Jesus Christ, the Last Adam, the Second Man - “It is Finished!” – Part 5 by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 05/08/24

This message was originally recorded December 29, 2013, the fifth in a series of 8 messages.

My notes:

Why would those Christians who were addressed in Hebrews want to go back to Moses, the law, and the types and shadows of the old dispensation and not go on to perfection which is accomplished in the work of Christ on the cross? Why are Christians today doing the same thing, those caught up in a 'Hebrew roots' movement? The writer to the Hebrew Christians warned of the imminent judgment which came only a few years later when the entire Jewish system was destroyed and millions lost their lives, including born-again Christians who returned back to the law and their Jewish traditions. As the Word is as much alive today as it was when written, the warning still stands. Christians today who are not looking to Jesus as the Author and Perfecter of our faith, but back to the old covenant meant for Israel and not the church, are in danger of judgment - losing their lives before they finish their course. They are not in danger of losing salvation - but are in danger of the judgment of God who is described as 'a consuming fire', and not only that, but the loss of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. Doug said: "If we really see the Lord, we will fear as Christians more than anything else, standing before Him at the bema seat, and not have every aspect of our life having been brought into correspondence with Himself."

While we still have breath, we still have the opportunity to finish our course and attain full reward, that which God wants to give to each of us. "Past failures is not going to determine whether Christ will be fully formed in us or not; it's what we do from this day forward with the time God has given us. That's what matters. Are we stewards - good stewards - responsible stewards of the time that He's given us?"

The first Adam failed to attain the fullness God intended for man. It took the second man, the Lord from Heaven, to reach that goal. It is only through this last Adam who became a life-giving spirit that we in Him have the opportunity to attain to this fulness. Jesus is the originator, the leader, the one out ahead of this new creation who also brings us to completion as we cooperate with Him, abiding in Him as He abides in us.

"The identity, attributes, and characteristics of the old man (the outer man; the first man) in contradistinction to the new man (the inner man; the hidden man of the heart; the second man) - those who are spiritual vs. those who are natural - these are the definitions of the two humanities."

Once again Doug addresses those swayed by the drawing back to the law in the Hebrew roots error. This is not from a disdain for our brethren so misled, but for the error itself. "The sheer power of logic crushes to the ground anyone who would want to go back to the law. Anyone wanting to go back to Judaism, you have no logical explanation for your heresy, for your departure from the fact that Jesus Christ has fulfilled every single type. [If] you go back to that - you are apostatizing, and you should fear falling into the hands of the living God, born-again Christian." For further teaching and correction of this error, I recommend the 3-sessions Doug gave in 2020 on The Hebrew Roots Movement (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtE2EQ9mIvN8ZhL-tb7lvNbquXDLE7sJa).

Personal note: We should clearly see from the word of God that there is a great 'fiery judgment' coming to brothers and sisters in Christ who are caught up in this. Were I to observe people heading for a life-threatening accident they may be unaware of, I would feel it very important that I warn them even if they erroneously thought I was being critical or judgmental. I recently discovered I was born 1/4 Jew. However, I do not call myself a "Messianic Jew" - I wouldn't even if I were born 100% Jewish. There is no Jew in Christ - nor Gentile. We are a new creation - a new species - neither Jew nor Gentile. It's a critical point of this entire series of messages, that Jesus is the last Adam, the second man. "As the second man, He's not a Jew. As the last Adam, He was a perfect Jew, and He died as a Jew. But, as the second man, He is a new creation."

"You need to make the transition, you Hebrew Christians! If not, there's the certain fiery judgment that you can expect to come upon you... You're going to die; " This doesn't only apply to first century Christian. It applies equally in these last days, especially what we've come to know as 'the day of visitation' where this is not the only error and deficiency being dealt with as the bride prepares herself and will soon be raptured ‘without spot or wrinkle’. The term wrinkle speaks of age, and to the degree we are adhering to the old aged covenant, we are not manifesting the new creation life in Christ.

In this message, Doug elaborates on the real meaning of who Jesus is as the mediator between God and man. Instead of a common belief that there's a God up there full of wrath and fury ready to punish all our disobedience, but there is Jesus pleading for us, we discover something very different. The mediation occurred 2,000 years ago on the cross while we were in the sleep of death. Rather than me trying to explain it, I believe you'll enjoy Doug's way-better examination.

As you will hear, there are portions of the message that are very difficult to understand due to a very poor recording. I did what I could to clean it up.

Recommended resource: Erich Sauer's In the Arena of Faith (https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/in_the_arena_of_faith.pdf)

Link to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/12-29-13+Sunday+Assembly+%231+edited.mp3

Link to Doug’s notes on forerunner, author, and mediator:  https://www.dougriggs.org/Bible_Study_Notes.pdf

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!

 

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