On a hot, humid summer night, the family of four slept quietly in their home. It was as any other night until the spark ravaged throughout the house destroying everything in its path. The kitchen wiring was faulty and this is where the fire began. The flames moved through each room one at a time. Now, it was surrounding and beginning to invade the very bedrooms of mom and dad and the two children that lay sleeping. The smoke was so thick now that nothing could be seen and most would stay asleep. Only mom awoke to be disoriented and overcome with the smoke. She soon returned to her unconscious state and all were helpless and approaching certain death as smoke filled their lungs as they lay passed out.
Mr. Shumway was nothing much to please the eyes. He was short with a medium build with more hair on his face than on his head. That night, he noticed the flames pouring out the windows from his house across the street. Mr. Shumway knew the family across the street well. He loved children and he would always try to teach his neighbors something new every day. On this night, Mr. Shumway did not hesitate. He ran across the street and entered the burning house as time was short. He dodged flames and covered his nose and mouth as he ran through the hallway and turned to go up the stairs as he knew the bedrooms were there. Going to his knees to dodge flames and inhale less smoke, he crawled into the children’s room and scooped them up, one in each arm. Somehow, he could not even recall later, Mr. Shumway was able to maneuver around the flames and get the kids outside away from the fire.
The heroic neighbor was not done, he entered the house two more times to go into the bedroom on the other side of the upstairs hallway to first carry mom and then dad out of the house. By this time, some neighbors crowded the streets outside and an ambulance and fire truck arrived. The family of four woke up hours later, each in their own hospitable bed oblivious to what had happened. They all survived and would make full recoveries. However, Mr. Shumway received serious burns and was overcome by smoke as he collapsed outside the burning house after the last victim was saved. He died in the hospitable bed next to the rooms of the people that were saved.
As the family of four reunited and recovered, some of the other neighbors that gathered around the home came to the hospital to explain what had happened. The family had no recollection of the nights’ events. Neighbor one came to the family and explained the heroics of Mr. Shumway. He explained how Shumway ran into the house and pulled them out of the fire. However, neighbor one continued to speak about how the family must get up, exercise, eat well and follow specific rules in order to be saved from the fire. Neighbor one then left the room and as the family was thinking about this message, neighbor two walked through the door.
Neighbor two entered the room to speak though she was still in her own house when the fire and rescue took place earlier that night. She had heard from other neighbors what had happened and felt she needed to relay this information to the family. Neighbor two explained the actions of Mr. Shumway and what he did for them. Then, neighbor two explained that the family would need to believe in Mr. Shumway and what he did in order to be saved from the flames of the fire. The family was now even more confused than they were after neighbor one left. So too, neighbor two left the hospital room.
In came neighbor three, he was on the other side of town when the fire occurred. He drove straight to the hospital after he had heard about the fire. Neighbor three did not like Mr. Shumway very much as they did not see eye to eye on many issues. As a result, neighbor three refused to believe that Mr. Shumway saved the family. He explained with anger and hatred that Shumway was not a good man and could not do anything to help when the fire ravaged through the house. Now the family was dumbfounded and really did not know what to believe. Neighbor three stomped out of the room elated about how he dragged Mr. Shumway’s name through the mud.
Neighbor four entered and explained the story in detail about what happened to the family that evening. He was an even-tempered, calm, peaceful man. Neighbor four’s demeanor was different from the previous three neighbors. It seemed that he was not there to accomplish anything or complete an agenda. He simple explained what Mr. Shumway had done for the family. He explained how he fought the flames and brought their four, unconscious bodies out of the flames and sacrificed his own life to save theirs. Neighbor four explained to the family that they are saved because of Mr. Shumway. The family understood neighbor four and went and lived their lives continually in a state of thanksgiving for Mr. Shumway. However, even when they faltered, they know that Mr. Shumway had saved them and nothing could ever change that.
The above story is about a man who sacrificed his own life to save others and is used to illustrate what Jesus Christ did for us. After Mr. Shumway gave his life for the family, two neighbors approached and told the family what they must now do to be saved. Neighbor one explained that they needed to do certain things or follow some rules. Neighbor two said the family had to believe in what Mr. Shumway had done for them in order to be saved. The third neighbor didn’t believe that Mr. Shumway saved them at all. However, it does not matter if the family followed any of these three neighbors’ stories. It does not change the fact that Mr. Shumway sacrificed his life for theirs and that they are saved. The family is saved and alive because and only because of Mr. Shumway. They did nothing, it was all him. So whether they follow rules or not, whether they believe or not, the truth is they are saved.
