Welcome,
The Meaning of the Tree of Life
"And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:9).
I have experienced God's miracles and I have no doubt that the story related in the book of Genesis literally happened. There really was an Adam and an Eve, a Tree of Life in the garden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. But this is not the point. What we need to do is get to the signification of those trees, and understand what they represent for us today.
God told Adam not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, with the words, "For on the day that you eat of it, you will surely die". But there was no such prohibition concerning the Tree of Life. If Adam had eaten from that tree, he would have lived forever and never died. Instead he and his wife ended up eating from the forbidden tree, because they listened to a voice which tempted them to doubt the goodness of God. This is Satan's tactic today with us. We neglect the LIFE God gives and end up trying to attain it by going on a path forbidden by God.
How good it would have been had Adam instead chosen to eat from the Tree of Life! God had said, "Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat..." Adam could have eaten from the Tree of Life! In doing so, he would have known God in an even greater way, and would never have died in any way! If he had eaten of the Tree of Life, he would never have been interested in the forbidden tree. But having NEGLECTED the tree of life, it was really only a matter of time before he would fall to the temptation of eating the forbidden fruit.
A lot of times we get into trouble because we focus on the forbidden thing. We fight with temptation, and lose, because we focus on the temptation. God wants us to get our eyes off the temptation, and even off the moral rules of what would be right and wrong, so we can get our eyes onto what He is wanting us to focus on. We inevitably move towards our most dominant thought.
What does the Tree of Life represent? I believe in represents Jesus, the source of Life! Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the LIFE, no one comes to the Father but by Me!" (John 14:6). The gift of Jesus that is available to us represents far more than the forgiveness of sins. It represents the very life of God by which we can truly live abundantly! The whole secret then, is to focus on Jesus and not to be distracted by lesser concerns, even the concern of "is this good or is this evil?". If we learn to focus on Jesus, we will tap into the unlimited source of life, power, joy and strength that we need to be "more than conquerors" in this life.
When we truly "eat" enough of that tree, of Jesus, we will live forever. Sin in some form will always look attractive to us unless we get a new focus. I find Jesus is amazingly wonderful. He is looking for our worship, our fellowship, our attention. Along with the Father, He is the center of attention in heaven. In heaven there is nothing better than to be wrapped up in Jesus! The angels worship Him day and night, and stand in continual amazement. The only reason we don't feel like that here sometimes is because of our spiritual blindness. But however blind we may be, if in our hearts we begin to turn to the Lord, something will happen, and we will begin to change. We will come to know Him if we seek Him with all our heart.
Good change doesn't happen when we focus on ourselves. This might be a surprise to some readers. But it is true. Satan loves to get us to look to ourselves. A sure mark of a satanic religion is one that tells you to look inside yourself for the answer. There are many variations on this theme. One is the eastern meditation type thing, where you are told to get in touch with your own godhood. There is another variation, far more subtle, and far more likely to appeal to Christians. That is, to measure yourself up against certain moral or spiritual principles, and consider how well or badly you are doing, and resolving to improve. Multitudes of sincere people are doing this, and fail to realise that in this way they will never become what God wants them to be.
Looking at self is a fruit of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Just knowing good and evil doesn't give you the power to do what is right, however. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree, they began to be self-conscious. They started looking at themselves. They knew they were naked. Until then, they weren't even aware of that. In fact, they were clothed with a kind of spiritual glory before they fell, and they lived in the presence of Almighty God without shame. After eating of the forbidden Tree, they lost that glory and began to be selfish and desire to escape from the presence of Almighty God.
The problem with looking at yourself and your problems is that you inevitably end up focussing on the evil within you. It is a law of the mind that whatever you primarily focus on ends up dominating your life. Its very important that God is Lord over the imaginations of our heart. Satan is doing all he can to oppose this, using such means as television, video games, unclean music, false religion, personal ambition, lying philosophies ... the list goes on and on. When Jesus doesn't have a major part of your imagination, something else does, and it works to make you fall short of the glory of God. No one ever became holy or better simply by seeing their weaknesses and resolving to change in their own power. No, the answer is still to go back to the Tree of Life, to Jesus. Adam and Eve lost this opportunity, but we regained it because Jesus Himself paid for all our sins at the cross, making for us the way to return to true God consciousness.
