Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

December 26– Morning

 by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“The Last Adam.” 

—I Corinthians 15:45

Jesus is the “federal head” (or the “Appointed Representative”) of his chosen people, the church. Adam was the head of the human race, and every human being has a personal interest in him because he acted as our first representative (under, what is sometimes called, “the law of works”). In the same way, under the law of grace every redeemed soul is united to the Lord from Heaven, the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love— namely, Jesus Christ.

Whatever Christ has done, he has performed it in behalf of the whole body of his Church. We were crucified in him and buried with him (read Col. 2:10-13), and, to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with him and have even ascended with him to Heaven (Eph. 2:6). In this way, the Church has fulfilled the law and is acceptable in God’s sight. His Church is regarded as beautiful as Jesus himself, and God looks at her through the purity of Christ, her covenant Head.

Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution which moved Justin Martyr (in the second century) to cry out, “O blessed exchange, O sweet transformation!”  This is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, so let’s receive it today with strong faith and great joy. [M&E]