StriperAddict
Senior Member
There was some discussion about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil recently, that i think this gives some insight. Simple and profound, I caught this note by Will Gunter to share. Enjoy:
Thoughts to ponder???
Recently someone said to me, “I guess I just need to try and be a more balanced person.” My response was, “Do you really think Jesus was rejected, tortured, and suffered on a cruel cross to make us balanced people?” Another way of putting it is, did Jesus endure all of that so we could work really hard at trying not to be so bad, but instead be good? This is the trap we all fell into when Adam and Eve ate from that forbidden tree, (the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Now their eyes would be open to all kinds of ways (both good and evil ways) to protect themselves and try to get their needs met apart from Jesus. A friend and mentor said to me once, When we are being tempted by Satan He will always present us with two choices, “right” or “wrong” and he doesn’t care which one we choose. The question for us as believers in Christ is not what is right or what is wrong? The question is, “Will this choice give me life or death?” Romans’ 8:6 says, “For the mind set on the flesh (good looking or evil flesh, my addition here) is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Jesus is inviting us to get off of that tree of good and bad all together and instead get on the tree of Life which was also in the middle of the garden by the way. Don’t over complicate it, it is simply an invitation to come to Jesus. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy (like Mickey said to Rocky when training to fight Apollo, “he doesn’t just want to beat you, he wants to hurt you permanently”); I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
It’s yours if you want it
===================
Can't fully speak for the author but I think this speaks to our need for Christ wether we find ourselves outsiders or embracing His life now as believers.
The same grace that rescued us also sustains us, no additional tree of flesh-ly effort a value again.
Thoughts to ponder???
Recently someone said to me, “I guess I just need to try and be a more balanced person.” My response was, “Do you really think Jesus was rejected, tortured, and suffered on a cruel cross to make us balanced people?” Another way of putting it is, did Jesus endure all of that so we could work really hard at trying not to be so bad, but instead be good? This is the trap we all fell into when Adam and Eve ate from that forbidden tree, (the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Now their eyes would be open to all kinds of ways (both good and evil ways) to protect themselves and try to get their needs met apart from Jesus. A friend and mentor said to me once, When we are being tempted by Satan He will always present us with two choices, “right” or “wrong” and he doesn’t care which one we choose. The question for us as believers in Christ is not what is right or what is wrong? The question is, “Will this choice give me life or death?” Romans’ 8:6 says, “For the mind set on the flesh (good looking or evil flesh, my addition here) is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Jesus is inviting us to get off of that tree of good and bad all together and instead get on the tree of Life which was also in the middle of the garden by the way. Don’t over complicate it, it is simply an invitation to come to Jesus. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy (like Mickey said to Rocky when training to fight Apollo, “he doesn’t just want to beat you, he wants to hurt you permanently”); I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
It’s yours if you want it
===================
Can't fully speak for the author but I think this speaks to our need for Christ wether we find ourselves outsiders or embracing His life now as believers.
The same grace that rescued us also sustains us, no additional tree of flesh-ly effort a value again.