Jesus Christ the Tree of Life!

Here’s what eating the forbidden fruit (eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) represents for the believer today. No One better to interpret the Word than the Word Himself:

See Genesis 2:16-17: "16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Many of us have wondered how Adam and Eve could be so silly - the Tree of Life was right there in the garden and they could FREELY eat of it. Why didn't they eat of that one instead? Until we realise that many among us are still eating from this tree of the knowledge of good and evil and shunning the Tree of Life.

But how can one eat of this tree today, since we seemingly no longer have access to it? How is it possible to disobey God the way Adam and Eve did, even to the point of choosing the tree that kills over that which gives life? It is by trying to be godly (be like God) by human effort just like Adam and Eve did, aka trying to get right with God by keeping the law which gives the knowledge of what is good and what is 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."

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a picture of the law which gives the knowledge of good and evil. As he did with Eve, Satan is still seducing people with the law, perverting the law into a temptation and making a piece of the forbidden fruit out of it. The aspiration that he sowed in Eve was not a bad thing when you look at it with human logic like Eve did; afterall, what is bad in desiring and trying to be godly? In fact, God wants us to be godly!

The danger here is many in the church are trying to be godly today but are doing so after the example of Adam and Eve: just as Eve was seduced to eat of the tree, many in the church are being deceived into thinking that they can be righteous (be like God) by 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."

Just as eating from the tree made Adam and Eve see that they were naked (lacking in righteousness,) the law only exposes how sinful (lacking in righteousness) we are. 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.

Also See Galatians 3: 10 “But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under His curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.””

The law is not of faith. The one who believed that his own efforts at obeying the law is what guarantees him God's blessings is faithless. The letter kills. A person will have life through the law only if he obeys ALL of the law, but no one can. Romans 3:20.

Back to Adam and Eve:) They ate of the tree and they died. Same thing happens with those who are trying to obey the law in a bid to be godly. The letter kills, but this death is not necessarily immediate. The YLT translation says "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 (v.3.) Adam did not give up the ghost immediately after his death sentence came into effect; he lived for almost 1,000 years aka one day gone by in the sight of God.

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, 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.

By God's grace, let's stop trying to be godly/believing that we can be saved by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the letter that kills.) Let us 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 are in "Eden" now and 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 what is good and what is 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 and you will live forever. This is God's gift to 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.