If you look at yourself, judging yourself by your knowledge of good and evil, you will either end up congratulating yourself for your good performance (self-righteousness) or becoming depressed because of the guilt of failing to live up to those standards. Neither of these results is what God wants. God made us for Him, and He is not satisfied when we prefer to ignore Him and become wrapped up in our own righteousness or lack thereof. He wants us to enjoy Him, to trust Him, and that only happens when we dare to take our eyes off ourself, trust the power of His cross, and begin to get our eyes on Him.
How To Get Your Eyes on Jesus
Attitude is very important here. God requires an attitude of faith. True faith comes through the recognition of Jesus. This knowledge of Jesus can come to us through anointed preaching and teaching of God's Word, through times of worship, through the direct action of the Holy Spirit enlightening us, through the study of the Bible, or through seeing Christ in a true Christian. In each case we have to see beyong the means God uses to reveal Christ to us, to Jesus Himself. We must not give our hearts to the methods and forget who it is about. If we focus on methods, even methods of Bible study, praise and worship, or anointed preachers, we once again fall short of the mark, and end up turning to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, rather than to the Tree of Life.
Make Jesus your passion, and you will change. Don't be distracted by anything. Don't even allow yourself to focus on the ways God could bless you. Trust that in everything He brings you to, there is a way to see Jesus. Then your faith will grow strong, and more than that, you will be filled with the life of God Himself. This is the true fountain of satisfaction for the soul of man. Accept no substitutes!
To be continued...
Michael
- Login or register to post comments
- 47507 reads
- Email this page
We encourage you to visit our new Christian discussion forum, as not every page can be commented on. So please, share your wisdom, share your testimonies, share your understanding. You can register for the forum and general comments to the pages on this drupal site here.
Comments
Maybe a dumb question?
You said to make Jesus our passion.What does that look like? Is it being in a constant attitude of worship?
Is it serving others?Is it always asking WWJD ? I know this may seem like a thick skulled sort of question,and I am not looking for a "passion for Jesus recipe",but I need a little clarification. I am friendly to all I meet,ready to help others if needed.I have true compassion for the hurts of people.None of this is 'manufactured",evidence to me that God IS changing me.I just want to know that I am doing what He would have me do in my small arena of life. That I am in His will,that I have a passion for the Lord Jesus.
Beloved
"Tree of Life"
1. You mentioned that the "Tree of Life" in Genesis (the Creation) represents Jesus Christ the Son of God . How come? Jesus was never mention in the Book of Genesis. The only Sons of God Mentioned in the Book of Genesis was Adam and Eve.
2. All of us are considered Sons of God including Adam it self. God created Adam Sinless, if he obey God and not committed the sin he will become a perfect being(person) fulfilling the purpose of God (the purpose of Creation) and all the Goodness in the world will start with him (ADAM), making himself the
" Tree of Life".
3. The "Tree of Life" is not a literal tree , A Tree of Life is a state of quality of a being (person), A quality of knowing and understanding the Heart of the Father our Creator.
- The "Tree of Life' is a quality of a person which Adam failed to achieve in disobeying GOD.
- The "Tree of Life" is a quality of a person which Jesus Christ Attained in embracing the Will of the Father our Creator. The Quality of Perfection ( "TREE OF LIFE")
--
"The most beautiful things in this world are those things nor touch, seen, neither heard. Those are the things that are felt by the heart."
Re: Tree of Life
Hi Hruthgar
Some things for you to consider.
You say:
"The only Sons of God Mentioned in the Book of Genesis was Adam and Eve."
Answer:
These two verses are not speaking about Adam, these were Angels, not human descendants of Adam.
Gen 6:2
That (THE SONS OF GOD) saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Gen 6:4
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when (THE SONS OF GOD) came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
The following verses, are in order for you to understand, the Sons of God spoken of were Angels.
Job 1:6
Now there was a day when (THE SONS OF GOD) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 2:1
Again there was a day when (THE SONS OF GOD) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
The question is, how do you come to the conclusion, that Adam was called the (SON OF GOD)?
There is no verse of scripture which confirms your belief.
You say:
"All of us are considered Sons of God including Adam it self."
Answer:
The only people (humans) that are called the Sons of God, are the Born Again Believers in Christ, this only takes place in the New Testament. Through adoption as the Sons of God, (Children of God)
You say:
"The "Tree of Life" is not a literal tree"
What then would be the object (purpose) of God in His protection of something, you say was not literal ?