Neighbor four explained this salvation to family and when the family recognized this was indeed what happened, they lived the rest of their life in thanksgiving, appreciation and love for Mr. Shumway. Whether the family loved Shumway, forgot about him, live horrible lives or chose not to believe what he did, it does not change the fact that Mr. Shumway saved them. They are alive because of Mr. Shumway and the realization of this is what caused them to live in appreciation.
Well, you got it! Mr. Shumway in this story is Jesus Christ. Scripture says that Christ saves all humanity through His death and resurrection. He certainly did and that’s the end of it. However, this is not what the pastors, priests and preachers of Christianity teach. They have the same teaching of the first two neighbors that try to convince the family that they need to do something in order to be saved when Shumway already guaranteed their safety. The neighbors minimized the work of Shumway because they put rules and actions on the family when their salvation was completely outside of themselves and all based on the actions of the neighbor who carried them out of the house. This is what religion does to Jesus Christ. Christ’s death and resurrection will eventually save every man, woman and child that has ever, is currently, or will ever walk the face of this Earth. We as humans did nothing to accomplish this. We were like the family lying unconscious in the burning house. This story is an illustration to show that salvation is taken care of by Jesus; however, not everyone is saved at the moment. People will go through a process and even death before they enter the realization of salvation.
Virtually every religion in the world puts the decision and power on humans to believe, act right or perform certain rituals to reach God. The story of Christ Jesus is not a religion because He accomplishes one hundred percent of salvation for every human regardless of anything they do. Religion will try to make you act right to make you earn what you already have. Jesus paid the price in full for all. Watch how the following verses from scripture detail how death and justification are given to all humanity while not taking into consideration anything the human did or didn’t do.
Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just reward for all mankind for life’s justifying. For even as, through the disobedience of one man (Adam), the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One (Jesus), the many shall be constituted just.
- Romans 5: 18-19
The ‘all mankind’ and the ‘many’ are in direct correlation to each other and these words mean everyone. Adam sinned before we were even born and yet this sin spread to all humanity. We had no choice in this. In the same way through Christ’s obedience, justification spread to all humanity. We had no choice in this as well. Christians and religion will tell you that because of Adam’s sin we all have fallen and are sinners. This is true. However, they will then say that what Jesus did only applies to us if we believe. That is not what this scripture says. We didn’t need to believe in Adam in order for sin to apply to us. Therefore, we do not need to believe in Jesus in order for His obedience to apply to us. Religion wants to inject belief and acting right into these verses so that people need to check with the church to see if they are on the right track. The church is an unnecessary medium for justification. Romans 5:20 says that where sin increases, grace superexceeds. This means that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will overcome any sin. In essence, the more you sin, the greater the grace that covers that sin.
The following scripture confirms the message and relationship between Adam and Jesus Christ. Understand how the actions of these two individuals spread to all humans without consideration of what the human does or does not do.
For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be made alive.
- 1 Corinthians 15: 22
This verse in Corinthians begins to set the table with respect to the order of people entering heaven. All people will be saved but those that are given belief will enter before the rest. This realization that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world, the entire world, without any human contribution is given by God to the believer. If you do not believe this, then God simply has not given you belief yet. However, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ still applies to you. Adolf Hitler will be given life through Jesus Christ even though he may be the last one to enter. So here again, we have the above scripture in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians saying that in Adam, all are dying. All humans begin to die as soon as they are born as each day inches closer to death. But, humans didn’t choose this death although it applies to each and every one of us. We don’t have to believe it or follow rules to achieve it. Death will find us no matter what we do or believe. That is Adam’s contribution.
Right now, we have sin and death all around us. I’m sure that all of us have experienced enough of this in our lifetimes. If we look around, sin and death are running rampant. Children die every day because they don’t have enough food, people are murdered exponentially, and the media glorifies every type of Godless act. We are living in the image of Adam. As mentioned before, some people seem better and more Godlike than others, but we all are in the flesh and all are subject to sin and death. We didn’t ask for this, we were born into it. Not one of us could have been born and said, “I will reject sin and death and will live forever.” It’s not possible for a fleshly, descendant of Adam to accomplish this. We have taken on the likeness of Adam and Eve.
