Sunday Report

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In Christ Jesus - Nov 16

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Our union in Christ is much more than an association with Jesus.  An association with Jesus is, in essence, having a “position” in Christ because we are justified. This popular seminary explanation of being in Christ tells us little, it is limited and lacking (l&l). When you hear, “It is our ‘position’ in Christ”, it is a hollow sound ringing out a warning.  The noise is academia creating structure for the church where Christ’s life is not seen yielding His power in resurrected lives. 

We are not challenging the validity of our position in Christ, it is most certainly true and does speak to our justification. Like many things containing truth, we get a warped sense of our identity when this is all we hear. We would go so far as to say, it actually vitiates our effectiveness, creating a skeleton without any tissue and mussel.

Justification will be more central to our discussion on righteousness in Christ, but we need to provide some mediation for our harsh observation. Yes, we are judged righteous through God’s sacrifice of Jesus for our sin, as expressed in the Greek aorist tense (Romans 5:1), telling us it was a completed act.  It is also expressed in Romans 3:24 in the continuous present tense, telling us justification is also ongoing for the believer who is justified once and forever in the aorist tense. In other words, our justification or our “no condemnation” in Christ (Rom. 8:1) is also our resurrected Lord living in our mortal bodies giving ongoing righteous life, justifying us as sure as He is in us and we are in Him. So, while we are positionally, in Him justified, He is also working his righteous work in us so that the essence of who we are is also being expressed through our polluted souls as we are glorifying Him. No, we are not talking about sanctification, this is in addition to sanctification. 

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In Christ Jesus - Nov 9

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There are two scriptural modes in which our life in Christ operates. One is grace and the other is faith. Grace is God’s ministry of love to us and faith is our response to his grace. It is God’s power, however, providing context for God’s love through grace and faith. 

We are discussing the amazing gift of righteousness given to every believer in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). This is Paul’s theme in Romans where he proves we are no longer condemned since we have been made righteous, created into a union with God through Jesus His Son. We also became sanctified but sanctification is totally different and separate from being righteousness in Christ. It is important, however, to view righteousness outside the scope of sanctification because it is!

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In Christ Jesus - Nov 2

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There are two scriptural descriptions for the modes in which our life in Christ operates. One is grace and the other is faith. Grace is God’s ministry of love to us and faith is our response to God’s love and grace. It is God’s power, however, providing context for love-grace and faith. 

Last week we looked at discernment-wisdom as our response to God’s provision of love-grace. The same principal of love-grace and faith apply as we switch our focus to righteousness. Love and grace are constant companions for believers in Christ. No one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand (John 10-29). Love and grace are fundamental to our relationship in Christ and the fullness of our faith.  Our faith effects (not affects) knowledge, wisdom, behavior and hope including the smile on our face. 

Grace and faith are context shepherding our focus on righteousness.  Because of God we are in Christ who became our righteousness.  We alluded last week to the relationship between justification and righteousness. 

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In Christ Jesus - Oct 26

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There are two scriptural descriptions for the modes in which our life in Christ operates. One is grace and the other is faith. Grace is God’s ministry of love to us and faith is our response to God’s love. It is God’s power, however, providing context for love-grace and faith. 

Last week we looked at discernment as our response to God’s provision of wisdom. God’s wisdom is contained within His measure of grace. Discernment is a skill set we have responding to God’s grace. In other words, discernment is God’s grace upon grace as we acquire God’s wisdom in faith.

Faith is “willing” our soul into action. Notice, discernment is a skill set we acquire through action we take. “Our powers of discernment have been trained by constant practice” is the way the writer to the Hebrews put it in 5:14. Our “will” is key in responding to God’s grace. Some default to mind’s reason and let “facts” rule our behavior. Others default to feelings or our heart’s desire to prejudice what we do. Our soul follows what we ”will” it to do. Either way, it is our responsibility.

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In Christ Jesus - Oct 12

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Our union in Christ is much more than an association with Jesus. We may consider our spiritual relationship “in” him a bit distant since His work on the cross was such a long time ago. The courtroom scene often illustrating our “position” in Christ conveys our legal standing without connecting us on a personal level in His life. 