Gen 3:24
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Was the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" a literal tree?
While the things you have said, all sound very good, there is a danger, they cannot be backed up with scripture, and if you get into the habit of making up things like this in order to explain Scripture, you will lose total sight of the truth which is to be found within Scripture.
Be Blessed
JIM
Possible for clarification?
Hi Michael,
Thank you for writing this topic and providing insights. However, I find that there are a few ideas that are contradictory to my views and wondering if you can help.
You mentioned "Good change doesn't happen when we focus on ourselves. This might be a surprise to some readers. But it is true. Satan loves to get us to look to ourselves. " as well as, "If you look at yourself, judging yourself by your knowledge of good and evil, you will either end up congratulating yourself for your good performance (self-righteousness) or becoming depressed because of the guilt of failing to live up to those standards. Neither of these results is what God wants."
Q1: However, I believe that we are made in the image of God and God is love and we are love too. If we look at ourselves deep enough, we all want to do good. Nobody voluntarily wants to be the bad guy if they have a choice. Therefore, what is the basis of your argument for saying that if we look into ourselves for the answers that we would inevitably conclude something that is not what God wants?
Q2: Didn't the Bible say seek and you shall find? It didn't say not to look into yourself.
Q3: In fact, what is the issue with congratulating ourselves for the good performance? If I did something wonderful and loving, why should I not congratulate myself? When I congratulate myself, I will subconsciously encourage myself to do more of the good thing. Why is this bad?
Q4: Also, building self acceptance and self confidence is the first step in experiencing LOVE because when you love yourself, you will know what love actually FEELS like and therefore, able to love someone else and respect their freewill just like how God loves us and respects our freewill.
In fact, the whole Christian idea is based on looking out for yourself! If you didn't really care about yourself and future, you wouldn't care about going to heaven and being saved!!! You have to first LOVE yourself to love. When you are love, secured, strong emotionally, you will be able to appreciate God's love. You don't need to ask constantly for God and Jesus to do this and that for you because you will appreciate the love he already demonstrated through Jesus 2000 years ago!
Q5: Your comment: "Looking at self is a fruit of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Just knowing good and evil doesn't give you the power to do what is right,"
I disagree. I think knowing good and evil DOES give you the power and choice to do what is right. In fact, we are made in the image of God and therefore, have that power within ourselves to do good.
The point, you see, is that we DO have the power to NOT need God. If we "needed" God to survive or to do good, where is the freewill to choose God or not???
God respects freewill above all. That is the basis of Jesus's love as well. He guarded freewill at all cost that he did not use any miracles or force to MAKE us believe in him. In fact, he was against using miracles for the purpose of proclaiming his name, as during his preaching days, where there was no faith, no miracles were performed. God wants us to choose him out of our freewill and love for him, not because we "need" him for survival, I believe.
I apologize if I seem a bit harsh in my questions. I have been reflecting on these things for a bit of time now and I am just trying to seek more information. I have been a Christian all my life. I find Jesus's character fascinating, and I continue to believe in God and Jesus.
Thank you for your time. Please email me if you feel it is better to take this conversation offline.
regards,
Kiaa
Are We Good?
@Kiaa,
The whole message above is something I'd like you to really consider, because a self-absorbed focus is precisely what does not constitute divine love.
You write:
"However, I believe that we are made in the image of God and God is love and we are love too. If we look at ourselves deep enough, we all want to do good."
I see your argument. However, I do not believe God gives the majority of his focus to Himself. Neither should we. God is always looking out for the needs of others. Within what we call the Trinity there is a relationship of love also. We see this from the teaching of Jesus about the Father and the Spirit.
The image of God in mankind generally is seriously corrupted. In the born again Christian, there is a new creation and there are seeds of divine love which can grow and develop. But this will happen through an outward focus on the BELOVED rather than on SELF.
Who is a better model for Love? You, or God? If God, why not look to God more than looking within yourself. Why not look at the source rather than the reflection?
2. You write: "I disagree. I think knowing good and evil DOES give you the power and choice to do what is right. In fact, we are made in the image of God and therefore, have that power within ourselves to do good."
You are totally at odds with the teaching of Scripture here and you are on the side of the Serpent who urged Eve to embrace the knowledge of good and evil when GOD had forbidden it to them.
