Genesis 3-4

Dec. 8, 2010

YOU WILL BECOME LIKE GOD

The Serpent was more crafty… the master of  half-truth or “white-lies” (lie: “Did GOD really say, ‘you must not eat form ANY tree in the garden?’”). It’s craftiness masterfully misled the woman who had not received GOD’s Word directly, but only heard from somebody. How easy it is to fall prey to this Serpent if we don’t have GOD’s Word. It is very important to feast on GOD’s Word daily.

Four thousand years later, this Serpent also said to Jesus as it did to the woman in effect: ‘EAT’, referring to the stone. While the woman didn’t realize she was in GOD’s likeness, Jesus knew He is the SON of GOD. That is why HIS tempter challenged HIS identity using the Holy Sriptures instead of offering an identity of GODship. Fortunately, Jesus knew the Holy Scriptures by heart, and more than that, He knew GOD’s heart.

THE STONE

What was the Serpent’s glaring advertisement to Eve, and MAN in general? That “you will be(come) like GOD, knowing good and evil.”. The FRUIT (of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil), supposedly makes a MAN become like GOD. The Serpent made it appear that the effect of eating this fruit is becoming like GOD, when GOD said the effect is death. Crash the fairytale story about Eve eating the apple because to all its like, there’s nothing sweet or beautiful about the FRUIT. It was not a bad FRUIT, but it was not intended for MAN. It was to be a tithe to everything that MAN ought to enjoy. It was GOD’s portion. And so was the STONE that Satan used to tempt JESUS. The STONE speaks of the LAW (written and engraved on STONE). The LAW is not bad, GOD Himself gave the LAW. MAN cannot handle the LAW. When GOD gave the LAW to Moses, it was set on a stone. HE instructed to put it in the ARK covered with the Mercy Seat. It was not intended to be handled by MAN. People died from handling this STONE, literally.

THE FRUITS

There were two trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden, bearing two different kinds of fruits.

The Tree of Life bears the fruit called Life.

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil bears the fruit called Knowledge of Good and Evil. In other words, its fruit is the LAW. The LAW defines what is good and what is evil. The LAW also condemns. That’s how it kills, by condemnation. That is why GOD clearly said, “when you eat of it, you will surely DIE”.

The LAW (letter) kills but the Spirit gives LIFE. The Holy Spirit is not LIFE, JESUS is. HE said “I AM... the LIFE”. JESUS does not give life, HE is LIFE. By receiving HIM, we get HIM -we get LIFE. The Holy Spirit gives LIFE, HE gives JESUS. HIS primary role on earth is to convict MAN of sin, the sin of not receiving JESUS. And when MAN is convicted of this particular sin, HE gives JESUS – HE gives LIFE.

While the STONE kills, JESUS covered it and HE died. HE is the MERCY SEAT that covered the ARK containing the STONE. While the LAW condemns, Jesus covered it. The LAW is potent, it is very effective that all its strength against all sins of all mankind took effect on JESUS’ body on the cross. There is none left un-condemned at the cross, none for us to take home and rot.  

NO MORE CONDEMNATION

The tithe of all that MAN ought to enjoy was the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It represents all the fruits MAN can enjoy. Because of the tithe of fruits, all fruits became fit for MAN to eat. MAN was condemned for violating the tithe and the ground was cursed. MAN ages because of the sentence of death. Aging is slow dying. Sickness, poverty and bitterness were everywhere because the fruits were not the same as when all fruits were tithed.

The tithe of all mankind is JESUS. JESUS represents all mankind. When HE died, all MAN served the death sentence at the cross by JESUS. When a sentence had been served, it cannot be sentenced again as in the Law of Double Jeopardy. There is only one sentence for MAN, the Holy Scripture says “for the wages of sin is death”. The death sentence had been executed. MAN is left with zero-sentence. Not just one man freed, but all mankind, Christ being the tithe of all mankind.

BECOMING LIKE GOD

The Serpent deceived MAN who have the image and likeness of GOD, by saying “you will BECOME like GOD…” Becoming what he already is was a lousy salesmanship, nevertheless, MAN fell for it.

MAN did not do anything to be like GOD. It’s natural for him to be like GOD. He was made by GOD to be like GOD. MAN never needed the LAW (the fruit of knowledge of good and evil) to be righteous, he was already righteous at that time. His righteousness sprang from GOD’s righteousness, being a creation made in GOD’s own image and likeness.

Now, by the righteousness of JESUS CHRIST, MAN has the image and likeness of GOD. MAN is already righteous regardless of religion, LAW or good deed. MAN is righteous by JESUS’ finished work on the cross.

The Serpent has seen many Eve in the world, still thinking that they need to become like GOD when they already are. In great irony, the Serpent has worked hand-in-hand with religion to make MAN think he needs the LAW to be like GOD for centuries after Jesus died on the cross to fulfill the LAW. Don’t let the Serpent fool you too.