#308 Kingdom: If Any Person be in Adam

2 Cor 5:14] For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; [15] and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. [16] Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. [17] Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Since we know and are convinced that this scripture is true both doctrinally and experientially we are also convinced that the opposite is also true. Therefore, let us transpose this scripture and leave us “in Adam” instead of being “In Christ.”

For the love of ADAM (self) controls us, having concluded this, that since ADAM still lives he continues to live for himself. Living for Christ only is a strange concept and against his nature because he is living on the earth side of resurrection. Therefore, our recognition of ADAM is according to the flesh, which IS the hallmark of all men of this order. Even though we have heard about Christ becoming flesh and dwelling among us, we cannot know Him because HE can ONLY be known after the Spirit. Therefore if any man is in Adam, he remains an old creature; the old things continue to reign in Adam’s life; behold, all things remain the same as before.

“Christian humanism” will leave ADAM undisturbed in his old nature, habits, attitudes, character and disposition. Still, we want to get ADAM to confess certain things about Jesus and join our church. We don’t want to offend ADAM but we would like to teach him new concepts and principles from the scriptures and change his identification from “heathen” to “Christian.” If ADAM insists upon remaining the center of the universe we will teach him how to get God to do what ADAM wants Him to do. We will give ADAM “faith promises” from the scriptures which he can read from a little file on the table as he eats his breakfast. He can keep reminding God during the day that HE promised these things to ADAM and therefore, ADAM expects to get these “promises” promptly.

Our evangelism involves going out to find ADAM walking along the road. We fall in step beside ADAM and become his friend. We may even indulge in what he is doing in order to win ADAM to our way of thinking. We try to relate to his feelings, his disappointments and failures and try to help him to see he is not at fault. His problem is really a need for “Inner Healing” and counseling. His failures can be attributed to the way his father or mother raised ADAM. If his father had been more attentive and expressed love and showed fatherly concern and been a buddy to ADAM he wouldn’t have these feelings of inadequacy.

We will convince ADAM that God has gifts, and rewards for ADAM if he will “Accept Jesus” as his personal Savior. This will make ADAM a child of God who has certain benefits and rights which he can claim by faith. God really wants ADAM to be happy, in health, prosper and be an example to other ADAMS in the world. We even encourage ADAM to come to discipleship classes where we can teach ADAM how to act like a Christian and to fall in step with the other ADAMS in the church. We are convinced if we can get ADAM into this different religious atmosphere and make new friends, ADAM will eventually make a really good Christian and become an active member and teach Sunday School or be on the board of elders.

This is “Christian humanism.” It tries to bring “humans” into the Holy Place and take their place in the Lampstand Church. Since the Lampstand Church has no wood (only pure Gold) this is a exercise in futility and will never happen. The whole message of the Outer Court preparation is “get rid of ADAM..” Churches that are intent upon making ADAM a better Christian are wasting their time and producing nothing.

Trying to convince ADAM to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness will be a lifetime endeavor because ADAM will always remain the king and sole ruler of his domain. In “Dominion Theology” we try to teach ADAM how to take dominion and begin to rule over all God’s enemies. ADAM needs to begin a ministry, to rebuke the storm, heal the sick, cast out demons and preach the gospel to the poor. We prophesy to ADAM that he will do exploits and that God has called ADAM and made him the head and not the tail. If ADAM is faithful God will exalt him and bring ADAM to the Throne of His Kingdom. We encourage ADAM to submit to our authority, be faithful attending the meetings, pay his tithe and don’t question or cause trouble and God will bless ADAM with special blessings. That was the “gospel of ADAM.”

The Gospel of the Kingdom is diametrically the opposite to the gospel of Adam. The first thing the Gospel of the Kingdom seeks to do is to nail ADAM to the cross and get rid of ADAM so that Jesus Christ can rule as God’s supreme and sovereign King. In other words “If any man is in Christ he cannot also be in ADAM.” Every Kingdom person must escape from ADAM and be joined to Christ in that oneness that we can identify as being “IN CHRIST.” Now, if any man be “IN CHRIST” he is a new creation, a new creature or a new species, of a different order. ADAM can absolutely have no part in any dimension of Christ. To try to bring “believers who are in the body of ADAM” into the church will eventually destroy the church which IS to be “the Body of Jesus Christ.” There IS the “Body of ADAM” and there IS the “Body of Christ” but we cannot be a little in one and a little in the other. We must be violently blasted out of the “body of ADAM” and rocketed into the “Body of Christ.”