The translators of the Greek New Testament sometimes interpret the Greek preposition εν (in) with our English preposition “by”, as in the case of 2 Timothy 2:1 which we quoted last week:

2 Timothy 2:1    You then, my child, be strengthened by (εν) the grace that is in (εν) Christ Jesus,

 Another example we use, because of its importance, is Romans 5:9 and 10; “we shall be saved by his life.”  Paul is writing we are being saved “in” His life. This simple preposition fundamentally changes the way we see who we are “in Christ.”  

The Lord’s prayer in John 14 also coveys a spiritual relationship more hands on than legal: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” In this same passage Jesus says: “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (John 14:20ff).

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In Christ: The Mystery of Grace

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Peter tells us the angels in heaven look at us in wonder because we have a salvation completed in Christ Jesus Himself (1 Peter 1:12).   In fact, as we read the first chapter of 1Peter, we cannot turn away without being awe struck by God’s grace, which we possess in Christ Jesus.  We are the benefactors of God’s love in such an astounding way, a way we actually distort trying shape it and size it into our inadequate capacity to understand.

Understanding the mystery of being in Christ, and becoming an effective minister in our “niche” capacities, is one of our challenges. Paul tells us through his letter to the Ephesians, “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). 

The three New Testament passages used for teaching spiritual gifts for believers are 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4. The first two are more “list” focused and the Ephesians passage, which I prefer, is more “function” focused.

While it is important to express our “niche” capacities in spiritual ministry, our primary focus is to grow up into Christ who is the head of His body.  Maturity in Christ gives us a far better yield of our fruit we bear and enables us to grow in faith.

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In Christ: Prologue

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My ministry “niche” has been identified by a local Pullman pastor.  

I didn’t take offence, but I did give it some later thought.  How easy it is for us to put physical form to spiritual character. But the message I distilled from his comment has more to do with the shape our gospel takes in our mind because we dimension the Spirit.  When we do this, it takes us immediately out of faith into spiritual management.

This was a constant problem for the disciples and Jesus’ response? “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:22-25), “Is your heart hardened?” (Mark 8:17)  Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23b).

The Bible was not written to defend the deity of Jesus, or to prove the trinity. It is not intended as a thesis for theological debate. It is God’s own living Word from Creator to creation. More specifically, it is written to those whom God loves.

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Milt to Maturity: Spiritual Anatomy - 7

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We are remiss exiting this spiritual anatomy discussion without connecting to scriptural teaching about the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). We tend to focus exclusively on being “individual members of it.” 

Jesus Himself makes the point for us in John 17:21,

“That they all may be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Our connection to the Body of Christ seems secondary because we are insecure about our primary relationship in Christ. Grace is a relationship! The “Body” is interpreted as the church, where we gather to satisfy social needs while becoming spirituality religious. Nurturing a relationship with a living Person is not a religion.

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Milk to Maturity: Spiritual Anatomy - 6

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We are exploring scripture’s framework for our spirituality. Being “in Christ” conveys meaning it sometimes take years to understand.  We acquire spiritual senses not possessed by natural persons when we become  2 Corinthians 5:17 Christians. Seeing ourselves spiritually helps discern natural things of the “flesh” so we can deal with them spiritually.

The scripture speaks not only of spiritual growth in naturally polluted habitats, but also our hope and glory in Him. Hope and glory are often thought of as waiting for us after physical death. While this is true, it isn’t the whole scriptural story. 

Hope and glory are linked like two companions always traveling together. It is like having spokes in a wheel, one is always there with the other.  Spiritually speaking, glory has to exist before hope can exist. Scriptural glory comes out of God’s existence while hope is man’s expectation of God’s glory. Glory is of God while hope speaks of man.

