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TWO TREES IN EDEN
The first thing God imparted to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was “knowledge.” God told Adam and Eve they could eat of every tree in the Garden except one. They were commanded to abstain from eating the fruit which grew on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told them that on the day they ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they would “surely die.”
There were two trees located in the Garden of Eden which were opposite and contrary to each other in nature. Each tree was diametrically opposed in nature and each tree produced a different kind of fruit, or knowledge. One tree was the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,” and the other tree was the “Tree of Life.”
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil boasts of the malevolent knowledge which it possesses. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was a representation of the Law of Sin and Death. The Law of Sin and Death states that “if you sin you will die.” We see that the word “knowledge” is part of the name of this tree. We call this a prophetic conundrum. On the other hand, the Tree of Life, which is a representation of Christ and the “Law of Life,” does not speak of anything except “LIFE.”
These two Trees were diametrically opposed to each other. God and Satan have differing plans for mankind. God’s plan after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden was to “seek and save” those who became lost as a result of sin. Sin always separates man from God. Satan’s plan and purpose was and has always been to destroy mankind. I wrote in depth regarding these two trees in a book entitled “Two Trees in Eden.”
God told Adam and Eve that if they “ate the fruit” which came from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they would surely die. We all know the story of how they disobeyed God and partook of the forbidden fruit. The process of spiritual and physical death immediately began after they ate of the forbidden fruit.
The Tree of Life is a representation of Christ Jesus and the Law of Life. The Tree of Life was located in the middle of the Garden of Eden. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which produced the deadly fruit was also located in the Garden of Eden. The Tree which produced the forbidden fruit was a representation of the “Law of Sin and Death” which says “if you sin you will die.”
Adam and Eve disobeyed God and fell into sin when they took their focus off the Tree of Life, and ate the forbidden fruit. They disobeyed God’s “command” warning them not to eat the forbidden fruit. Sin will always cause us to fall short of the Glory of God. When we take our focus off the Tree of Life (Christ) and place it on the tree which produces the deadly forbidden fruit, we are leaving ourselves open to be seduced by the subtlest beast of the field—the Serpent. The fruit which the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil produces are the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the lust of the eye.
Knowledge comes to us in many different forms. However, ALL knowledge originates from one of these Two Trees. I say “originates” because these trees still exist. Today many people are choosing to eat fruit from one or both, of these two trees daily. These two trees exist in the heart (spirit) of every man, woman and child. We will all be partakers of the fruit from one or both, of these trees daily. The Law of Sin and Death and the Law of Life are in constant conflict with each other within our hearts and minds. WE choose which tree we will eat from every day.
If we as believers are daily trusting in God, our focus will be on the Tree of Life, Jesus. Non-believers will be focusing on and partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil daily. Those whose focus is fixed on the Tree which produces the forbidden fruit are lacking in spiritual understanding. Of course, most of them do not even KNOW or have even heard that a Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil exists. The flesh desires to eat the forbidden fruit. The spirit desires to eat the fruit of righteousness which is only found in the Tree of Life, Christ.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is rooted and grounded in deception. It is the fruit from this tree which the serpent uses to oppose the truth which is found only in the Tree of Life.
The “knowledge of TRUTH” comes from the Tree of Life. Unlike the “knowledge of good and evil,” the Tree of Life does not boast of the knowledge or wisdom which it possesses. The only thing in the name of the Tree of Life which draws the attention of people is the word “LIFE.” It does not draw attention to knowledge, evil or good, but to its greatest virtue which is the “Truth and Life” which is Christ. The Tree of Life draws people to “life eternal” which is only found in Christ Jesus.
Every person has a spiritual garden within their heart. The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil are rooted and grounded in our spiritual gardens. The spiritual decisions which we make every day are based upon which tree we decide to eat from. When we are eating from the Tree of Life, we are partaking of the Life of Christ. When we are partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, evil is being produced in our life. When we choose to eat from the Tree of Life we are partaking of the “fruit of the Spirit.” When we choose to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we will be bound and enslaved by the “works of the flesh.”
