The tree of the knowledge of good and evil - a picture of the Law

Believers, remember that you are God's beloved. He loved us so much that He gave His Son to die for us that we who believe might not perish but have everlasting life; that we might live, and all it takes to live the abundant life is to believe our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, we have His righteousness as a gift (Romans 5:17.) All other things, including the grace to go and sin no more, are added unto us.

God's eyes cannot but detect the tiniest sin shrouded in a lifetime of law-keeping and righteous works. His eyes see through mountainous layers of righteous works that cover the tiniest sin and His righteousness demands that sin be punished to the uttermost- death, no matter how minute and no matter the amount of righteous deeds done by the sinner. The only thing that His eyes cannot see through is the blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ who died to the imputation, punishment and penalty of our sins.

God is a righteous Judge. Inflexible in His Righteousness and unbending in His Holiness, He will execute His righteous judgments in full. Under His Law, sinners will face His full wrath. Yet God is love. His righteousness demands that sin be punished to the uttermost. His love gave us His Son as atonement for our sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 

Christ died and rose for us and as us. God's righteousness demanded that all of His fiery judgment fell on our Saviour Jesus on the cross for our sake. Our Saviour Jesus Christ bore our sins in His body and paid the full penalty for same. In Christ, the Law has been fulfilled in us who believe but not by us. In Christ, God is merciful to our unrighteousnesses and does not remember our sins (see Hebrews 8 and 10) because Christ died once for all to the imputation, punishment and penalty of our sins. This is grace- undeserved, unmerited favour.

But does this mean that we have the license to wallow in sin, because Christ took the punishment for all who believe? Certainly not! His grace is the Way to live a righteous life and produce a harvest of good deeds for God as it is written in Romans 7:4-

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God."

On the contrary, those who are under the Law get to produce "a harvest of sinful deeds that result in death." See Romans 7:5

God's grace is not a licence to sin. Never. Would you really give your own child a gift that has a slight chance of killing him or give him the liberty to be rebellious? How much more our loving Saviour in whom 

"we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence," 

Ephesians 1:7-8 here tells us His grace is showered on us with wisdom and prudence, not just anyhow that we could misuse it.

1 Corinthians 15:56 says ".....the strength of sin is the Law." The Law gives sin its power over those who are under Law.

Romans 7:5 says: "When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death."

"Old nature" in Romans 7:5 is the sin nature that all inherited from Adam. New creation are those that have died to this old nature (sin), having Christ as our righteousness and not that which proceeds from works of the Law. "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19

The very Law that many believers try to keep in order to be godly; to be like God, causes them to sin more and die. 

Remember who else ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (a picture of the Law) because she was told that she would "be like God?" Eve. But the letter (Law) kills. 

The devil is still deceiving people to eat from this tree (a picture of the Law) and to human wisdom, it seems like "the good thing to do." He is still deceiving many into trying to be godly by the way that leads to death (but "seems good') and getting them to come under condemnation; cut off from Christ. Galatians 5:4 says -

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace."

Under grace, with Christ as our righteousness, we are one with Christ and the devil has been DISARMED. See Colossians 2: 

13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."

The handwriting that was against is the Law. The Accuser's accusations against people for their inability to keep the whole Law is his only power. All who are under the Law are cursed and condemned to death. The Accuser has nothing to accuse you of (and sin has no dominion over you - you will not continue to sin) when you are no longer under Law but under grace because Christ took your curse and died your death. Under grace, this power has been taken away from him. Another - Christ -took our place. The letter cannot kill the one who is dead to it. In Christ, we are dead to the Law.

The Law says "Do, or die!" Grace says "Believe, and live!" 

The Law demands righteousness from man (who has none - "there is none righteous, no, not one") but cannot help anyone attain this righteousness. Romans 3:20 says "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."

Under grace, we are made righteous by "one Man's obedience." Christ's. Remember Acts 13:38-39 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses."

Everything that the devil reminds you that you should or shouldn't have done, in Christ, you have been justified from these things. 

Beloved of God, don't be like Eve who desired to be like God (godly) by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (a picture of the Law.) The end is death. You cannot be trying to keep the Law in order to be right with God and under Grace at the same time. Trying to keep the Law in order to be righteous means that one has rejected the gift of righteousness that all who believe have in Christ. Such do not believe Christ, even though they profess Christ. The letter kills. 

Believe Christ. His word says "...as He is so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17. Believing right in Christ, we are made to be like God by God Himself, not our own performance. This is love.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.