God has not granted us to have life "in ourselves" - that is, independently of Him. "In Him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Believe me, you did not create yourself (Psalm 100:3), you did not create the air you breathe, or the spirit within you. If God should withdraw His hand, you would die and crumble to dust, just as we all would.
3. You write: "The point, you see, is that we DO have the power to NOT need God. If we "needed" God to survive or to do good, where is the freewill to choose God or not???"
I totally disagree. See my comment above. You cannot provide the air you breathe, the mind you think with, or anything at all, without God's blessing and initial creative activity. God also sustains the Universe. It is by the power of God that atoms hold together and the spiritual world can exist.
We are at best like the moon, which reflects the light of the sun. The moon is not a source of light, but a reflector of it. So we are not the source of divine love, or goodness. We can, however, reflect it when we look to the Source, God.
Even Jesus said, "I can of Myself do nothing". Are you better than Jesus?
Paul said: 2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
Are you better than Paul?
I am not sure that you yet have the same faith as the apostle Paul, your beliefs and approach are so totally different. You say you have been a Christian all your life. Were you ever "born again" of the Spirit? What does that word mean to you?
Do you believe that that Eve eating the fruit was a good thing, a bad thing, or something that never actually happened?
Where did you learn the things you are proposing in your comment? Is there a particular church you learned them from? I'd be interested to know which one it is.
The Meaning of the Tree of Life
I have read this whole column and am glad to see searching faithful exploration.
My addition is this;
What we all need overall is to find union with God - the righteous and true relationship. I believe we all need to give each other the space and tolerance to find that place of holiness - as clearly our loving God does as part of His gift of life. The 'Tree of Life' in Genesis is the place of 'original sin' where separation happened and continues to happen daily by most of us. However in Revelations 2.7 at a major juncture of our Christian journey God gives us express permision to eat from the tree of life again. When we find this point and relationship God does need to give us 'the permission' because we know that we are not worthy given the choices that we made in our own fall. God tells us it is now OK and that 'full restoration' is now possible and happens when we accept the gift of eternal life. At this point any of us would die rather than break that union again. The fear of this seperation is the only thing that matters. When we know what it is like to live in union and we know what it was like 'broken' there is nothing else that matters. But we need to be whole before God can really work with fullness and power through us.
In relation to the discussion about God centric/person centric - we all need to 'chill out' a bit....
The universal truth is that of God centric or God first - hence the Tree of Life and all that flows. But our loving God did not make us 'as puppets'. God gave us 'natural capacity' and 'innate operative gifts' which in a sense we need to 'master' within the range and parameters that God has given our freewill to be exercised 'as human beings'. But we cannot master them seperate from God. If i want to go and drink a can of coke now - i don't need God's express permission to do so. I have been made aware of the health issues, it may not be as good for me as a drink of water, but I have made a judgement call that drinking the odd coke now and again is not a sin. However, if coke was bannished from earth i would not miss it. So in understanding our 'relationship' with God - we all have to find out what each of the levels of our nature and capacity 'are right' with God. This takes time, trial and error, forgiveness and 'a journey'. And 'yes' we would all do better-quicker with a bit more faith, Word and trust.
The balanced view of our blissfully happy relationship with God comes in the Sermon on the Mount. In the first three beattitudes, the teachings all refer 'to self experienced understanding of relationship' . To the point that we have learned to put our house in order 'yes' dare i say it 'in self awareness' of both the general and specific nature of our wholeness including our spiritual, human and evil natures. God guides the whole process, but we have to make sense of it and gradually align our choices to His level of love for us. In the next three beattitudes Jesus teaches us to 'be others' focused. To learn to love with God's love - with the heart of Jesus. To a point where we have mercy, the Fathers mercy, operating through us. Our heart is transformed. When we have the nature 'of spiritual-human self aware' and the nature 'of spiritual-human other focused' stable, then God who is leading us through all of this and we are journeying in faith, gets us to work for his highest purpose. The overall plan of salvation expressed in the book of Ephesians and captured end to end in the Bible. We become saints and his salt and light. At all points along the way, our free-will is at work. There is no hand up our back from God. But his full spirit gradually comes to be able to live fully in our soul and operate through our soul. It is still our will to choose to do His will 'gracefully'. The grace comes from God, but it is ours to choose to accept in submission because we can see the injustice and brokenness of the world. Of his higher gifts we can do nothing except submit our will to his greater will. But we are not 'nothing' in this process. We are in relationship. And our eternal life (self) only exists in God (His) because God is love and life. We can also see, because we 'experience' the peace of Christ, that to do anything for 'our own pleasure' more than enough for the day to day operative nature of man, when others in the world are in pain and suffereing through all of the consequences of not being able to eat from the Tree of Life - and experience that union - what else would we prefer to do? Nothing......
