I recall the first time I saw a European car in real life. It was not a photo in a magazine but real silver Saab. A much younger version of me was near Lexington, KY and this 900S turbo with a sunroof passed by and became my favorite.
Fast forward a few years, now into adulthood, my first car purchase was a silver Saab 900S with a sunroof. I loved everything about this car. I l loved the way the doors shut. I loved the way I felt in the leather seats. The seats were even heated, terrific for those deep cold winter days.
Within literal weeks of owning this car I learned that there was a design flaw. Upon putting the car in reverse, it would pop out of gear and found that around 110K miles, every single car (not some of them but all of them) have a piece of the transmission fail. It is called a synchronizer
The cost of the part was under $20. The installation was near $2,000. The engine had to be removed from the car to put the in the new part, thus why the big expense.
This is true for every Saab built in a certain timeframe. All of them.
It reminded me of a situation in which we all find ourselves. If you are watching this, it means you were born. (no brainer, right?).
Let us take it one step further; if you were born, you were born in the image of Adam. Which means you share Adam’s flesh.
Do you and I have to be taught how to lie? Were you taught how to be rebellious?
The answer is no. Why? Because all of us were born in the flesh of Adam. We inherited his rebellion. Just like the flaw in ALL the SAABS, the flaw of Adam is in every human.
Romans 5:18, “One trespass led to condemnation for ALL”
This is about our position in this life. If we are IN Adam, you and I, are like my old Saab, beautiful outside, but flawed inside.
Our hope is in Christ. Again, Paul writes, “Through one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19) If you are in Christ, who Paul calls the second Adam, you are perfect.
Through the second Adam, Jesus, the curse of first Adam is cured, fixed, settled.
But what happens if the transmission breaks again (what if we still have sin and rebellion)? What does that mean?
We will address this next time – until then S.D.G.