Two Humanities: Understanding Your Location in Christ

Have you ever felt like something about you was broken before you even chose anything?

In this powerful teaching, Austin Gardner explores the two "planes" of humanity: Being In Adam and being In Christ. Drawing from his personal journey with a genetic cancer diagnosis and 50 years of global ministry, Austin explains that sin isn't just something you do—it's a condition you were born into.

But there is good news. Just as you didn't choose to be in Adam, you have been included in the victory of Christ.

Stop trying to "Fix Adam." You can't repair a failing plane while it's in mid-air. Instead, Austin shows you how to "switch planes" by realizing your new location in Jesus.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The Genetic Link: How our spiritual identity is inherited, not earned.
• The Team Principle: Why you win when your Head (Christ) wins, even if you’re on the bench.
• Top-Down Leadership: How a new "CEO" (Jesus) changes the entire company of your life.
• Identity vs. Effort: Why "In Christ" means you are a new creature, not just a repaired one.

Key Scripture References:

• 1 Corinthians 15:22 — "For as in Adam all die..."
• Romans 5:12-19 — The offense of one vs. the obedience of One.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 — Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

Connect with Austin:
Visit waustingardner.com to read the companion articles on "The DNA of Grace."

#AustinGardner #IdentityInChrist #Grace #BiblicalLeadership #FollowedByMercy #InChrist #TheDNAofGrace

Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube, Substack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Transcript

