KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL

 I just got to thinking, after my pastor's message today, about the dilemma we find ourselves in everyday because of that blasted fruit incident - or as my pastor coined it, "that Dr. Doolittle-ish conversation between the serpent and Eve:

GENESIS 3:6

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

Without much thought I recalled a parallel between the three conclusions of Eve and a teaching on three found in 1 John:

Earlier in Genesis1:16-17, God's instruction to Adam is recorded:

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God was not withholding anything, except pain and sorrow and death, from Adam and Eve. The tree with forbidden fruit would cause them to know evil experientially. Many misquote this as simply the ‘tree of knowledge’ and, in doing so, miss the point altogether. It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and because this door was opened, the whole of humanity, going forward, has to experientially deal with evil and the pain, sorrow and death associated with evil.

There came a day when God, at just the right time, left Glory, became the Man, Christ Jesus, died a sinner’s death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins; rose from the dead, securing our justification; and one day will return to take us home, where there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more death. In the meantime, our carnal battle with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life - what seems good and pleasing and desirable - will continue to loom as majestic as that tree with forbidden fruit must have seemed in the middle of Eden. But, with our eyes and heart and mind set on Jesus, we will enjoy the fruit of the Spirit rather than the evil our flesh desires. Instead, we get to TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD, HE IS GOOD! (Psalm 38:4)

ROMANS 6:23 tells us:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

REVELATION 21:1-5 reminds us:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Until that day, because of Christ's great love and sacrifice on our behalf, we have the blessed joy of choosing LIFE, even though that blasted fruit was picked. 

And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” 

AMEN AND AMEN – THANK YOU FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT – AND EVEN SO, LORD JESUS, COME.

suemccarysargis 1/10/2021