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Milk to Maturity: Spiritual Anatomy - 5

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We were thinking, maybe, three Spiritual Anatomy pieces and here we are on number five out of six. As we walk this anatomy path together, we seem to find one more door to open before wrapping up.  Last week, we considered the blending of our human contribution into God’s continuing grace within us. We looked at how we use our mind and heart to build our structure so that God can do His organic work within our soul, bringing us to a complete salvation. The power bringing us into salvation is the same mighty power effecting our salvation as we attain an imperishable inheritance through the living and abiding word of God, 1Peter 1:23.

The term salvation is used in scripture within the context of saving our own soul more often than the more familiar usage referring to our reconciliation, regeneration or new birth. Part of this salvation process is self-judgment so that we are able to build a better structure (our soul & body) in which God is dwelling. God is certainly the project manager expressing His wisdom through our sanctified construction. 

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Milk to Maturity: Spiritual Anatomy - 4

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Our anatomy discussions have been focusing on discernment, not just good v. evil but spiritual “things” exposed in our temporal and corporeal experience.  In Adam, we are spiritually dead and totally bonded to time and space references. This all changes when we are born again. Our essence becomes eternal and we are faced with dilemmas of blending spiritual realities into corporeal experience. 

Our spiritual “things”, however, turn into genuine, quality realities as we move from drinking milk and begin digesting spiritual meat. The “things” in our life turn out to be elements of deep relationships and the “things” become tools in growing out of circumstances into grace by faith. 

Paul tells us in Romans 5 that since we have been justified by faith we not only have peace with God but we also have access by faith into grace in which we now stand. It is this moving into our grace relationship by faith that changes circumstances into opportunities for moving from milk to maturity. The important “things” in our natural life, our temporal and corporeal life, becomes a smaller part of a much bigger reality challenging our comfort zones.

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Milk to Maturity: Spiritual Anatomy - 3

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Seeing ourselves from God’s vantage point may be impossible. But God has blessed us, even through a glass darkly, with a view of eternality we do experience while still wearing shoe leather. It is a blend of the first Adam and the Last Adam and we are elected to contain both. It is a parallel Paul makes for us in Romans 5:12-21 providing a comparison and contrast. The first Adam Paul points out, “was a type of the one who was to come” which was Jesus Himself, the “last Adam”.

The first Adam was a created life. God provided Adam with his own righteousness and he had eternal life.  Death for Adam was not a natural consequence until after he sinned.  God created Adam from the dust and breathed into him the breathe of eternal life.  Adam was the product of God’s work and it was good.  Adam and God had a personal relationship including communion and fellowship.

Adam’s single sin brought an end to fellowship with his creator. It was this single sin that separated Adam and his prodigy from God.  Man’s nature became independent from God and that is why it is sinful. 

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Milt to Maturity: Spiritual Anatomy - 2

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Last week we looked at who we are in Christ. We tried to expose the quantum leap from being dead in sin to being spiritually alive in Christ. What we didn’t do is deal with the sin question except in a very general way. Yes, the scripture says sin no longer rules us but we all deal with its effects in daily experiences. The effects of sin are so severe gross assumptions can easily be made that are not scripturally based. 

Next week we will probably conclude this spiritual anatomy discussion with a comparison of our relationship to Adam with Jesus the man-God, the last Adam. Foundational to that discussion and germane to this discussion is the nature of our sin inheritance. To do this we want to refer briefly to Hebrews 7:10 where the writer of Hebrews says Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham even though Levi had not yet been born, Genesis 14:18ff.

This example gives us God’s view of man within the context of His plan and purposes. God viewed Levi in the loins of Abraham to be paying tribute to Melchizedek in the same way we participate to Adam’s behavior because we were in the lions of Adam, even though we were yet to be born. When Adam sinned, we sinned.  

Milk to Maturity: Spiritual Anatomy - 1

Last week we looked at Saul  who was selected by God in response to Israel’s cry for a king. A king was not God’s choice! God retained the services of Samuel, His prophet.

Saul was like a branch on the vine of Israel. He was selected by God with the opportunity to be God’s channel of grace to the people. Samuel gave Saul access to God’s wisdom and God wasready to bless him if he would obey instructions.Saul’s heart was the issue. His desire was to gratify himself using God’s grace.

