Self-Isolation (3)

Dear friends of our have been locked in their flat for several days. We do not think it is coronavirus but because one member of the family has the symptoms of a bad cold, the whole family has been asked to quarantine themselves. The closeness of their relationships mean that it is more than likely they all have the illness, even if they are not all showing symptoms yet.

Perhaps this can help us understand how, through Adam and Eve's sin, all human beings have become sinful.

^"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death

through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned" (Romans 5:12)

Adam and Eve 'caught' sin. Sin spread like a disease to all their close relatives, and with sin came death. In self-isolating themselves from God, they also quarantined their descendants from God. Tragically, as human beings we are born into this tragic condition - like being born in the home of a quarantined family. Babies and young children may not show the full symptoms of sin immediately - but it usually doesn't takes very long! Likewise, as adults we do not have the symptoms of sin to the same degree - times like this will bring great kindness and acts of sacrifice out of many people - but we do all have the disease.

Through the years Christians have explained the close relationship of Adam to all humanity in different ways. You could emphasise the biological, family connection as though all of humanity was, in some sense, as the first man Adam possessed the whole of humanity within himself. Another way it has been explained is that Adam was like the king of humanity; by declaring war against God he brought all of his people into a state of conflict with God - just as a declaration of war by our Kings and Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers, would take the whole nation into war.

There is no hope for anyone who is isolated from God 'in Adam'. But the Bible tells us the wonderful news that Jesus has started a new family. If you submit to Jesus as King, you are adopted into His family, and brought out of isolation and back into relationship with God. As Christians we don't just trust Jesus, we trust in to Jesus - out of Adam and isolation, in to Jesus and in to the family of God!

"For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through

that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance

of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through

the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to

condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads

to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's

disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's

obedience the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:17-19).

Now isn't that wonderful?!