Before the fall, God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden to establish a principle: man had a choice.
So what about the purpose of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil AFTER the fall? After they ate the forbidden fruit, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil has had the same purpose as the law:
Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified [made righteous] in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)1
That tree revealed to mankind that relating to God through our own righteousness is impossible. There is only one way to relate to God, and that is through the free gift of Christ’s righteousness. Since Adam and Eve, mankind has been trying to relate to God through their own goodness and righteousness, yet it’s only when we see how unrighteous that we truly are outside of Him that we are ready to receive His righteousness.
(from page 93 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.”
