WHY THE TREE OF LIFE

GENESIS 2:8–9, 16–17 – “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘ You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

THE CHOICE

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil Says: DO MORE to get to God.

The Tree of Life says: Receive the fact that Jesus has already DONE IT.

JOHN 5:39–40 – You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil says:
Keep trying to get GOD’S APPROVAL.

The Tree of Life says:
Receive the fact that He LOVES YOU NOW.

ROMANS 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil says: OBEY OUT OF DUTY

The Tree of Life says: OBEY GOD OUT OF DELIGHT

1 JOHN 5:3,12 – This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

FOUR RESPONSES

1. Fall in love WITH JESUS.

JOHN 14:15 – If you love me, you will obey what I command.

You can fulfill the commands of the Bible better by falling in love with Jesus rather than trying to OBEY everything the Bible tells you to do. 

2. Serve God through RELATIONSHIP not RULES.

MATTEW 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

3. Respond to all sin with LIFE.

ROMANS 8:1 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

John 8:9-11 – Neither do I condemn go and leave your life of sin.

Grace said – “Neither do I condemn you” 
Truth adds – “Go now and leave your life of sin”

4. Guard your HEART from going back.

What am I going to do to be Godly?

DEUTERONOMY 30:19 – This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.