The Last Adam- part 2 By Stephen Fields
How the Bible speaks about Salvation
At the end of part 1, we ended with a question, "Have you heard God's call like Samuel, and responded, 'Here I am Lord'?" In today’s discussion, we will consider how the Bible speaks about Salvation. This is sometimes called the order of salvation (or Ordo Salutis in Latin) and is often broken into three groupings - justification, sanctification, and glorification. God's effectual calling is first in the order of salvation. Salvation begins with God calling and intervening in our exile from Him and ends with God consummating the covenant blessing and glorifying those who will inherit the promise.
God’s Call
God calls us out of our exile in sin, into His kingdom. Like he called Abraham out of exile in Ur (Gen 12) as he called Moses who was exiled in Midian for killing an Egyptian (Ex 2:11-3:12) or when he knocked the Apostle Paul off his donkey and later described his seeing Christ using exile language (Acts 9:1-31, 26:1-18).
In each of these stories and many other examples in the Holy Writ, when God calls them and us from exile, we answer, 'Here I am, Lord". What is this call from exile?
As we observed in part 1, the first Adam was made in God's image to represent God's authority in His newly created world but failed in his mission and is seen in scripture to represent all mankind in this sin of rebellion. As a consequence, Adam and Eve were exiled (thrown from the garden and banned from re-entering). All mankind is exiled and banned from God's presence (Col 1:21, Eph 2:13). When God calls us, He is calling us to be conformed to the image of His Son, and begin the journey from our exile back to our creator and the covenant blessing (Romans 8:28-30).
What does it mean when we say 'here I am'?
God imparts His Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of those He has called (Titus 3:5). This work by God regenerates the dead sinner to new life. The Greek word used to describe this process in Titus 3:5 is παλιγγενεσία. This word can mean new birth, reproduction, renewal, re-creation, and regeneration (See Strongs from G3825 and G1078). God the Holy Spirit, as He did in Genesis 1:2, "hovers" and new creational transformation occurs (See R. C. Sproul’s work “Mystery of the Holy Spirit” for more discussion). This eschatological transformation begins in the heart and mind. Regeneration is a spiritual beginning that will be consummated at the very end when Christ comes and unites our resurrected souls with our resurrected bodies (1 John 3:2-3, 1 Corinthians 15:42-49).
It is because of God the Holy Spirit's new creational hovering and this rebirth that Paul exhorts believers to live as though they are fully new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) and that since we are fully reconciled to God because of the Holy Spirit's dwelling in us, we are to be agents of reconciliation to our fellow man and ambassadors bringing the gospel to all the nations.
The Great Exchange
When God calls and the Holy Spirit makes us new creations like Adam and Eve were naked and needed to be clothed with God's righteousness, Christ as our last Adam clothes us with His righteousness. This is Christ's imputed righteousness. Christ covers the new believer with His righteousness in us and declares us "not guilty". In this declaration, we have a new relational status towards God, we are justified (Titus 3:7). Without being clothed in the righteousness of our last Adam we will be thrown out of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:2).
Through the working of the triune God we fall before our Creator in humble repentance and through faith obtain the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is called the great exchange. As God calls and makes us new creations, He creates in us an understanding that we have nothing in us that we can give or do to bring about our reconciliation or a "not guilty" verdict. We repent of our sins and God exchanges (imputes) the last Adam's righteousness to us and he imputes our sins to Him our propitiation. It is only through the working of our triune God in us that salvation is freely given. Our justification is from God alone.
This is not God's working with our righteousness and then giving us the right amount of His righteousness (infusion), for our righteousness is abhorrent to Him (Isaiah 64:6). Imputation is God the Son working with God the Spirit and clothing (imputing) His newly created (naked) image bearer with His own righteousness so that God the Father declares us justified (Romans 4:3-18)! Notice that salvation is of/from God alone. There is nothing at this point we have done or could have done to accomplish or contribute to this salvation.
New Life
Having been justified, the work of new life begins in the believer. Through the indwelling of the Spirit, God enables, and works in us, to follow Christ. We who were once rebels and blasphemers, now live in God’s strength serving the living God (1 Timothy 1:12-14). This is how Paul can exhort us to "present" (Romans 6:13, 19, 12:1-2) ourselves to God for His use. The love of God works in the believer to give a new orientation and new priority for life. The commands of God are, to the believer, not a burden, but a delight (John 14:15, 23, Psalm 119:97-104). The yoke of God’s commands is the delicacy for the reborn Christian to feast upon. In the keeping of God’s instructions, the believer finds rest for the soul (Matthew 11:29-30).
Through God’s grace and for his glory these parts all work together to make new creations:
The call of God the Father,
The new creation of the Holy Spirit,
And The imputation of the last Adam's (Christ’s) righteousness, brings about faith and repentance so that those who have been born again may walk in the newness of life.
The result of salvation is our working for our God's glory, by being fruitful (Galatians 5:2-25), multiplying (Matthew 28:18-20), subduing and having dominion in spreading Christ's inaugurated kingdom. As we persevere and conform to the image of our last Adam, we demonstrate the triune God's work of salvation in us.
The final rung in the order of salvation is our glorification (Col 3:4, 1 Peter 5:4, Rom 8:30, 1 Peter 1:4-5, 2 Thess 1:9-10, 1 John 3:2). Salvation is the Lord’s! We have seen that all persons of the Godhead are actively working to accomplish their purpose in the lives of the chosen. It should not surprise us that our end is also secured in the working of our thrice holy God. Our end is glory with him: When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4). In 1 Peter 5:10 the same theme of glorification: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. The verse ends with God himself accomplishing it all for His beloved. From the very beginning through to the last steps, salvation is the Lord’s. From God calling His people out of exile, unto His glory, and everything in between, salvation belongs to our God (Revelation 7:10). Praise the God from whom all blessings flow!
Is this order of salvation the story of your redemption?
“Can you say, ‘the Lord is my God, and I am one of his people’? Are you personally in covenant with God? Do you know God, and are you known by him? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ to save you from the guilt of your sins and make you a child of God? Have you received the Holy Spirit so that you are growing to be more like your Father?” (2)
Citations:
Sproul, R. C.. The Mystery of the Holy Spirit. United States: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994.
- Beeke, Joel R.., Smalley, Paul M.. Reformed Systematic Theology, Volume 1: Revelation and God. United States: Crossway, 2019.
This is a part of a mini-series by guest writer Stephen Fields. To read part 1, click here.