Jesus Christ the Tree of Life: The Holy Communion. Eat and live forever.

Believers, Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and not only did he die, death reigned through him according to Romans 5:19- "For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

All of Adam's seed were destined to perish because he disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree is a picture of the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil. See Paul's words concerning the forbidden fruit in Romans 7 (MSG)-

"The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me."

As he did with Eve, Satan, through his ministers on the pulpit, is still seducing people with the law, perverting the law into a temptation and making a piece of the forbidden fruit out of it: essentially telling you that the way to be godly (be like God) is by human effort at doing the very good thing of obeying the law. Believer, this is death! Galatians 5:4 tells us "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."

Because of the message of these Satan's ministers, many in the church are trying to be godly today but are doing so after the example of Adam and Eve; many are being deceived into thinking that they can be righteous (be like God) by human effort aka keeping the Ten Commandments, doing good things and shunning evil. But see what Romans 3:20 says about this-

"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."

It is no coincidence what is written in 2 Corinthians 3:6- “…for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life.”

Just like the tree, the letter kills. Also like the tree, this death is not necessarily immediate. See Genesis 2:17 (YLT) - "and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it -- dying thou dost die.'"

Psalms 90:4 says of God "A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by,"; Moses wrote this concerning God's view of the life of man. Adam did not drop dead physically immediately after his death sentence came into effect; he had kids and died at almost 1,000 years aka one day gone by in the sight of God before physical death happened.

But the life he lived was far from what he freely enjoyed in Eden. It is a picture of what many who are trying to be godly by human effort at attaining godliness are living today. See Genesis 3:17-

17 And to the man he said,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree

whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,

the ground is cursed because of you.

All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,

though you will eat of its grains.

19 By the sweat of your brow

will you have food to eat

until you return to the ground

from which you were made.

For you were made from dust,

and to dust you will return.”

This death from law-keeping in a bid to be godly is a process that begins with guilt from sin and condemnation of which there is none for all who are in Christ (Romans 8:1.) Then comes “death begun” in the form of fear (of judgment for sins committed,) stress, depression, silly mistakes, oppression, plenty work and little to show for it, lack, sickness, discontent and every earthly ill that is as a result of Adam’s disobedience. Physical death and the second death follow after these symptoms of death.

Just as eating from the tree made Adam and Eve see that they were naked (lacking in righteousness,) the law only shows us how sinful (lacking in righteousness) we are (Romans 3:20.) You can never do enough to be right with God and absolute righteousness is demanded of those who are under law or else death. It is no coincidence what is written in 2 Corinthians 3:6- “…for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life.”

Just like the tree, the letter kills. No matter what part of the forbidden fruit (the law) one eats from, even the good part of trying to obey it in order to be a good Christian, the result is the same: Death.

Because of Adam's sin, we were all condemned to perish, no matter how many good things we did or how well we obeyed the law. God saw how hopeless our case was and sent His own Son to die our death, because He loved us so. The Spirit life that was forfeited through Adam and much more is restored to us through Christ. Romans 5:19 tells us:

"By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."

Acts of sin is not what makes people sinners. People are made sinners because of Adam's disobedience. Same goes for righteousness. Righteous acts and law-keeping cannot not make anyone godly/righteous. Only that righteousness which is from Christ's obedience suffices for God the Righteous and it is free for all who believe.

Just as good deeds and law-keeping cannot undo the effect of Adam's disobedience in making the world sinners, our sins cannot undo the right-standing from Christ's obedience that we have before God. It is an everlasting righteousness that is apart from works of the law. See Romans 3:

"21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are."

By God's grace, let's stop trying to be godly/believing that we can be righteous and saved by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the letter that kills.) Let us FREELY eat freely from the Tree of Life and live forever. How do we do this? Remember Genesis 3:22-

"And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

Notice the words eat and live forever? Now see what Christ says in John 6:51-58:

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world...54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day...58...He who eats this bread will live forever.”

Because He loved us so, God Himself made provision for us to eat of the Tree of Life- Jesus Christ- and live forever (not perish as was our lot under law, but have everlasting life.) and we find this in the most popular verse in the bible- John 3:16- "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Believing Jesus- that He has overpaid the price of our past, present and future sins (Heb. 10:12;) that we are made godly (righteous) by His obedience (Romans 5:19) and not by our filthy rags "fig leaves" of law-keeping and good works and that in Him, there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1) and no generational or other curse hanging over our heads (Gal. 3:13) - is to eat from the Tree of Life. Partaking of His body and His blood (Holy Communion,) while discerning His body, is to eat from the Tree of Life.

Jesus Christ is the Tree of Life. Freely partake of Him and eternal life is yours.

Remember the Lord God commanded Adam: “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely...;" We all now have the same choice as Adam and Eve did. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a picture of the law that gives knowledge of good and evil. Like Eve, many in the church are still trying to obey the law in a bid to be godly (be like God.) Satan is still seducing people the same way he seduced Eve to think that she could be godly by human effort. Friend, the result of eating from the law is the same as it was in the garden of Eden: Death. The law will only expose the nakedness of those who try to be godly by doing its works. Today, our Lord God says to you: "Choose life."

By God's grace, let’s stop feeding on the Law that was given through Moses and turn to Grace and Truth that came through Jesus Christ. Believe Right. Partake of His flesh and His blood with right believing (Holy Communion) and live forever. This is God's gift to us.

Don't let anyone deceive you into thinking that "partaking of the Holy Communion in an unworthy manner" means partaking when you have sinned. Partaking in an unworthy manner is partaking without regard or reverence for why His body was broken for us and why His blood was shed for us.

Remember Christ says in John 6 that the one who partakes of Him "has eternal life" and not "will have." Eternal life begins here on earth. Eternal life is a gift.