Eating of the Tree of Life

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For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22

After God had created the magnificent universe, he made man from the dust of the earth and breathed his life into him. Then he made a woman from man. Together they please the Father of creation, who is love.

God placed man in Eden, his splendid garden, and gave him every tree to eat of except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they ate of this tree their eyes would be opened and they would welcome evil into their race. Another tree that was forbidden them was the tree of life. Initially, they had no need to eat of that tree for they were good and already had life in the Creator.

However, if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, evil would corrupt their hearts. Then if they ate of the tree of life, evil would endure in the human race for eternity. Sadly, Adam and Eve disobeyed Father Creator and ate of the forbidden tree. So, God separated them from the tree of life, banishing them from Eden.

But God loved them so much that, thousands of years later, he sent his own Son to reconcile them to his life. Jesus Christ is God incarnate. That is, he is God in the flesh – the perfect human. Jesus is good, as Adam was before the fall. Jesus was tempted, as Adam was, but he did not fall. So, Father Creator placed the consequence of Adam’s fall onto his Son. This consequence is death and Jesus died. But, because he hadn’t fallen, as Adam did, death had no authority to hold him down.

Three days after being crucified, the Son of God rose from the dead, opening the way to enter Eden once again. Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, bore the consequences of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, making the way for all who receive him as Lord to eat of the tree of life.

Have you received Jesus as Lord of your life? You and I are descendants of Adam and so guilty of violating God’s instruction not to corrupt our hearts with evil. Sin has taken root in the human race. But Jesus bore the consequences of sin on the cross so that you and I may be forgiven of sin and be reconciled to God’s goodness. Through Jesus, the garden of Eden has been opened again to all who would call on his name and be saved from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

May I encourage you today, if you have not yet done so, to admit your sin to Father Creator, believe that Jesus died and rose again to free you from the contamination of sin, and then confess him as Lord of your life? Come to Jesus now and freely eat of the Tree of Life.