PEOPLE IN THE EARTH, ALL THE RICHES AND TREASURES THAT ARE HIDDEN IN CHRIST JESUS, THAT AS MEMBERS OF HIS BODY WE MIGHT HAVE THAT DIVINE ENABLEMENT TO MINISTER LIFE ONE TO ANOTHER, ACCORDING TO THE EFFECTUAL WORKING OF THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE THAT FUNCTIONS IN EACH MEMBER.
AND THE TRAGEDY OF ALL THIS IS THAT GOD'S PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO BOW TO THE KINGDOM OF SIN AND DEATH, AND GIVE THIS CRUEL LORD ALL GLORY AND HONOR, AND YET REFUSE TO BOW TO THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST, WHO DESIRES TO BRING ABOUT A CHAIN REACTION OF LIFE THAT WILL FLOW FROM ONE MEMBER TO ANOTHER--AND STILL ANOTHER--BY AN OPERATION OF THE SPIRIT THAT FAR SURPASSES IN ITS EFFECT THE AUTHORITY AND THE POWER OF THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH.
Are we saying, then, that if God's people will humble themselves and BOW TO THE KING OF LIFE, AND GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT HIS LORDSHIP IN THEIR LIVES, AND IN THEIR GATHERINGS TOGETHER IN HIS NAME, THAT WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE THIS KIND OF CHAIN REACTION THAT WILL PERMEATE THE WHOLE BODY OF CHRIST? AND MAKE THEM TO BE A PEOPLE WALKING ACCORDING TO A NEW LAW, IN A NEW REALM, AND IN A NEW ENERGY OF SPIRITUAL LIFE? Yes, this is what we are saying, for I believe this is what God is saying. And the reason we are not seeing it is because we are content to move in dimensions of REVERSE ACTION, to merely drift along with the momentum of a Church that is drifting--drifting further and further away from the ways of God, and trying to draw our attention to their vain promotional schemes, rather than having us focus on the ONE THING THAT REALLY MATTERS, THE ONE AND ONLY THING THAT WILL REVERSE THE TREND OF OUR APOSTASY--SUBMISSION TO THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST IN HIS HEAVEN, AND TO THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR MIDST.