Romans 5:14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

When we read in Romans 5:14 that Adam was a "type", we should see that we have a real problem. "Type" can be defined as a model, pattern or example. Because Adam was or is these things, he is falling far short of the glory of God. For by this "type" the many became sinners, that means us. And if we live according to this "type" we will die. Verse 12, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Those who do not follow Christ are living according to this "type", they are living according to Adam. Even as followers of Christ we may still continue living according to the "type" Adam. Of course, if we are believers in Christ this doesn't mean we loose our salvation, but it shows that we need a new pattern to live by. If we model or example our lives after the pattern of this world, we are living according to Adam's pattern of sin and death.

We desperately need a new "type", and we need more than just a "type", we need an exact representation of God, one who does not fall short of the glory of God. We have to have something completely different from the pattern of this world, we have to have Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 "He (Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature..." Romans 5:18, "as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness led to justification and life for all men..." and verse 19, "...so by the one man's (Jesus') obedience the many will be made righteous." We must have Jesus as our new type, model, example and pattern to live according to. We must live according to Christ's life and righteousness. By Christ's life and righteousness we receive as a gift from him justification, life and righteousness. This means absolutely everything must change in our lives. If we are, or when we become, followers of Christ everything we knew and did has to be transformed to follow his pattern which is completely different from the pattern of this world. Everything in our lives must be called into question and conformed to the pattern we see in the Word of God.

The point of Romans 5:12-21 is to show us that we desperately need Jesus. This means we must conform our lives after his pattern and not the pattern of Adam or the world. But have I, or am I, actively trying to pattern my life after Jesus? Have I tested every area of my life by the Word? There is not a single person who can say I am doing this perfectly or have completed this. We must seek Christ in the Bible so that we can know him and know his perfect pattern. If we are filling our minds with the things of this world we live according to Adam. But if we constantly fill our minds with God's Word, we are on our way to being conformed to the pattern of Christ.