July 11 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

How can all of us be saved by the death and resurrection of one man?

We can understand how this is possible when we think about Jesus Christ as the representative, the one who acts on behalf of the many.

The idea of representation is not strange to us. All of us know how the acts of a parent affect the whole family, for better or for worse. From the Old Testament we know examples of kings whose acts were decisive for the nation. Today's giant corporations are ruled by a few who decide for the many. But Adam's deeds decided for all humankind. And Adam is the best example you can use to show the extent of Jesus' work as one who represented many.

Adam stands at the beginning as the cause and origin of sin. In Paul's words, sin is a power that came in through the door called Adam (v. 12). Adam could have said: "I am the door; through me the ugly power entered."

Sin and death came in through Adam but spread to all, "because all sinned" (v. 12). Here Paul does not mean that all people are sinners because all people commit sins; he means that "all people sinned when Adam sinned." By his one representative act, Adam decided for all. All people sinned and died in him.

This is the perfect illustration of the one who represents the many: Adam "is a pattern of the one to come." Adam was the door through which sin and death came in to ruin us. But Christ is the door through whom grace and life come pouring in on all who are "in him."

Paul talks about Adam in order to clarify the one decisive act of the other man, Jesus. He teaches us the concept of representation so that we may be completely assured that the lot of the many was decided by the deeds of the one. The only ground for our salvation lies in the decisive acts of Jesus.

It's not what you or I have done but what Christ has done that brings us justification and life.

REFLECTIONS

Some people will object and say "it's not fair" that we must suffer the effects of sin just because of Adam and Eve's disobedience so long ago. How would you answer this objection?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.