God gave Saul concrete assurances and evidencethat He, God, was in control and would manage Saul’s circumstances. God created a brand new life for Saul but it required Saul to depend upon God rather than himself.

In many ways we, as persons created new in Christ Jesus, can trace similarities in Saul’s choices. The temporal culture of our soul tempts us to make self-gratifying choices just like Saul.But unlike Saul we have been created new withan unseen water source bubbling up within us that will satisfy thirst. When we become 2Corinthians 5:17 believers, we are joinedtogether with God in Christ.

Our natural anatomy is put to death. It no longer controls us.  Our new anatomy is Spirit based. This is quite different than the old culture rooted temporally in things physical. The culture of man operates within the laws of physics and creation. The eternal culture of God’s graceoperates in a realm outside natural boundaries and the limits of creation. We have been lifted out of our set of natural barriers and placedinside a culture foreign to natural experience.

We are literally brand new beings created with a spiritual reality anchored in God’s absoluteeternal values. It is not a figure of speech. The spiritual anatomy of the believer is a quantum shift into dimensions of “Life” outside of both space and time. “Eternal life” is what it is and it begins within each person who is “born again”even while still living in houses of flesh.

God performs a miracle in each person whosubmits to God’s authority and accepts His gift of faith and grace.  He births a new spiritualperson! He breathes into them the breath of spiritual life and they are “born again”.

When you stop to think about it, new birth makes logical sense because we actually become a dwelling place for God Himself. In order for our bodies to become an actual dwelling place or “temple” for God something major would have to happen. Can you imagine God living in the un-holy, un-sanctified place you and I hang out in all day long. It is polluted with sin and our every thought is tainted with a bias toward self.

This is what happened in the garden when our dad, Adam, allowed sin to enter into God’s creation. Adam died and so did we all through Adam. Did he fall over on the ground and die? No, he died spiritually. He became spiritually dead and his entire prodigy is born into temporal life dead to God. They are dead to God but also reconciled awaiting a response to God’s grace through faith.

God, who created life in the first place, created anew path through Christ, for believers to enter into His love. His way not only takes care of the problem of sin but provides the believer direct access into the eternal qualities of God Himself.The absolute qualities of God’s righteous virtuesactually become an option of our choice to replace the polluted residue in our soul.

Paul gives clearly the connection God establishes in Romans 8:16, “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we arechildren of God.” God creates in us the condition where we are joined together spiritually. The center of our being has been changed from temporal to eternal through the joining of our spirit to God’s eternal Spirit.

Jesus Himself speaks to this union by illustrating the relationship He has with the Father is the relationship we have with the Father through Him, “…that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be perfectly one” (John 17:22-23).In John 14 He put it this way, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you”. (John 14:20).

John’s use of the Greek word logos (λογοs) in his 14 verse prologue to his gospel (John 1:1-14) suggesting a continuous unveiling of God through Christ. John is talking about the physical manifestation of God in the flesh full of grace and truth. The “word” of God in us (Christ in us) used in Hebrews 4:12 is also logos indicating its revealing effects by being able to separate soul and spirit, joints and marrow. He is talking about a spiritual sword in the hands of the Spirit joined to our spirit so that we have the spiritual capacity of judgment.

The writer to the Hebrews in one of our Milk to Maturity passages has also identified a spiritual sense given us by his use of the word translated “discernment”. It is a capacity to understand and judge between things spiritual, in a biblical sense, and those things not spiritual. This unique capacity is acquired when we are created new under 2Corinthains 5:17.

Paul uses this same word to the Philippians in Phil. 1:9, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all ‘discernment.’” Clearly Paul is addressing people with the capacity to judge knowledge in the context of God’s love. This is an intimate relationship gifted to people who are in the context of His love and grace. Our spiritual based grace culture is our eternalessence and identity.

It is through the union of our spirit with His Spirit, we would argue, that the will in our soul can open up our heart and mind to the things of Christ. This would explain how we have access  to the “mind of Christ” we find in 1Corinthians 2:16. This also gives us good context for passages referring to the Holy Spirit’s intercession in our behalf. i.e., Romans 8:26, helping us to pray in our weakness.

