 The infamous tree in the garden of Eden gets a lot of attention. It's mysterious. There's probably a lot that went on in the mind of God we aren't aware of that resulted in that tree's presence in the garden. But we do know a couple of things.
First, Adam and Eve weren't supposed to eat from it (Gen. 2:16-17). God said they could eat from every other tree in the garden, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not among them. Second, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a good thing. It's part of the creation God declared to be exceedingly good (Gen. 1:31). There's nothing evil about this tree. This is what makes the first sin so striking. Humanity's first mistake wasn't murder or adultery. It was taking a good thing and turning it into a "must-have" ultimate thing. Through the devious whisperings of the serpent, Adam and Eve gazed upon that tree and began to think, "If only we had the fruit of that tree, then our lives will become all we imagine they could be." The irony of the story is that Adam and Eve got the very thing they thought they needed to be content and it made their lives worse than they were before. This is what happens when we pursue satisfaction through some route other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a theme replete through Scripture. And it is a theme replete in our lives. There is a voice within every one of us that murmurs with nauseating repetition: "If only I had that, then I would be happy." All the while Jesus is the only one who can truly offer rest (Matt. 11:28-30). He's the only one with living water that truly quenches your thirst (John 4:13-14). He's only one who can make you content (Phil. 4:12-13). This is a compelling reason for the vision of Alliance Bible Church to be about "captivating generations with the satisfying gospel of Jesus Christ." God, help us as we seek to be instruments of gospel captivation!
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