“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20(NKJV) “And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Gen. 2:9(NKJV) “And the Lord commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” Gen. 2:16-17(NKJV)
Adam and Eve had no sense of sin until they disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Contrast the two trees mentioned in this Scripture. The tree of life and, not the tree of death, but of the “knowledge” of good and evil. This implies that two much knowledge is dangerous. But, the danger is not the amount of knowledge rather the kind of knowledge. Without the law there is no knowledge of sin. Law is recognized as the orders we receive from God, His commandments. Adam had one commandment to keep. He did not know what it was like to sin until he ate the fruit. At that point he became aware of the difference between good and evil. It became, “this is good but this is evil.”
There was a “knowing” that happened that changed the mind of humanity. From then on man has been controlling his own life with his choices. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the “Law” of that day. Which is better, the tree of life(JESUS) or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil(THE LAW)? Man, even Christians, is still trying to eat from the wrong tree. When we try to be justified by the law, we die. But, when we eat of the tree of Life we receive the life of Jesus in us. Today is our resurrection day. We have new life in Christ, our sacrifice. Man was never right before God because he kept the law. He was right before God because of the atonement sacrifices. Our “Lamb” has been slain. We are right with God! Hallelujah!!!