God’s residence in us as a result of being birthed again is a beginning work that will be continuous while we are alive functioning in thisbody of flesh, Philippians 1:6. It is the continuous revelation of the mysteries of God within us that Paul speaks to in that wonderful passage to the Corinthians where he say, “Forwe who  live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal self”, 2Corinthians 4:7ff. We will talk about the death part of His life in us next week in part 2.

Paul writing to the Colossians puts it this way, “To them (believers) God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” –Colossians 1:27.

The mystery of “Christ in us” is not the unknowable kind of mystery. It is the kind of mystery that is knowable because the connection we have with the Father through the 2Corinthians 5:17 new creation reality. Jesus speaks to it in John 14:20 “… I am in my Father and you in me, and I in you. … and I will love him and manifest my self to him.” Jesus will manifest Himself in those who love Him, how?Through the union of our spirit with His Spirit.

All of this to say, God has equipped us to operate spiritually and dump the old nature which has been put to death and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 13:14. There is no reason for us to act like Saul and make bad choices. In fact, God has make it “normal” in our new birth to make righteous choices  sinceHe has created our default self to be in Him.

God has chosen to make known to new saints the mystery of ages  which is the resurrected living Jesus abiding within us, “Christ in us”. Imagine, we actually become literal dwelling places of God Himself. Paul tells the Corinthians in three different places that their bodies are the temples of God. Lets see, does that make us holy?

Can you imagine getting on a bus and sitting next to Jesus. And if that weren’t enough, what if Jesus came to sit down next you. What if Jesus wanted to engaged you to work for Him with wages and bonuses you can’t believe!

But it is much more than that. He has a plan to engage us in a holy work. It is not enough we now have His Spirit based absolute eternal values. We are redeemed, purchased back as His prized possession but much more than that!Jesus Christ Himself is knocking on our soul’s door requesting a sit down one-on-one, Revelation 3:20. It is totally new, different and un-natural. He wants us to be intimate friends and grow His fruit! Wow!

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The Vine: Saul’s Preparation

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We saw abrupt changes in Saul’s circumstances in our last discussion.  He was about 40 years of age becoming established in his Father’s donkey business when God offered him grace and blessing.  All he had to do was drop what he was doing and become king of God’s people, Israel. Yeah, like that was really going to happen!!  

When we first read this story, it seems Saul was God’s choice for King.  But in the larger context we soon learn this was not true.  God gave his people the man they wanted.   Saul was a man who looked kingly. He was strong, domineering, and taller than anybody else. He was a man who had a way with people.  He would score high on the Gallup polls. Israel chose man over God and they “benefited” from their bad choice for years to come. 

God created a way for the people’s choice to sit on the throne. But God did not give up His sovereignty or His love for His chosen ones. In fact, the story of people on earth is a love story of God for His created people.  God patiently instructs and reveals while constantly searching for people who fear, respect and love Him. Jesus died for all the people who live on planet earth.

The Branches - Part 1

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me ye can do nothing.  

We introduced this study by looking at the vine as a whole plant including the stem, branches and fruit.   Jesus said he was the True Vine and it is out of this True Vine the branches grow to produce fruit.

One of the first things we notice is the word John uses for branches. It is different than the one Paul uses in Romans 11 for the descendants of Israel, or Matthew uses for the triumphal entry, or Matthew, Mark and Luke uses for the fig tree.  This word  denotes a tender new growth such as a sprout on a vine. This helps visualize the nature of these ”branches” relative to the vine. These are not mature branches grafted into the vine. This  is new growth nurtured by the Vine and its root.  These tender new growths depend upon the vine root to supply nutrients to form its character and the quality of its fruit. This Greek word for “branch” clearly gives us the defining nature of our life in Christ. It distinguishes new life flowing from Christ rather than branches grafted in which is Paul’s point regarding the Gentiles being grafted into Jewish stock,  a different point entirely. John’s context is being ”born again” and having life in his name. The Romans passage does however make the point that the root supports the branches whether they are Jew or Gentile branches. This suggests a larger context in which the branches do grow.

