Two trees in the Garden
Gen 2:9+16-17
9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
q The knowledge(firsthand experience) of good and evil
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
q This was a statement of fact not a threat! God never intended for us to live with this knowledge!
Gen 3:5+7
5(Satan said) "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
q Yes!! Your eyes would be opened...
q You will be like God...Knowing(But not having the power to live what you know)
Rom 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
q Naked? They were in the Flesh- No Joke intended!
q v:11 WHO TOLD YOU? was it just knowing that they were naked that was so bad?
q why couldn´t the devil have simply said “Hey, your naked!”
2 Cor 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
q They literally took off the spirit man and put on the flesh man by their disobedience to God.The awareness of the law was born and they knew instantly that they were not able to stand before God the way that they were. They were afraid of God! v:10
Rom 8:5-8
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.(KJV)
Rom 3:20
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Gen. 3:8
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
q They hid themselves from the presence of the Lord! This is the result of eating from the wrong tree. The things of the spirit become strange to us and the things of the flesh become normal.
q The devil wanted them to get into a position that he could be lord over them. Jesus returned us to that Liberty so that we could choose. If we decide not to eat from the wrong tree he would lose his control.
John 8:1-12(woman caught in adultry)
5 "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
q Both Jesus and the Pharisees were trying to accomplish the same thing. One brought life and the other death!
There are somethings that are so hard to understand
as a christian.
Ÿ One is why are there so many mean christians?
Ÿ Why are there so many Holy people that are so angry?
Ÿ Why those those that strove to be so doctrinally right were so bitter and mad at everyone else?
q Every day we have a choice between the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Living in the tree of life means making choices that will lead to life.
q Choosing the tree of knowledge makes you filter everything through a value system of judging what is good and what is evil. If you are an expert on what is good, you will judge yourself and others so harshly that they and you will die. “Their wrong and we are right! The word of God says... so....Cut them off, throw them out, Stone them with the word of God.”
q If you are an expert on evil, corruption will creep into your heart and kill you. Knowledge of Good and Evil always has the same result: Death!
It depends from which tree you are eating from when you read your bible! zb.. encourage or discourage!
God knew that if we began to live according to the wrong tree that we would die! Some fruits of this tree are the fruits of UNFORGIVENESS, BEING JUDGEMENTAL, UNLOVING, CRITICAL, DEAD RELIGION, etc...
God is trying to return us to the Innocence of a child.
Matt 18:3
3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (NKJ)
Children: Easy to laugh, quick to smile, instant forgiveness, and a sparkle in the eyes.
Will you be right or will you be well?
How do we eat from the tree of Life?
q First we must begin to eat from the right tree concerning our own lives. This is the restoration in our relationship to God. We walk with Jesus Christ in a relationship where he is Lord. We love him and do what he says.
q secondly we must begin to feed that fruit to others(imitate God Eph 5,1)This is what we are called to do, become ambassadors to the world of God´s reconciliation not judgement! Whatever he gives us by grace and mercy we give to others just as freely
q You mean I am supposed to look over evil? No, overcome it with Good!
Matt 5:17
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.