The Two Adams
The Science of Life
Every human being has received life passed down from the first man, Adam. According to Scripture, Adam was the original recipient of human life, and all other human beings, including Eve, came from that one source (Gen 2:21–23; Acts 17:26). Thus, only one human life was ever created by God and has been perpetuated through natural generation.
This life is inherently human, but it is also corrupted. After Adam sinned, his life became tainted with sin and mortality. As his descendants, all inherit this same life and its fallen nature. Sin is not simply the result of wrongful actions but is rooted in the nature of the life received at birth (Rom 3:23; Rom 5:12). All born of Adam’s race inherit a condition that leads naturally to sin and death.
The Two Sources of Life
Scripture contrasts two men: the first Adam and the last Adam. The first Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam, Christ, was made a quickening (life-giving) spirit (1 Cor 15:45). While the first Adam passed on a life of sin and death, the last Adam possesses a life that originates from God — divine, pure, and eternal.
Because Christ became human, He too could pass on life. But unlike Adam, Christ offers a new kind of life — one that destroys sin and overcomes death (1 Cor 15:22; Rom 5:18). His life is the very life of God and becomes available to others through the Spirit.
The True Nature of the Problem
Humanity’s core problem is not external behavior but the nature of the life within. Each life reproduces according to its kind. A sinful life produces sinful behavior. The law exposes this condition but cannot change it (Rom 3:20). Transformation requires a new life — a complete rebirth by the Spirit (Jn 3:5–6).
This new birth results in a new identity. The Spirit of God implants divine life, which produces purity and righteousness. Actions are no longer the product of human willpower but the natural fruit of the Spirit dwelling within (2 Cor 5:17; 1 Jn 3:9).
A New Inheritance
The life of Christ is not a reward for obedience but a gift of grace. It is received by faith and offered freely to all (Eph 2:8; Rom 5:18; Rom 6:23). Just as Adam’s life brought condemnation, Christ’s life brings justification and renewal. Those who receive it become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17).
This transformation is not the result of striving to be righteous. Just as sin is the natural expression of Adam’s life, righteousness becomes the natural expression of Christ’s life in the believer. It is not imitation but regeneration.
The Principle of Mastery
Only two masters exist: self and God (Matt 6:24). A life ruled by self results in sin and death. A life ruled by God produces obedience and righteousness (Rom 6:16). This is not about external control but internal life: the one who lives in the heart governs the life.
Born of the Spirit
To enter God's kingdom, one must be born again — not merely of water, but of the Spirit (Jn 3:5–6). Natural birth gives human life, but spiritual birth imparts divine life. Fleshly nature cannot produce spiritual results. The two are distinct and mutually exclusive. One must receive the life of Christ through the Spirit to be changed from within.
Human life is a period of probation — a temporary opportunity to choose whether to retain the life of self or receive the life of God. This probation is an act of mercy, providing time to receive the miracle of rebirth and become a new creation.
The Role of the Law
The Law of God is holy, just, and good (Rom 7:12). It was not given to produce righteousness but to reveal sin and expose the true condition of human nature (Rom 3:20). It functions as a mirror, making visible the moral defect caused by the fallen life.
However, once a person receives the life of Christ, the purpose of the law as a governor over behavior is fulfilled. The new life is not lawless, but Spirit-led. The law no longer needs to govern or restrain behavior because Christ’s life within naturally produces righteousness. The law points to what is right, but the Spirit empowers it from within.
As Scripture says, “The law is not made for a righteous man” (1 Tim 1:9). The righteous no longer live under external rules, because the life in them fulfills the law’s requirements (Rom 8:4). It is not law that keeps them from sin, but the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit.
Freedom Through a New Law
Two laws operate in humanity: the law of sin and death, and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Rom 8:2). The first governs natural life and leads to death. The second brings freedom and victory over sin. What the law could not do, God did through Christ, condemning sin in the flesh so that righteousness could be fulfilled in those who live by the Spirit (Rom 8:3–4).
This is not theoretical. Those born of God do not continue in sin because the seed — the life — of God remains in them (1 Jn 3:9). The old nature is gone; a new spiritual nature reigns. The righteousness of God is now expressed through human lives.