The New Humanity

Your Greatest Promotion

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“For he himself is our peace, who had made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.  His purpose was to create in himself one new man (humanity) out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them (Jews and Gentiles) to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”  (Ephesians 2:14-16 NIV)

The content of this article came to me unexpectedly in what felt like a revelation during my morning devotions in mid-August, 1999, as I meditated on Ephesians 2:15, which I had recently memorized:  “His purpose was to create in himself one new man (humanity) out of the two, thus making peace.”  The surprising insight I received, and the events leading up to it, are reported in chapter 14 of my attached, autobiographical story of how I have experienced that God is real over the past 50 years.

Have you ever received a promotion at work?  I recall my excitement in 1976 when, halfway through my seminary education, I was promoted from being a volunteer ministry leader in my church to being a full-time associate pastor.  If you’ve been promoted at work, you know how exciting and gratifying it can be.

Every day I thank God for sending his Son Jesus to be born in human flesh, because it led to the greatest promotion I have ever received! Here’s how:

Before Jesus Christ, there was only one human race in this world.  Thanks to God’s eternal Son being born in human flesh, there are now two human races in the world.  The first humanity is under the headship of its first member, Adam (Genesis 1, 2:7) whose name means “human.”  The second human race, existing since God the Son was conceived as a human being in the womb of his virgin mother Mary, is also under the headship of its first member:  Jesus. As head of this second human race, Jesus is superior to Adam, the head of the first human race, for these reasons:

  1. Unlike Adam, Jesus never sinned.  Adam (like Jesus) started his life without sin, but (unlike Jesus) became sinful by disobeying God when tempted by Satan (Genesis 3:1-6).  Like Adam, Jesus was born without a sin nature (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Unlike Adam, Jesus obeyed God his Father throughout his life, including when tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11).  Jesus is therefore superior as the sinless head of the second humanity, while Adam is the sinful head of the first humanity. Because Adam sinned, as the first member and head of his race, the result ever since has been that every subsequent human being, except Jesus Christ, has been born with a sinful human nature. (Romans 5:15-19)
  2. Adam was fashioned by God the Son from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7) that he, Jesus, had previously created (Genesis 1:9-10).  Regarding Jesus (God the Son) being the Creator of this world, including Adam, the Apostle John wrote, “All things were created by him.” (John 1:3) The Apostle Paul said of Jesus,“By him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)   Jesus, Adam’s Creator, is a superior head to Adam because Adam was dust-become-human by Jesus, while Jesus is God the Son-become-human.
  3. Jesus is a superior head to Adam because as God the Son-become-human, Jesus’ rank is higher than Adam’s rank as dust-become-human. God the Son took upon himself the humanity that he himself had long ago created to be “a little lower than the angels.” (Psalm 8:5, Heb. 2:7) In the original “chain of command” of hierarchical authority in God’s created universes for angels and humans, the order of ranking from highest down was A. Highest:  The triune God (God the Father; God the Son; God the Holy Spirit) in highest authority.  B. Next highest: The angels—created by God before  humans were created.  C. Below the angels:  Human beings under the headship of Adam.  After his death and resurrection, Jesus–now forever both God and man–ascended from being below the angels on this earth back to the right hand of God the Father in his resurrected body–where he was before he became a human, and where he is again since his ascension (Acts 1:9).   Back at the right hand of God the Father, in the highest ranking position, Jesus is therefore superior as the head of the new humanity:   “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor.” (Heb. 2:9)  When Adam died, on the other hand, his body returned to the dust from which Jesus had fashioned it.

HOW YOU BENEFIT: Because the head of this new  humanity (called “The Last Adam” and “The Second Man” in 1 Corinthians 15:45 and 47) is God the Son, who shares the highest rank of the Trinity—with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit–the result is a wonderful benefit for all who, through faith in Jesus, are “in Christ” (which is to say, are members in this new, enhanced humanity under his superior headship).  As members of the new humanity in Christ, they have been promoted to the highest rank in Christ, because sinless Jesus ranks above the angels and above the first humanity under the headship of Adam.  Jesus is now “seated far above all rule, power and authority in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 1:21)  

Thanks to the Son of God taking on human flesh, the line of authority in God’s hierarchy has an addition at the top:  Highest in rank are God the Father, God the Son (God-man Jesus) and the enhanced humanity who are “in Christ” (under his headship) by faith, and God the Holy Spirit; next in rank below the triune God and the new humanity in Christ are the good and evil angels, and still below the angels in rank is the first humanity under the headship of Adam.  Jesus stated this in Matthew 11:11 when he compared the lowest ranking member of this new humanity under his headship to the greatest member of the old humanity, born the natural way through a woman (versus “born again” through the Holy Spirit into the new humanity in Christ) under the headship of the first Adam:  “I tell you the truth.  Among those born of women, there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.”  In the future world now being prepared by Jesus for his followers (John 14:3), called “the new heavens and the new earth” by Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1, the new enhanced humans under the headship of Christ will exercise authority in Christ that is higher than angels:  “Do you not know that we will judge angels?”  (1 Corinthians 6:2)

This is the greatest promotion any human being under the headship of Adam can ever receive!  It is what Jesus prayed to his Father for before his arrest:  “I pray…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me.  Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”  (John 17:20-24) 

The Benefit to us now:  Under the sinless, higher ranking headship of Jesus Christ, God’s New Testament people–the new humanity in Christ–enjoy the privilege of a much closer relationship with God as we live in this fallen world, through direct access to God that the Old Testament people of God did not have except through a consecrated priest. Old Testament: “Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it.  Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.”  (Exodus 19:12). “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish.  Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”  (Exodus 19:21-22). New Testament:  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  (Matthew 11:28). “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  (Hebrews 4:16)

This blog is dedicated to exploring the many wonderful benefits resulting from God the Son becoming a human being and thus starting a new human race under his headship—benefits in this life and in the future new creation world Jesus is now preparing for his followers. Future articles on this blog will give further consideration to these fabulous current and future blessings that belong to followers of Jesus Christ as new creation members of the enhanced new humanity who have a new self in which the triune God dwells–while at the same time in this life continuing to be old creation (Genesis 1-2) members of the sinful old humanity under the headship of Adam who also have an old self called the sin nature.   Living a victorious Christian life now requires empowered and informed battle against our three enemies: the devil,  our sinful world, and our sinful nature (1 John 2:15-17, 3:7-9) .  I hope you are blessed through this blog as you explore the meaning and blessings of God’s new creation, new humanity and new self which empower God’s people to win the battles with our three enemies!

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”  (Colossians 3:1-4)

If you are not yet a new creation in Christ, and would like to become a member in this enhanced new humanity in Christ, the section of this blog called “To Join the New Humanity in Christ” has an article that will inform you how to do so.