The Two Trees-part 1

Lies from my enemy:

“If you only did this, things would go well with you.”

“If you only did that, things would go well with you. “

“If you only did more for your kids”

“If you only did more for your husband”

“If you only did more to earn more money,”

“If…”

“Try harder! Do more! You’re not good enough!”

This is what I believed when I went to the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Yes. We are going back to Genesis. There is so much Foundational Truth in those first few chapters of Genesis, it is no wonder Satan attacks it as he does. We are going to be looking more closely at the two special trees in the Garden of Eden. And if you’ve had a lot of heartache in your life, you probably can’t imagine why I call both of the trees special. It is a very common question to ask, especially in our deepest pain. “Why did God create the ability to sin anyway???!!!!”

Let’s start with that. Why did God give us a free will? It is a fair question. If we did not have the ability to sin, no one would get hurt, right? One part of the answer is that we are made in God’s image. God created us spirit, soul, and body. And like Him, we have a mind, emotions, and will. A free will. What an incredible and amazing gift! No other creature on earth is created in His image. Being made in His image means we are free! We are not mindless robots programmed to act a certain way. The other part of the answer involves knowing the holiness of God. Being able to share this with you is very precious to me, because four years ago, when I was in my deepest pain, God spoke to me. I was in a secluded place pouring my heart out to God with thunder rumbling in the distance. Why!???, I cried. God replied, “I am.” I learned that God’s holiness, God’s omnipotence, God’s mercy, God’s love, His very Being is what holds the world together. Life would not be able to exist if God didn’t have that integrity.

[Jesus Christ] is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. ~Hebrews 1:3

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ~Colossians 1:16-17

God doesn’t control us, because He is Love. It is not just that He loves. God is the embodiment of Love.

God is Love. ~1 John 4:8

And since God is love, the beautiful verses in 1 Corinthians 13 take on an even deeper meaning.

Heavenly Father,

I pray for those reading this that they would have power to grasp the truth of your holiness and love. I pray that this truth, already implanted in their spirits, would become a part of them, firmly planted in their minds that they would be able to know you and experience your abundant life!

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

~Ephesians 3:16-21