AFTER a total surrender to Jesus Christ as our Lord and King and a total surrender to His Kingdom Government we may take our place in Christ. While our past sins and lawlessness are forgiven through the blood of Jesus, the attitudes, errors, character defects, personality problems and ignorance of ADAM may remain with us. Many of these are corrected and crucified by our own personal cross and the work of the Holy Spirit establishing God’s Kingdom Government in our lives.

The Romans 7 approach to overcoming these defects by human effort and better resolutions and trying harder will never be successful. ONLY a progressive surrender of these things to God as they are exposed and manifested will be successful. The ADAM nature trying to crucify the ADAM nature will fail.

The picture is this; Even though Israel had participated in the Passover lamb and God had blasted Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and they were separated from Egypt at the Red Sea, most of the attributes, attitudes and ideas of Egypt still remained with them. Israel in ADAM escaped Egypt but still caused Moses and God a lot of grief because the Law could not rid Israel of ADAM.. We see the miserable history of ADAM throughout the Old Testament in people, kings, priests and God’s enemies. Sometimes it is difficult to see the difference between God’s enemies and God’s people.

While our evangelical evangelism tries to fall in step with ADAM and attempts to reform ADAM, the Kingdom puts up a road block, turns on the red lights, digs a ditch [a moat with water] and shouts to ADAM “THIS FAR AND NO FARTHER” you have come to the end of the line. Fall into the water and die! There is NO place for you in the Kingdom of God. ADAM must be left in the grave and free the flesh from its armor. The flesh must be left exposed and vulnerable to the corrections and discipline of God and eradication by the Holy Spirit of God.

The message inherent in the last restoration left ADAM at the center of the universe but sought to disciple ADAM and establish ADAM in a shepherding movement to improve ADAM. The “Marriage Ministries Movement” taught ADAM how to stay married. Others taught ADAM how to manage his finances and get out of debt. The “Faith Movement” taught ADAM how to use God and how to get God to do ADAM’S will and provide for his wants. Since much of the Charismatic Movement came out of the denominational and Catholic churches there was little emphasis upon getting rid of ADAM. The “Prophetic Movement” taught ADAM how to prophesy and to give “natural words of knowledge” to others. Occasionally the Holy Spirit, by the anointing, would actually break through ADAM’S armor with a real gift of the word of knowledge. This encouraged ADAM to be even more bold to preach and teach others how to use the gifts and impress people from the pulpit. We could call this “THE ADAM MOVEMENT.”

It was popular to bring ADAM to “Evaluation Seminars” where we could do “Personality Profiles” and determine why ADAM acted and reacted in certain ways. We learned how to accommodate ADAM and how to work with his defects. We learned compassion and how to ignore his personality difficulties and accept ADAM with his personality abnormalities. We learned how to receive a subnormal ADAM into the church and show others how to adjust to his old ways because ADAM was just an old creation and nothing more could be expected. If ADAM is still cussing, stealing, smoking, drinking, nasty, corrupt and fornicating, ADAM should be taught how to begin to cut back some. After all we are all just sinners saved by grace!

We have come to accept that ADAM is naturally dissatisfied and difficult to please and that spiritual talk makes him feel uncomfortable. We know that ADAM will get offended and move from church to church but since we are tired of ADAM and his attitudes we declare it was good riddance. ADAM is caught in the status quo and since ADAM is not confronted by the King and His Kingdom ADAM has no clue of why he cannot find his place and begin to function in the church.