What It Means To Be In Adam

Included In Christ And Made Alive

Identity Replaces Effort

From Comparing To Resting In Christ

Share The Message And Visit Website

Austin Gardner 0:28

Well, in Christ versus in Adam to humanities. So you're in Adam and then you can be in Christ. So let me a start with a question. Have you ever felt like something about you was broken before you even chose anything? Like you didn't choose it, you didn't create it, but somehow it was already there. That feeling, that awareness. Well, the Bible actually explains that. If you ever felt like something was about you was broken. Have you ever felt like something about you was broken? And it the Bible explains it in a way that most people never have fully seen. Because the Bible says you didn't start out as an individual. You started in someone. We're on a run, aren't we? Talking about the DNA and about identity in Christ. But how about this? We're going to look at two realities today: the reality of being in Adam and being in Christ. And you need to understand this. And when you do, it will completely change how you see yourself. Sin, salvation, and your life. It's doing a number on me. I was just out walking and I was talking to the Lord, and I just told him, I said, Lord, help me in all these years and not understood near what you're teaching me today. But in that sweet, the Holy Spirit of God never finishes teaching us until I go to heaven, and then there he'll teach me. So let's go straight to the foundation. In 1 Corinthians 15, 22, the Bible says, and we've looked at it in other podcasts, but I need you to continue thinking until this becomes reality in you. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. We've read that verse in other podcasts. But let's slow down. There are two phrases in Adam, in Christ. And that's how it is. That's how the Bible divides humanity. Not good versus bad, not religious versus non-religious, not Christianity versus others, but location. There are two places you can be. You can be in Adam, which means death. You can be in Christ, which means life. Think about being on two different teams. If your team loses, you lose. Even if you didn't play, if your team wins, you win. Even if you were on the bench. Why? Because you're on the team. So the Bible says that humanity started in Adam. And now there's a new humanity in Christ. So we've talked about this, and those of you that hear me preach regularly know we talk about being in Adam and in Christ. And I'm learning more every day about how important that is. So let's unpack the idea about being in Adam. What does it mean to be in Adam? What's the Bible say? Well, the Bible says, wherefore by one man, as by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin, so death passed upon all men. That's Romans chapter 5 and verse 12. Then it says in Romans chapter 5 and verse 18, therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon All right, watch that, watch it. What's it saying here? By one man upon all men, by one man upon all men, one man acted, and everyone inside him was affected. That's a simple way of looking at it. One man acted. I'll take you back to what we did in the podcast when David defeated Goliath. David's all his army was in him, and all of Goliath was in him. So imagine with me about a family that's been tied to a massive death. The family name is tied to a massive death. The father signs something, and every child inherits it. Not because they chose it, but because they were born into it. So being an Adam means you inherited a condition. Being an Adam means you inherited a condition. You didn't create it, you didn't choose it, but you were born into it. This is really interesting. You know, I have cancer, and we've discussed that on lots of occasions. The very first cancer surgery nearly 14 years ago, I asked the doctor if this was genetic because I had an uncle that had the exact same cancer that I have. And the doctor said, no, no, it's not genetic. But I was looking at my files the other day. You know, they keep charts on you now. It's called my chart. And I was looking at those my charts, and it states in there that I have a genetic condition. So it did come from my father's. I didn't choose it, but kidney cancer is in my genes. That's kind of like what it means to be in the human race. We're all upset because people die, but in Adam, all die, and we're all in Adam. In Adam, there's sickness, and so in all of Adam, there's sickness. This is huge because it means that sin is not just something you do. Sin is not just something you do, it's something you were born into. Sin's not just something you do, it's something you were born into. That something is off. Even before we see, we're born into. You've heard all your life, you have a sin nature. That's always been confusing to me. I didn't know, but you you gotta understand in Adam we inherited so much the way we look, the way we act, the way we react, it's in us. But here's the problem. If you only understand being in Adam, you'll live your whole life trying to fix yourself. I think that's probably what we do. We try to improve, we try to manage, we try to behave better, but the Bible never says fix Adam. It introduces something else. But every self-improvement, self-image, self, self, self. Adam, that's Adam. It's like fixing an airplane that we're riding on, but inner Christ. Let's listen to the second half of the verse that we started out in just a minute ago. 1 Corinthians 15, 22, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. In Christ. In Adam all die, in Christ they live. Romans chapter 5, verse 19, the Bible says, For by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. By Adam's disobedience, we became sinners. So by the obedience of one, Jesus Christ, we are made righteous. Now, isn't that something? I just want you to meditate on this and check out this parallel. Adam's one man, Christ is one man. Disobedient, and Christ is obedient. Adam is made a sinner and he makes sinners, and Jesus is righteous and he makes righteous. We could simplify it by saying this: one man broke it, one man fixed it. One man broke it, and one man fixed it. Think about a new company taking over an old one. The old system is broken and corrupt and failing, and there's new leadership that comes in. And everything changes from the top down, not because every employee fixed it, but because the head changed. And so Christ is not just helping Adam. He's not just helping Adam. He is making a complete, he is a completely new head. And he's making a completely new humanity. That's what in Christ means. And you were included. Now here's where this connects to everything we've been talking about for several days now. Remember Levi being in Abraham and Levi paying tax tithes in Abraham after all that time? Levi was included because he was in the loins of his father, great-grandfather, whatever. Now apply that. Ephesians chapter 5, or chapter 2, Ephesians chapter 2, verse 5 and 6. And he hath quickened us together in Christ. And he has raised us up together, not together. That's us, but we're with Christ. With Christ. Listen to this. Colossians 2.12, buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him. We are in him, we're with him. Simple way of putting it, what happened to Jesus happened to me. What happened to Jesus happened to you. Because you were in him, I was in him, we were in him. So let's go back to our airplane, which I kind of like to use here. If the airplane lands safely, everyone on the plane lands safely. Not because they earned it, not because they flew it, just because they were in it. So the gospel is not trying to become something new. It is you've been included in something new. It is not about your effort at what you're doing. So what does this change? Everything. Everything. You stop trying to fix Adam. You realize Adam is not fixable. He's not repairable. You live from Christ. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17, it says, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. That's beautiful. We've teach that, don't we? And we preach it, but we don't understand what it's going on there. You're not becoming new. You're not making yourself new. You're not fixing yourself to be new. You're not renewing. You are new. Identity replaces effort. You stop asking, how do I become better? I want to be a better Christian. Do I pray more? Do I read my Bible more? Do I fast? What do I have to do to get God's attention? You start saying this. I am already in a new identity. I am in a new identity. You, if you're a believer, are in a new identity. Let's bring all this together. You started out in Adam. That's why brokenness felt natural. And your struggle felt constant, like we were always struggling and fighting. But the gospel says you are now in Christ. And just like that, Levi was in Abraham and participated without knowing. You remember Levi paid tithes in Abraham because he was in his loins and it happened a long time ago. And you and I have been included in Christ. So the question is no longer how do I fix myself? It's well, I will I believe that I'm already in Christ. I'm already fixed. Will I believe where I already am? I am in Christ. I was on the airplane that was going down, and death was imminent. I am now on the airplane that lives. In mid-air, I switched planes. I jumped from the dying plane to the living plane, from the sinful plane to the obedient plane. I switched from Adam to Jesus. Once you see that, you stop living from Adam and you start living from Christ. You don't move from Adam to Christ by effort. You awake to the fact that you have been included in him. I'm awakened to that fact. I have spent my life honestly trying to get brownie points, although I would have always worded it differently than that. I have been very guilty of being in the comparing business. Haven't you? I'm like looking at my friend over here and saying, does he win in as many souls as I am? Is this church bigger than mine? Does he study as well as I do? Does he preach better than me? And it's a we but we made it into a man's show. And God wants it to be a God show. He wants us to see what he's done. So I hope you'll take this in Christ and in Adam, and I hope you'll go home with it and meditate on it and let it become real to you. I thank you so much for listening. If there's any blessing to this, if there's any help to it, share it with somebody. I can't stop without asking you to go check out W.A.ustengardner.com. W. AustinGardner.com. W, that's my first name, William Austin, A-U-S-T-I-N Gardner, G-A-R-D-N-E-R.com. Go check it out. I am writing about this a whole bunch because it's where God's working in my life. It's helping me realize I'm in Christ. In Christ. I'm in David when he defeats Goliath, so my country wins. I'm on the airplane that lands safely, so I land safely. And I'm in Christ. And it's all good because I'm in Christ. It's not about me, not about what I'm doing, not about what I've done. I have failed. I'm not doing anything. I'm just in Christ. And he's making that difference. Thanks for listening. Share it with so many people.