How can understanding Genesis 5:3 deepen our appreciation for Christ's redemptive work? The Verse in Focus “When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and he named him Seth.” — Genesis 5:3, Berean Standard Bible Likeness Passed Down: Humanity’s Shared Condition • Adam, once created “in the image of God,” now fathers a child “in his own likeness.” • After sin entered the world (Genesis 3), Adam’s nature was no longer flawless; rebellion and mortality marked him. • By stating that Seth bears Adam’s image, Scripture highlights the transmission of a fallen nature to every generation. • This single verse quietly explains why every descendant—ultimately the entire human race—needs rescue from sin and death. The Signpost to Christ • Genealogy matters: the line of Seth preserves a promise that would culminate in Jesus (Luke 3:38 traces Christ back through Seth to Adam). • Where Adam’s likeness brings corruption, Christ—called “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45)—brings restoration. • Adam begets a son and passes on sin; Christ “begets” children of faith and imparts righteousness (John 1:12–13). • Seeing Seth as a link in the chain keeps our eyes on the unfolding plan that God set in motion immediately after the Fall. From Adam’s Image to Christ’s Image • Redemption re-creates: “just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man” (1 Corinthians 15:49). • In Christ, believers are “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). What Adam lost, Jesus restores and exceeds. • The new birth shifts us from heredity to adoption; we move from a lineage of failure to a family of grace. • Resurrection hope arises: Christ’s victory reverses mortality introduced through Adam, guaranteeing life eternal. Appreciating the Cost and Glory of Redemption • Genesis 5:3 reminds that sin is not merely individual acts but an inherited condition; only a perfect, divine Savior could break that chain. • The verse exposes the depth of Christ’s work: He does not merely forgive; He replaces a corrupted likeness with His own. • Grasping our natural likeness to Adam heightens gratitude for the supernatural likeness to Christ now offered. Living in the Restored Image • Celebrate daily that your true identity is no longer anchored in Adam’s failure but in Christ’s triumph. • Pursue holiness, knowing the Spirit actively molds you into the image Adam forfeited and Jesus reclaimed. • Share the gospel confidently: every person born “in Adam” can, through faith, be reborn “in Christ.” |
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