Why is it that ADAM rejects the Holy Spirit and His work in the church? Because ADAM and the flesh have covenanted together to make war with the Spirit and to always resist the Spirit. Why? Because the Holy Spirit has come to rid the church of ADAM and the flesh and these are at war with one another. When the Holy Spirit is in control ADAM and the flesh cannot do as they like so there is an inner conflict that puts ADAM into depression.

When ADAM is not happy he makes sure no one else is happy because misery loves company. 50 ADAMS in a hundred member church is a disaster. However, one ADAM in the pulpit in a hundred member church is also a disaster. Some denominations move ADAM to a new pulpit every three years so he can preach his best cataloged sermons and get to know the ADAM’S in that assembly. This broadens ADAM’S understanding of human nature and makes him a better preacher.

Nevertheless, Adam never has a clue about the Kingdom of God and His Sovereign Government and this whole concept of God invading the providence of man is foolishness to ADAM It is interesting that ADAM is quite willing to learn about theological concepts and broaden and deepening his knowledge of good and evil and try to be like God and know the difference. ADAM would still like to exalt his throne above the Throne of God and instruct God on the matters of earth.

When ADAM gets really bold he can declare that there IS no god except man and all reference to God invades his civil rights and must be removed from public view. ADAM will appeal this to his fellow ADAMS clear up to the Supreme Court. Of Course the ADAMS on the Supreme Court will agree with the ADAMS of earth who claim their civil rights have been ignored because all ADAMS have to stick together.

ADAMS who are politicians can be very religious also and repeat religious cliches, talk about prayer and invoke the name of God. Since ADAM has been rejected by God why would he want to do these religious things? Because it looks good to other ADAMS. It was ADAMS who built the Tower of Babel to reach into heaven because that was the only way they were going to make it there. This restoration is not just about restoring another truth but with recovering the church to a higher and more consecrated life. In this dimension ADAM and the flesh must be in a drastically declining mode and the resurrection Life of Christ must be ascending within us with overcoming power. Our point of reference for all spiritual matters must change from an Outer Court perspective to the illumination of the Seven Spirits of God. The wholly spiritual dimension of the Holy Place will rule out the natural perspective of the Outer Court. It is for this reason that God must permanently deal with ADAM and the flesh. Seeing everything from an Outer Court perspective has gravitated the church into a redemption or salvation centered purpose. The church has gravitated to the center of least resistance and ignored the Kingdom that must be taken by force.

To change the perspective through which the church views the purpose of God will certainly not be easy. This perspective of seeing the center of the gospel as being forgiveness of sins has been set in concrete for so many years that to even speak from a Kingdom perspective seems like heresy.

While TRUTH IS TRUTH the way we view TRUTH affects our acceptance and interpretation of TRUTH. TRUTH doesn’t change but as we change our perspective from which we view truth, the TRUTH takes on new dimensions and depth. IF God IS TRUTH then there is a fulness of TRUTH that we cannot comprehend in this dimension.

For example; It may seem strange that the Kingdom makes no emotional pleas for the sinner to come to God or to be happy. It doesn’t urge man to be blest, well adjusted or even saved. The Kingdom sets forth its demands for us to be changed and readjusted to His Eternal Purpose. It commands us to seek after and experience His standards of life for eternity. This will obviously require that we turn away from dwelling in ADAM and to focus upon the transition of dwelling in Christ and adjusting to His Government within. His Government insists upon our obeying the laws that are put in our minds and that are written upon our hearts and to live by His statutes and ordinances.

If we begin with God and His Life and Eternal Purpose THEN we can reason down to man and see man in his true light as man relates to God and His purpose. We see beyond man’s need for forgiveness and see his total need for reconciliation and transformation into the character and nature of Jesus Christ. We should see beyond the new birth and into His Kingdom Government and the maturity that will be required to participate. We may have become the victims of a wrong philosophy and a corrupt theology but when we escape from ADAM we should escape for the effects of the fall of ADAM.

Before we can advance into this next restoration of God we must be delivered from this false center that ADAM has created for himself in the church. We must be firmly set into that ultimate center which at the present time is Jesus Christ and His Kingdom Government on this earth in His saints. This will free us from that bondage and open for us the Second Veil that was not torn.