The
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Our Lives
Genesis 2:9 ESV
[9] And out of the ground the Lord God made to
spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of
life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Sometimes young people might ask how does taking
a test glorify God. Yet, it does because when we do our best, we glorify God. Then,
the next question is why is work so hard?
We know that because sin entered the world, life
has become hard. God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden,
and this might seem strange if Adam and Eve were told not to eat from it. The tree
is pleasing to the eye and in the middle in the garden. It is not hidden away or
made to look hostile.
God desired that we love him with free will. God
had to give us free will even though it was risky. If our only option was to love
God, it would not really be love.
It may be that Adam and Eve ate the seductive
fruit because their love for God was insufficient. It is true that they were disobedient
and did what God told them not to, but they did not hate God or wish God harm.
The tree of knowledge exists in our lives today. They are placed in such a way we are enticed and
tempted wherever we go. This tree is very tempting for us. However, God wants the
proof that we truly love him. The Devil does not tempt us things that are not appealing
or look disgusting. God is looking for our love. He wants us to seek him and desire
him.
We should reflect on our temptation, we
should remember that God wants us to love him more.
The Gospels in the New Testament give us the best
explanation of salvation; however, in the Old Testament the story of Passover was
first passage of salvation. The lamb's blood is needed to save the people of Israel.
John 1:29 ESV
[29] The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him,
and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
In the New Testament, we understand that Jesus
is the lamb of God which takes away sin.
Exodus 12:7 ESV
[7] “Then they shall take some of the blood and
put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
Although the Hebrews were told to eat the lamb,
it was not enough to be saved. They needed to put the blood on the doorposts so
the angel of death would pass over.
Much the same it is no good to hear and know about
salvation and what Jesus has done. We have to put into practice what God and His
word tells to do.
James 1:22 ESV
[22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving yourselves.
We have to walk in the light and have fellowship
with each other. Jesus’ blood has cleansed us from our sin so that we can have fellowship.
1 John 1:7 ESV
[7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses
us from all sin.
We have to repent and turn away from our wicked
ways. We need to do more than just ask for forgiveness and do good works at church.
It is a deliberate choice to change our lives and live for God.
Acts 3:19 ESV
[19] Repent therefore, and turn back, that your
sins may be blotted out,
Following Jesus is not easy. Following God is
also not easy. The children of Israel went through this in the desert. They wanted
to return to their old lives. It is easy to forget the misery we have escaped from.
Exodus 14:12 ESV
[12] Is not this what we said to you in Egypt:
‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better
for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
God did not want the Israelites to forget the
bitterness of slavery. Bread without yeast does not taste as good regular bread
and bitter herbs are strong. God did not want us to forget about the misery sin
brings. It is not to make us feel guilty but remind us of the grace God has given
us.
Exodus 12:8 ESV
[8] They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted
on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
We must remember that God is with us. Just as
the Israelites were instructed to remember what God told them to do and how He freed
them.
God wants them to select largest most perfect
of the Lambs. After a year, they are no longer Lambs but sheep.
Exodus 12:5 ESV
[5] Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male
a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
There is very much a community aspect of sharing.
This has always been God's plan to save everyone. It was not limited to one or a
certain group.
Exodus 12:4 ESV
[4] And if the household is too small for a lamb,
then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons;
according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
We too need to share the Gospel to others. Jesus
is the only path to salvation. If we accept Jesus' grace it will overflow in us.
Evangelism is an important
command which Jesus has given us. In South Korea churches and Christians as respectable;
however, after COVID, Christians were not respected as they had been before. That
and prosperity as well as an increase in education has made it difficult to preach
the Gospel.
Paul admits that he did
not come with eloquence. In fact, Paul came in weakness and fear.
1 Corinthians 2:3 ESV
[3] And I was with you
in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
We have to remember that
when we share our beliefs we demonstrate God's power to save us.
Paul was an intelligent
and educated person. He was a powerful speaker and could persuade others easily.
He was very wise and eloquent but choose not to preach the gospel in his own strength,
but relied on the Holy Spirit. He allowed God's power to make the difference.
1 Corinthians 2:4 ESV
[4] and my speech and
my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power,
We have to ask ourselves
are we spreading the gospel through God's power or are we relying on our own strength.
The power of the Gospel
can only be truly shown through the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:5 ESV
[5] so that your faith
might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Paul proclaimed simply
and boldly the Gospel. Paul relied on the Holy Spirit. In fact, just like Paul,
we need to rely on the Holy Spirit and seek the Holy Spirit earnestly before and
during our preaching of the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV
[2] For I decided to know
nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Paul only preached the
Gospel. He did not preach how the Gospel made his life better, or how you can manipulate
God into getting what you want. Paul only preached Jesus and His crucifixion. People
might be seeking intellectual curiosity or secular benefits and it is useless to
pander to them. They need to hear a pure Gospel to save them.