But now we happily do absolutely 'nothing'.....apart from the tree of life......Amen
This is also very interesting...
comments from Michael:
3. You write: "The point, you see, is that we DO have the power to NOT need God. If we "needed" God to survive or to do good, where is the freewill to choose God or not???"
I totally disagree. See my comment above. You cannot provide the air you breathe, the mind you think with, or anything at all, without God's blessing and initial creative activity. God also sustains the Universe. It is by the power of God that atoms hold together and the spiritual world can exist.
We are at best like the moon, which reflects the light of the sun. The moon is not a source of light, but a reflector of it. So we are not the source of divine love, or goodness. We can, however, reflect it when we look to the Source, God.
Even Jesus said, "I can of Myself do nothing". Are you better than Jesus?
Reply from Kiaa:
I agree that God created most living things and gave life/souls, but I don't think he will "kill" us if we don't choose to follow him. He will dump satan and his followers in eternal fire but not sure if that equals kill or non-survival. Maybe people who are satan followers enjoy being in the fire? like the burning fire in your heart when you are angry? I don't know.
I really don't think we "need" God to survive. I thought God made the promise with the rainbow that he won't mass murder us like that anymore
I basically just have a problem with the word "need". It goes against all my values as a loving, confident, healthy person.
However, I do want to examine a bit more the concept of whether we are just like the moon or we are like little stars ourselves. Where can I find the scripture where Jesus says, "I can of Myself do nothing". I would like to look at the context.
thanks,
Kiaa
By the way...
I love your comment about this,
Who is a better model for Love? You, or God? If God, why not look to God more than looking within yourself. Why not look at the source rather than the reflection?
Let me reflect on this.
thank you very much.
Kiaa
Wow, thank you, I need more insights.
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your insights! I am really not trying to argue or be the devil's advocate. I am really trying to understand all this myself.
Q1: What does your comment about "self-absorbed focus is precisely what does not constitute divine love" mean? or where do you conclude that "I do not believe God gives the majority of his focus to Himself."?
I used to be very insecure all my life. I was not able to love, I was selfish, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't put myself in someone else's shoes and care for others. I even admit I had that problem but I couldn't change it until... I learned to love myself, meaning, I treat myself first, I started gaining confidence, acceptance of myself. In all this, I now know what "love" really feels like and therefore, I CAN love others because I know what it feels and mean to love someone (ie myself). I am patient with others now, I accept others the way they are, I don't feel the need to change or criticize anyone but glad to help if they ask for it, I am not controlling, and I have the strength to "love" and care about others. In the past, I was so focused on my own needs, like praying to God for all the things I wanted and praying for him to change/rescue me etc... now I pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven because I know God values our freewill and therefore, not everything is for sure in our world.
I don't see any bad in realizing all this but it make me question a lot of teachings of the Christians.
I really want to know why you say God doesn't give majority of his focus on himself. I think he does. Another analogy, in the safety video on a plane. When the oxygen mask drops down, you should help yourself first before your child, because if you fall dizzy, you can't help anyone else. I don't think God CAN help us if he is not well or focused on himself first. It could be that he has done that a long time ago, I don't know...
I agree that God or someone created the universe, me and the air I breath. Just imagine if I gave birth to a child. I would like him/her to grow to be independent and not constantly depending on me for food or intelligence. Wouldn't God want us to be strong and be independent too? With my child, it doesn't mean I won't love him/her but I wouldn't want him/her to stay a child and be dependent on me. I would want my child to choose to love me and hang out with me because he/she enjoys being with me and NOT because he/she NEEDS me for some selfish reasons.
Would this not be similar with God? Jesus refused to infringe on our freewill to make us believe. As I said, he didn't use miracles or unnatural forces to convince us to believe. If he did, that would be like Satan or the government. Jesus wanted us to love him out of our freewill, or choice when knowing that we don't "need" him and knowing that he will not "kill" you because you don't turn to him.