However, Adam is only the beginning not the end. Previously, I mentioned that evil serves a purpose. We must experience evil in order to have the knowledge of good and evil. This experience is the precursor to an amazing fulfillment that will be all the more enjoyed because of the present evil we have within us and outside of us. Again, we experience this because we were born into Adam. However, scripture says that as we were born in Adam and are like Adam, we will again be born into someone else and will be like that someone else. Who is that someone else? Just as everyone has taken on the likeness of Adam, everyone, and I mean everyone, will take on the likeness of this ‘Someone else.’ So, who is this someone else?
So it is written: The first Adam became a living being;” the last Adam, a life giving spirit (I Corinthians 15:45). This ‘someone else’ is the last Adam. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47). The relationship between this ‘last Adam’ and ‘second man’ carry the same power than the original Adam, in the sense that all people will be like him. But I’ll take it a step further. This last Adam and second man carry more power because he undoes, creates, or makes new all that the first Adam has touched. And just as we have born the image of the earthly man (Adam), so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man (1 Corinthians 15:49).
Why, then, do we need to go through the process and bear the image of the first Adam? Part of the answer is in 1 Corinthians 15:46 that says: The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. First, we have to pass through the evil, sin and death of the first Adam, in order to be born again into the last Adam, second man, heavenly man. Okay, so if you have not guessed it by now, that ‘someone else,’ last Adam, second man and heavenly man is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ did more than just die on the cross. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15). Yes, by dying on the cross, Jesus assured that we will not remain dead and one day, will be resurrected. However, through death, Jesus also showed us what we will one day be. He showed us what we will be like when death is destroyed and sin has run its course and when both sin and death are destroyed. He showed us what we will be when we throw off the fleshly, natural first Adam. What will we one day be like, better yet, who did Jesus show us that we will one day be like? We will be like Him!
For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn over many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29).
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of a new creation. A creation that is resurrected and perfected to be the very sons of God. Jesus did this through death and resurrection, the same way He will do it in us. Adam was the firstborn of a creation that would eventually die. Everyone that is born becomes like Adam because of the sin and death operating in humanity. The reason Jesus is referred to as the second or last Adam is because He is the firstborn, like Adam, only of something new and better. Consequently, just as we are all born into Adam’s sin, we will all be perfected through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Again, for as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). If death touches infants that have made no choice to sin but are born into a weak, death ridden humanity, then, the second Adam will impart His life in the same manner that the first Adam imparted his death to humanity. Therefore, through His death and resurrection, Jesus declares: “I am making everything new”… (Revelation 21:5).
This is God’s glorious plan! Humanity will pass through decay and death in order to become a son of God, just like Jesus. Jesus was the first, He showed us the way and because of Him, all of us will pass from Adam’s death to Christ’s life. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage of decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Romans 8:20-21). This hope is God’s destiny for all mankind.
Do you want to know God’s purpose for us? It is to create billions of sons and daughters, though each one unique, that will have all of His attributes. Jesus Christ was the first and through Him, God will bring all humanity to be His precious sons and daughters. That is our destiny and that is what this life, this evil, this plan for the ages is all about.
The rest of the scripture says that in the same way Adam’s death is spread to all people, in Christ, all people will be made alive. The phrase ‘for even as’ and ‘thus also’ are used to show that the action of Adam and Christ spread to people equally. Therefore, if we are given death by Adam with no action of our own then we are given life by Christ with no action of our own. Notice that the scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:22 does not say ‘all in Christ will be made alive’ but it says that ‘in Christ, shall all be made alive.’ This applies to all people not just those that are in Christ right now. God saves some now and will save the rest later. Believers now are given a special salvation and they will work with Jesus in the ages to come in order to bring the rest of creation to Jesus Christ.
God, Who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).
God will save everybody. Believers have a special salvation of coming in to the plan early and ruling and reigning with Christ in the ages to come. However, the ‘especially’ qualifies the rest as also being saved. So in conclusion, Jesus either saved us or He didn’t. The bible says that He did and this is a fact! A person’s belief or actions does not change this fact. Belief gives us a realization of the truth but does not make it true.
Saved ignoble 
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