Grace Culture

As ye have, therefore, received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding with thanksgiving. 

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of your brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed that is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. 

Faith is critical to our walk in the Lord at every level. We are expanding our faith discussions to look a little deeper into the mechanics of this important subject. In the previous discussion our focus was on the state of our being “in Christ”. It is by faith that we have entered into Christ, into the state of being in Christ. The realities of our life have changed. The temporal resources of the flesh no longer control us. Now, we are able to use temporal resources to serve God’s grace.  Now, in Christ, we have our personal mentor, the Holy Spirit. Now, in Christ, we have unseen eternal resources in the heavenlies.

The person of the Holy Spirit is revealing the mysteries within us of being in Christ. Our eternal resources are being identified by faith in scripture. It is a matter of walking by faith rather than sight, walking by what is unseen rather than what is tangible.  We want to explore these unseen resources and consider how the Holy Spirit creates a grace culture which is a new life style in Christ. Welcome to eternal life walking in faith while still in our mortal flesh.

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Milk to Maturity - 2

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We considered last week two stories of Jesus illustrating the arduous task of moving from milk to maturity in the Christian life.  This week we look at the life of Paul and see how he navigated his life into the port of maturity. 

Paul’s father was a Roman citizen who was also a Pharisee of unmixed Jewish blood. He was born in Tarsus which was the home of the best university in the known world.  He went to school in Tarsus to become a rabbi which dictated he learn a trade, tent making.  After completing his preliminary education, he was sent to Jerusalem and became a student of rabbi Gamaliel who was president of the Sanhedrin.  He spent several years studying the scriptures here before returning to Tarsus.  Barnabas may have been a classmate of Saul.

Paul returned to Jerusalem after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. He was probably a member of the Sanhedrin about two years later when Stephen was martyred because of his strong witness that Jesus was, in fact, the promised Messiah.  Saul (who later became Paul) probably was in charge of Stephen’s martyrdom. Stephen was a Greek speaking Jew who was eloquent and very persuasive causing severe controversy within the Hellenistic synagogues.

Milk to Maturity

During Jesus’ three years of ministry with His disciples many more miracles were performed than are recorded, John 20:30, 21:25. Living with Jesus for three years, witnessing daily His ministry among sick and poor, rulers and teachers, the disciples were unable to absorb the truth and come into an understanding of Jesus and his ministry to the people. 

Jesus had just fed the four thousand, got into a boat with the disciples and left for another location. They arrived, met by Pharisees, who came to argue and demand a sign from heaven.  Jesus got back into the boat with the disciples and went to the other side of the lake.

The minds of the disciples were on the one loaf of bread they had in the boat, but Jesus was thinking about the Pharisees whom they had just left. He said to the disciples, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”  His comment sparked a discussion among the disciples about what to do about not having enough bread with them in the boat.  There are a few places we see Jesus expressing His righteous human anger, this might be one of them.

“Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how man baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him “Twelve”. “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets did you pick up?” And they said to him, “Seven”. And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”- Mark 8:17-21.

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Our Shepherd Lamb

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Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and became the Son of Man. He was both man and God. He became God’s Lamb so that He could become God’s Shepherd.  This is both beautiful and profound.  

God put Himself sinlessly into our fallen state so that He may righteously redeem and justify a new kingdom of mankind.  Adam is the head of our natural temporal state and we are all born into sin through him. When we enter into 2 Corinthians 5:17 as a believer, we are born a second time into the second Adam, Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:45.  The first birth is a natural birth and the second birth is a spiritual birth, 1 Corinthians 15:42ff, “the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

We are spiritually dead in Adam.  We are spiritually alive in Christ. In 
Adam we are naturally hostile to God and we shun spiritual things.  Yet, while in Adam and hostile to God, Christ died for us and reconciled us back to God.   

This is the argument Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 15 and in Romans 5 but notice this astounding announcement in verse 10 of Romans 5: