This chart came about, because every explanation I ever read about the fall, and the reason for Jesus dying on the cross and returning us to the garden was illogical. And as I studied this further there is no  support for this vew in scripture. Seeing  the Lord knows the end from the beginning. It is impossible for Him not to have known of the transgression beforehand. Thus there was a purpose for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Paul I believe thoroughly understood God's purpose and plan, and this chart draws mostly on the teachings of the apostle. Mostly from Romans but the influence of this thought threads through many of his letters, so much so I find myself following one lead after another. Therefore it is my prayer that a seed of thought may be planted in the reader, that your own study may grow.

As I read the word I now hear the hissing of the serpent, who through is own cunning unwittingly played his part in the transfiguration of man from the carnal to the Spiritual. And at the same time assuring his own downfall. A sort of trading places. We go up, he goes down.

From the book of Genesis, from the creation of Adam, the mystery of God began to unfold. We are told from later bible accounts, by those spiritually enlightened, that Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. 

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

The following quote and statement, will be at interval throughout the study:

Opens your eyes: Conviction

Brings the old man to the cross : Repentance

If you don't believe it, understand this: 

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ

Once the law is out the way the accuser of the brethren is cast down. He is powerless to accuse you:

the strength of sin is the law.

Some would argue that we are no longer under the ceremonial law, but the moral law. I can hear the voice of a stranger in that statement. There is no separation between any of the laws in the old testament. It was the law. Sin is transgressing the  commandments of God. Again this way of thinking is in the carnal realm.

We therefore have to look at the tree and the characteristics it possessed, in doing so we see a striking similarity in the effects of the fruit of this tree and the law on carnal man. Both adam and Eve were blind to there own condition, this tree had the ability to open their eyes. The law had the same effect

Genesis 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die (liar)  5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (some truth here)  6  And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

We in our earthly wisdom, think the account in Genesis of Adam and Eve partaking of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil was man exercising his freewill and rebelling against God. And therefore bringing sin upon his descendents (mankind). If this is what you believe, that it was an oversight on God’s part to put that tree in the midst of the garden. Then God would not be omniscient all seeing. I can tell you God put that tree there for a purpose, knowing man would not be able resist the desire to eat of it. 

This then sounds like God is tempting Adam and Eve by putting the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of  the garden, but it is not.  This tree like the Law was to be desired to make one wise, but both bring death.  

God in His wisdom gave one commandment “thou shalt not eat of it:” concerning the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil. 

So there was a law given, as binding as any commandment in the bible, and a curse for not obeying “thou shalt surely die.”  

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 

We know that they didn’t literally die that literal day,  but Paul's  experience with the Law in Romans 7 is identical to the results of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Law and the Tree

Read Romans7

Rom 7:8.  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence.1939   

 Strongs.1939  epithumia {ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah} desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust

 As soon as God said thou shalt not eat of it  all manner of lust, desire, craving and longing for that tree was in the heart of man.

Rom 7.8 For without the law sin [was] dead.

Rom 5:13  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

 Paul's amazing account here of sin and how it operates, is one of the greatest insights into the effects of sin, and what happened in the garden.

 Some people may argue Adam and Eve were without sin, and though that may be true the ability to commit sin was present. It is like having a new car, it may not have rust, but it has the ability to rust. Now we don’t have to commit an act of sin to offend God. 

 Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 Eve definitely had lust in her heart. Sin may have been dead in Adam and Eve’s life but lust certainly wasn’t, and the serpent appealed to that lust, till it conceived sin and brought forth death. God knew His fellowship with man would be limited. Man was of the earth, he was corruptible , man after all was flesh and blood.

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Jam 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

They really had sinned already before in her heart, they didn't love God, Eve loved the world and Adam loved his wife

1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression

Gal 3:19a  Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions  Rom 7:13b But sin, that it might appear sin, Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

It was never possible for Adam and Eve to please God, or have true fellowship with God

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:....

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Blind and Naked

Rom 3:20  ……… by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.

Psalm 19:7  The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple.  8  The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes.

Paul the Sinner

Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

Paul also had this prophecy fulfilled in his life until he had the encounter with the Lord on the road to damascus and was blinded.

Jesus opens the eyes of the blind

Act 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Jn 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Jn 15:22  If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Hast thou eaten of the tree?

Gen 3:11 ....... Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman     whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

You notice that there eyes were open to their sinful condition, and they hide themselves from the presence of God. But when questioned by God . Instead of answering yes. They begin trying to justify their actions by saying someone else is responsible for their disobedience. Adam even throws the blame on God for giving him the woman.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.  

The old man, the carnal man cannot live under the law. Through the law is the knowledge of sin. (evil)

For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Rom 7: 9  For I was alive without the law once: but when

the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 

:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Paul's Enlightenment

This is the crux of the message in the garden. we know the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was a spiritual tree, an analogy of the law. Paul's dilemma is the same thing that faced Adam and Eve. Before the law he was alive, now he is aware of his sin. Now we understand that Paul is alluding to the Garden of Eden because Paul would never have been without the Law in his life.

Phi 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

This interesting because Paul challenges anyone who now desires to keep the Law, to see if they can exceed his claims to keeping the Law. He then compares  confidence in the Law with confidence in the flesh. Which it is! A revelation Paul eventually had. He then tells us how he used to see Himself. He is saying nobody kept the letter of the law better than him.

Here are my credentials

In this brief statement it oozes of self righteousness. He had the right heritage, good breeding, belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, his father was a Pharisee. He was up there with the elite. The things he did to the church displayed his zeal for the law. Punishing blasphemers. His statement is so brief in fact that you feel from the next verse, his life up until Christ was a waste, because these things were only gain to him on a carnal level.

The carnal unenlightened man  before he understood the law from a spiritual perspective. Romans 7.    His  mind was blinded:....  when the reading of the old testament.....ref 2Cor 3:14

Phi 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Phi 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 Beware of the concision

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

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