The tree of knowledge of good and evil

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As I was scrolling through the different posts on FB, I thought of the verse in Genesis that speaks of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 


Genesis 2:8-9 reads, "8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. 9 The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."


Then verses 15-17 states, "15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”


We are taught that knowledge is power and that lack of knowledge will kill you (Hosea 4:6). Paul even teaches us that knowledge puffs up but love builds up ( 1 Corinthians 8:1).


At this point, my mind is spinning because there seems to be a contradiction. One person says we need knowledge, yet the tree of knowledge was off limits, and Paul warns that knowledge can produce pride. What does it all mean?


Sometimes the enemy will give us information through others or whisper facts in our minds. Now, the problem with this is that the enemy never tells you the entire truth. Do you understand?


So, you will receive information that your mother was a prostitute who abandoned you, but the enemy will omit the part about your mother keeping the pregnancy, or that your mother was raped as a child. 


Perhaps your mother became pregnant with you through a rape. You see, you receive information, but is it accurate from God's view point? 


Many of us are given misinformation. Yes, people prove things to us based on surface knowledge. However, as the Lord begins to teach us through the Tree of Life (the Holy Ghost, the Bible, prophets, angels, etc. ), our spiritual minds open up! Then we are able to discern between the knowledge of the enemy and the knowledge from heaven. 


Unlike Eve, we will be able to quickly rebuke the devil before he tempts us to disobey God. The reason why you must swiftly and consistently rebuke him is because every demonic thought or knowledge produces death. 


You die financially, spiritually, emotionally, socially, mentally, or physically each time you listen to wrong information. 


So when Paul says knowledge puffs up,  he's referring to ungodly behaviors that are rooted in demonic information. Also, when God tells us that we perish for lack of knowledge, He is speaking of Godly knowledge. 


Because we're so busy eating from the world's tree of knowledge of good and evil,  and starving ourselves by not eating from the Tree of Life,  we perish like Adam and Eve.


The good news is we can repent. Unlike Adam, Jesus Christ died on a tree, not because He ate from a forbidden tree. Jesus chose to die for us because He wanted us to live.  However,  Jesus did not remain in the grave. 


He rose again. And not only did Jesus Christ come back to life and is now seated at the right hand of God, but He causes us to come back to life when we accept Him as our personal Tree of Life, growing in the center of our hearts. Hallelujah!


Are you eating from the right tree? You will know if you are because you will be operating in the Fruit of the Spirit. 


This Spirit is connected to the Tree of Life, so receive the characteristics of His fruit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5). 


If these habits are being developed in your life, you are receiving Godly knowledge which produces eternal life.