I do not wish to compare myself as in wether I am better or worse than Jesus or Paul. However, why would the thought of that there is possibility that we, human, can one day be as good as Jesus or Paul be so bad? Why do we have to think of it as better or worse? I am sure Jesus/Christ/God are all evolving as well. Why do you want to limit your own capabilities by thinking you CANNOT be as good as Jesus? Especially if we have such a good model to learn from? I don't know. I am not saying I am that good, just why is even the idea so disgusting for Christians? Why must Christians put ourselves down? and lower our self confidence and undermine the power God put in us? undermine the capabilities that God so beautifully created in us?
I think my conclusion would be that we CAN be as good as Jesus and God. I think this is what satan has realized. However, being as good as God doesn't mean you have to choose to be "against" God. Why can't we all grow better together? I am sure God and us can all learn from each other by having relationships with each other. Now given God is from the beginning, it probably will be rare that there is anything he can learn from us
However, It might be more enjoyable for God to hang out with us if we are closer to his level of consciousness and awareness. Just being good/aware of our own capabilities doesn't mean we will practice evil like satan, it just gives us a CHOICE.
To answer some questions you asked me, I actually don't know what it means to be "born again" although I went through the motion of being baptized by water to please my parents. I never thought about Eve eating the apple was good or bad or what it symbolizes, I will now think about it and get back to you. I learned the things I write here myself, through critical thinking, through all the Bible stories I learned since I was a child in main stream Christian churches.
I don't go to church anymore, I don't find that they help me. However, I am getting more interested in them now because I now want to interact with people to get more insights but most people, I find at churches, are not open to my questions and not open to helping me understand, including my dad, who is a pastor.
thanks,
Kiaa
The meaning of the tree of life
I`ve been thinking about this for so long now. I understand there is in this some very profound teaching which if understood . .is the truth that will set you free. That which can be used almost to measure and discern other scriptures . You`ve hit the nail on the head, I think. Or at least you agree with me on this . . . .Happy Days are here again!! . . . I`ve been labouring to no avail for too long. No more, Praise God!! (How`ll you explain this to all those super zealous Baptists out there?)
Completely agree...
Totally agree with this post. I think my response may be better If I show you my understanding on the subject, visually. Ill explain it underneath.
This is how Ive illustrated what the forbidden fruit looks like. I used the green eye to symbolize the knowledge of good because the throne of God is said to have an emerald rainbow (Revelations 4:2-3 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.)
The red is an obvious depiction for evil, I also emphasized a darkness to it. The fruit represents the forbidden fruit, essence of sin. The serpant, well i'm sure we all know what that represents. This is drawn with a childish feel to it, sorta like something you'd see in a childrens book because how we are suppose approach the word of god/kingdom of god. (Mark 10:15 (New International Version)15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.")
The reason I used eyes on the forbidden fruit is from this understanding in the bible ( Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.)
So there ya go, that's the meaning of this through the eyes of a born again artist. Hopefully some of those who are more visual get some sort of understanding from my work. May the lords peace be with all of you.
knowledge of good and evil and restoration
I have thought about these things in the past and recently my mind has been led there agin and after searching some of my bible study software and turned to the net and found your amazing comments.
I have thought exactly what you have said and do believe these things are correct and true.
As for the knowledge it was given through the fruit, as for the sin it was the act if doing what God said not to do but then was commtied and done and as for the result of the sin man and woman became knowledge filled about all things good and evil, that is why adam hid and God said "Who told you you are naked?" And the reason they made fig leaves and the reason Cain was able to think about killing his brother and why the hearts of men became inclined to do only what was evil all the time and why God was grieved that he made man. When they ate the fruit all people born from that time onwards suffered the same result of their sin. All people became and have become filled with an inadapt knowledge of all things evil and good. We sin when we do things evil. We sin when we do things good to get Gods attention for his pleasure and acceptance. Gods pleasure and acceptance is come only through Jesus. Im very blessed by these verses.
I have wondered about the consequences of the fall and what Christs death means concerning these things and would like to know that even the result of adam and eves sin can be wiped under the blood of chirst and removed in return for an amazing, life filled and glorious blisslikeness of heaven and true restoration and wholeness.
