林前十五章二十一节说，“死既是藉着人来的，死人的复活也是藉着人来的。”死是藉着人来的，这人指头一个人亚当（45）。复活也是藉着人来的，这人指第二个人基督（47）。亚当藉着罪带进死；（罗五12；）基督藉着义带进复活的生命（17-18）。亚当所带进的死，一直在我们里面作工，从我们由父母出生起，直到我们身体死了为止。基督所带进的复活生命，在我们里面运行，就如受浸所表征的（六4），从我们藉着神的灵重生（约三5），直到我们身体改变形状（腓三21）。
神创造了人，但是人堕落了，受死的辖制。可是，神不放弃人；不过，人需要救治。这救治包括救赎与复活。救赎对付罪，却没有对付死。因此，在救赎之外，需要更进一步的救治，这一步就是复活。这就给神一条路，以解决人堕落所造成的难处。然而，若没有复活，神就被人的堕落击败。但是，神绝不会被击败。人堕落到罪里，而罪带进死。但是神进来成功救赎，解决了罪的问题。此外，复活吞灭死。因此，神并没有被击败，神得胜了。神胜过了人的堕落。神藉着救赎击败罪，又藉着复活击败死。
林前十五章二十二节说，“因为在亚当里众人都死了，照样，在基督里众人也都要活过来。”在亚当里我们是生在死里，并且是生了来死的；我们在亚当里是死的（弗二1，5）。人一生下来，就开始死。你知道在你一生的过程中，你实际上是逐渐在死么？你每活一年，就从你一生的时间里减去一年。我们不是生了来长、来活的；我们乃是生了来死的，因为在亚当里，我们都生在死里。
在林前十五章二十二节，保罗不仅说在亚当里众人都死了；他还接着宣告说，在基督里众人也都要活过来。在基督里我们是重生在生命里，并且是复活了来活的；我们在基督里已经被点活，活过来了（弗二5-6）。一面，我们一直在死；另一面，我们正在活。在基督里，我们都已经活过来了，我们都是复活了来活的。
每日一问：既然罪带来死，而救赎已经对付了罪，为什么神还必须借着“复活”来完成祂的工作？
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The Resurrection of Christ (2) – 1 Cor. 15:21
1 Corinthians 15:21 says, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.” Death came through a man, referring to the first man, Adam (v. 45). Resurrection also came through a man, referring to the second man, Christ (v. 47). Adam brought in death through sin (Rom. 5:12); Christ brought in the life of resurrection through righteousness (vv. 17-18). The death brought in by Adam has been working in us from the time we were born of our parents until our physical bodies die. The resurrection life brought in by Christ operates within us, as typified by baptism (6:4), from our regeneration by the Spirit of God (John 3:5) until the transfiguration of our body (Phil. 3:21).
God created man, but man fell and came under the bondage of death. However, God does not give up on man; man needs a remedy. This remedy includes both redemption and resurrection. Redemption deals with sin, but it does not deal with death. Therefore, beyond redemption, a further remedy is needed, and this step is resurrection. This provides a way for God to resolve the difficulties caused by man’s fall. However, without resurrection, God would be defeated by man’s fall. But God will never be defeated. Man fell into sin, and sin brought in death. Yet God came in to accomplish redemption, solving the problem of sin. Furthermore, resurrection swallows up death. Therefore, God was not defeated; God won. God overcame man’s fall. God defeated sin through redemption, and He defeated death through resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” In Adam, we are born in death and born to die; we are dead in Adam (Eph. 2:1, 5). As soon as a person is born, he begins to die. Do you know that in the process of your life, you are actually gradually dying? Each year you live, you subtract one year from your life. We are not born to grow and to live; we are born to die, because in Adam, we are all born in death.
In 1 Corinthians 15:22, Paul not only says that in Adam all die; he continues to declare that in Christ all will be made alive. In Christ, we are regenerated in life and resurrected to live; we have already been enlivened and made alive in Christ (Eph. 2:5-6). On one hand, we are constantly dying; on the other hand, we are living. In Christ, we have already been made alive, and we are resurrected to live.
Daily Question: Since sin brought about death, and redemption has already dealt with sin, why must God still use “resurrection” to complete His work?