Week 1 - FROM ADAM TO CHRIST
FOUNDATIONS
Welcome to part 5 of Follow The Way called FOUNDATIONS.
God works great changes in the lives of those who believe and follow Jesus. As the Apostle Paul says:
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV-1984)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (she) is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!
These changes are the basic building blocks for our identity and maturity in Christ. In these 8 weeks, you’ll learn how to build your life upon the solid foundation of the truth of who you are in Christ.
FOUNDATIONS and FREEDOM make up Follow The Way’s GROW Set.
DISCOVERY DISCIPLESHIP GROUP
Let’s remind ourselves what we’re up to.
DISCOVERY
Instead of telling you what to believe and how to live, we’ll connect you with the Bible so you can discover that together as a group. Discovery promotes engagement in the process and ownership of the outcomes.
DISCIPLESHIP
Being a disciple is a whole-life response to Jesus as Savior and Lord. It’s about following Jesus and His way of life. As you grow in your faith and commitment to Jesus, you’ll learn to live your life as if He were in your shoes. Be with Jesus > Become like Jesus > Live like Jesus > Make Disciples of Jesus.
GROUP
You could go through Follow The Way on your own. You’ll get more out of it, however, if you work through it with 2 or 3 others. Consider finding a guide to coach you. This guide doesn’t have to be an expert in the faith. They just need to be a few steps ahead of you on the journey to point you in the right direction. Here’s a thought. After you have worked through Follow The Way, you’ll be ready to guide others through it.
3/3s FORMAT
In order to learn how to practically follow Jesus, our group will continue using what is called the 3/3s Format (Connect-Discover-Live)
CONNECT
What are you thankful for?
What challenge are you facing?
Have there been any answers to prayer?
Pray for each other.
From the last week of FILLING (Week 8 on LIVE IT) …
Did anything stand out to you from last week’s follow-up Bible readings?
How did your “I will …” statement from last week go?
How did your sharing goal from last week go?
DISCOVER
Ask God to speak to you as you read His Word.
In the following passages, the Apostle Paul is talking about two men. The first man is Adam and the second man is Jesus Christ. Essentially, Paul is comparing and contrasting Adam and Christ and those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ.
Romans 5:12-21 (NLT)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:21-23 (CSB)
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.
Have someone retell the passage in their own words.
What stands out to you in this passage?
What does this passage say about God (The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)?
What does this passage say about people, including ourselves?
What does this passage say about the life God invites us to live?
Digging Deeper
In Adam
Romans 5:12 (NLT)
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world.
When did Adam sin?
(See Genesis 3 and FAITH - Week 2 - REBELLION)
As you reread through the following verses, answer this question: What are the results of Adam’s sin?
Romans 5:12, 15-19, 21 (NLT)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
15 For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many.
16 For Adam’s sin led to condemnation. We are guilty of many sins.
17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many.
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone.
19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners.
21 Sin ruled over all people and brought them to death.
Why would Adam’s sin impact us?
As the first human, Adam’s sin affects us all. You can think of it like a spring and a stream. As a polluted spring pollutes the rest of the stream, so too Adam’s pollution pollutes all of us downstream. That’s why Paul says we are in Adam. This means that whatever was true of Adam is true of us. For example, like Adam:
We are sinners.
We are condemned as guilty.
We are dying.
We are under the reign of sin and death.
The bad news is that this is our default position. We are all born into Adam.
In Christ
Romans 5:18-19 (NLT)
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
When did Jesus obey?
As you reread through the following verses, answer this question: What are the results of Jesus’ obedience?
Romans 5:15-21 (NLT)
15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Why would Jesus’ obedience impact us?
Just as Adam stands first in line at the beginning of humanity, Jesus stands first in line at the beginning of a new humanity. Adam’s disobedience brought sin and death but Jesus’ obedience brings righteousness and life. He is the pure Spring that purifies us downstream. That’s why Paul says we are in Christ. This means that whatever is true of Jesus is now true of us. For example, like Jesus:
We are righteous.
We are eternally alive.
We live in triumph over sin and death.
We are under the reign of God’s wonderful grace.
This, however, is not our default position. Instead, this is God’s gracious offer. And this gift from God must be personally received.
Romans 5:17 (NLT)
For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, FOR ALL WHO RECEIVE IT will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ (emphasis added).
How does one receive God’s gift of righteousness in Jesus Christ? Have you?
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 (CSB)
22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST (emphasis added).
How does one belong to Jesus? Do you?
Another way to look at this is, though we are born into Adam, we must be born again into Christ.
John 1:12-13 (NIV)
12 Yet to all who did receive [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 3:3,7,16-18 (NIV)
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
7 “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
How is one born again in Jesus Christ? Are you?
Once again, everyone is born into Adam, but we must be reborn into Christ. This happens by grace through faith. And those who believe in Jesus are no longer in Adam but are now in Christ. They belong to Jesus!
Foundational Truth
There’s more to what it means to be in Christ. But that’s a good start. Here’s the FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH we’ve discovered today:
We were born into Adam. This means that whatever was true of Adam was true of us. But by grace through faith, we have been born again into Christ. This means that whatever is true of Jesus is now true of us. Therefore, we are no longer characterized by Adam’s sin and death but by Christ’s righteousness and life.
Theologically, this is called Union with Christ. Through birth we had been united with Adam, but through rebirth we are united with Jesus.
Through the rest of FOUNDATIONS, then, we’ll discover more of what it means to be In Christ. Here’s what we’ll cover, including today’s lesson:
FROM ADAM TO CHRIST
FROM DEATH TO LIFE
FROM GUILTY TO INNOCENT
FROM ENEMY TO FAMILY
FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM
FROM IMMATURITY TO MATURITY
FROM SELF TO CHRIST
FROM ALREADY TO NOT YET
Foundations’ Memory Work
Here’s our memory work for FOUNDATIONS:
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV-1984)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (she) is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!
LIVE
What truth have you discovered from today’s Bible passage(s) and conversation?
What would stop you from believing and obeying this truth?
How will you live out this truth this coming week? Finish this statement: “I will ….”
Who else needs to hear this truth? How could you share it with them?
When will we meet again?
Who will facilitate that meeting?
Pray for God’s help as you seek to follow Jesus this coming week.
FOLLOW-UP BIBLE READINGS
After each group meeting, there will be 3 Bible readings to help you dig a bit deeper into what we have discussed.
To help you connect with Jesus, we encourage you to use the Daily Connect connection prompts with the first two Bible readings and the Lord’s Prayer with the third Bible reading.
Here are the Bible passages you are encouraged to read this coming week:
BUDDY SYSTEM
It’s recommended that you set up a buddy system for ongoing encouragement and accountability. Buddy people up and have them contact each other for a midweek check-in. Think of this as a five-minute phone call, rather than an in-person sit-down meeting. Touch base and ask these questions of each other:
How are your readings going?
How’s your “I will …” statement coming along?
How’s your sharing goal coming along?
How can I pray for you?
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