There are a number of things that resulted when God cursed and judged man and woman. What do you think of these things? Can we live unde and in such bliss and glory with God that the very curses God pronunced are nulified because of the cross?
knowledge of good and evil and restoration
I have thought about these things in the past and recently my mind has been led there agin and after searching some of my bible study software and turned to the net and found your amazing comments.
I have thought exactly what you have said and do believe these things are correct and true.
As for the knowledge it was given through the fruit, as for the sin it was the act if doing what God said not to do but then was commtied and done and as for the result of the sin man and woman became knowledge filled about all things good and evil, that is why adam hid and God said "Who told you you are naked?" And the reason they made fig leaves and the reason Cain was able to think about killing his brother and why the hearts of men became inclined to do only what was evil all the time and why God was grieved that he made man. When they ate the fruit all people born from that time onwards suffered the same result of their sin. All people became and have become filled with an inadapt knowledge of all things evil and good. We sin when we do things evil. We sin when we do things good to get Gods attention for his pleasure and acceptance. Gods pleasure and acceptance is come only through Jesus. Im very blessed by these verses.
I have wondered about the consequences of the fall and what Christs death means concerning these things and would like to know that even the result of adam and eves sin can be wiped under the blood of chirst and removed in return for an amazing, life filled and glorious blisslikeness of heaven and true restoration and wholeness.
There are a number of things that resulted when God cursed and judged man and woman. What do you think of these things? Can we live unde and in such bliss and glory with God that the very curses God pronunced are nulified because of the cross?
Just a couple of Questions
I like your Midrash on the teaching in relation to the Messiah, it helps to look at the life we have in Him and not what we are doing, very good point.
Just a couple of questions about the plain sense (P'shat) of the text- since the tree was literal, and Revelations tells us that the leaves are for the healing of the nations, this would make it accessable now wouldn't it? Since Jesus took the curse of the land upon him when he wore the crown of thorns.
So therefore shouldn't we be able to access it's fruit- twelve different kinds for twelve different months (meaning it's not the Fruit of the Spirit which Paul speaks of in Galatians) not just in the life to come but now?
If so, could much healing not be from conjuring up our faith muscles (as the faith movement would have us believe) but simply asking God to help us access this blessed fruit?
I have been thinking about this tree for some time now, since it was the only thing on earth that Adonai God actually put a flaming sword between it and us.
Must be a pretty significant thing hey?
tree of life and eden
hi
I am glad i read this. It seems a wonder that it never struck my brainwave why adam and eve didn't eat out of the tree of life.! .I think it just shows that unless humans are pushed on to something, they wouldn't do anything. There would have been millions of trees in the garden and they surely couldn't have eaten out of all those. Had satan not come into action, they would have just had the fruits from those trees on the edges of the garden. They might not even have moved to the middle of the garden. could be 1 of the reasons why they didn't eat out of the tree of life. I have 1 question. Does Eden exist on earth?? or is it in heaven?
Vision
I had a vision of a tree on a hill through prayer. Then I saw another stand-alone tree on the cover of a booklet to which it seemed to glow. Research time...I googled the tree of life and it brought me hear. This is deep, Truth. Jesus is alive my brothers and sisters and He is moving with remarkable measures. Amen. Thank you for the words that uncover the depth of His truth. God bless.
tree of the knowledge . .
Well said, Michael. I`ve been thinking about this subject for ages, there`s a key here to understanding how the Lord perceives us, and us him. Rev something or other states "And they defeated Satan by their testimony and the blood of the lamb" Satan was the one accising Christians continually befoer the Heavenly Father, the idea being a breaking of the relationship between Christians and God. In other words, Satan wants us back in his domain,he can only do it through our lack of faith in Jesus, whos arm is not too short to save . .the jews of old antagonised God greatly, through disbelieving His power to save. Paul indicates in Galations and elsewhere that keeping the law is not sufficient to save anybody, since nobody`s kept it totally, self justification would set in, etc, how fortunate for those who trust Christ alone for forgiveness and restoration, sounds like remnent theology to me, thanks for reading this, peter
Wow, I just ran across this
Wow, I just ran across this accidentally (probably not) I needed to read this! Thank you so much! God is so good!
The way, the truth and the life
"Set your mind on things above"
Thank you....
for writing this!
This was beautifully
This was beautifully written, and I am so glad the Lord moved upon your heart to write it.