Knowledge comes in many different forms. We are going to look at three different types of knowledge: the knowledge of God, natural knowledge, and what I call “perverted knowledge.”
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD is knowledge which informs and instructs us concerning God and His Word. Knowledge informs us of who God is, what He does, what He expects us to do, and how we can operate successfully in His Kingdom. The Bible is FILLED with the knowledge OF God. The KNOWLEDGE of God is the most important knowledge which we can possess. If we are to be men and women of faith, we MUST possess within us godly wisdom, understanding, and KNOWLEDGE in abundance. If we are not FILLED with the fullness of these three virtues, life can be a living hell even for believers. The peace of God will guard our hearts and minds by faith when godly KNOWLEDGE, wisdom and understanding dwells within us richly.
Possessing the KNOWLEDGE of God will open up a new universe of understanding and wisdom to us. The knowledge of God is a supernatural virtue which instructs us, among other things, on how we are to conduct ourselves as believers and how we can live by faith. The Bible says “the JUST shall live by Faith.” The KNOWLEDGE of God instructs us how we, as believers, can live by faith and obtain the peace of God which passes all understanding.
When wisdom enters into our hearts, the KNOWLEDGE of God becomes pleasant to our soul. When we obtain the wisdom, KNOWLEDGE and understanding of God, they become a “fortress” which preserves and protects us from the attacks of the enemy. Jesus, who is our WISDOM, is also a shield which guards the paths of those who have been justified by faith. When we possess the KNOWLEDGE and wisdom of God, we will understand the ways of the Lord. With knowledge we can and will learn HOW we can walk in TOTAL victory because of the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary.
People seek to obtain knowledge so they can understand how things work. Wise men store up knowledge and understanding so they can be prepared for what lies ahead of them in the future. A fool who rejects knowledge walks the pathway of destruction, and when trouble comes he will perish in his folly.
Godly KNOWLEDGE will direct us down the path to deliverance. When our soul has been vexed and perplexed by our enemy, we KNOW strength and deliverance can be found in the omnipotent power of God. I have seen evil men who tried to entrap the righteous, but the tables of justice were turned upon them instead. I KNOW God justifies and protects the righteous from the hand of the wicked. His Word tells us “He guards the paths of justice and He preserves the way of the saints.”
If we are going to grow in the KNOWLEDGE of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must build upon the foundational principles of Christ which we already possess. When we accepted Christ and became born again, we received the divine nature of Christ. The divine nature of Christ embodies all the “Fruit of His Spirit.” In other words, the Spirit of Christ entered into our hearts, we became born again and thus, we became the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Now we possess the divine nature of Christ which enables us to sit together with Him in Heavenly Places. If we are IN Christ and Christ is IN us, we will be bearing Christ- like fruit.
Even though we have been born again and the Spirit of Christ dwells within us, we must GROW in the grace and KNOWLEDGE of Christ. That is why the Bible tells us to “study to show ourselves approved.” We grow in the grace and KNOWLEDGE of Christ when we seek godly wisdom and knowledge. We grow in the grace and KNOWLEDGE of God when we diligently apply His Word to our hearts and minds. We will grow in Christ as we daily walk with Him.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD can be called “revealed knowledge” when we understand, believe and receive the knowledge which He gives us. Revealed knowledge can also be called “supernatural knowledge” because it can only be understood through supernatural understanding. Revelation knowledge is knowledge which has been revealed to individuals by the Spirit of God. This type of knowledge is the greatest knowledge we can possess because it is Holy Spirit inspired, Holy Spirit breathed and spirit (of men) received. In other words, when the KNOWLEDGE of God is imparted to an individual, it is imparted directly to them Spirit (God) to spirit (man). When that knowledge is received by our “spirit man,” it then becomes a part of our spiritual DNA. Revelation knowledge replaces the carnal thoughts of the “old man” and becomes Life and Truth in the “new man.”
FOR WISDOM IS A DEFENCE AS MONEY IS A DEFENSE, BUT THE EXCELLENCE OF KNOWLEDGE IS THAT WISDOM GIVES LIFE TO THOSE WHO HAVE IT. Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7, Verse 12.