So here’s a question, “Are we experiencing this kind of life?” When we accept Jesus, this abundant life is our inheritance and we don’t have to wait for heaven to begin possessing it.

Scripture teaches that those who have accepted Christ are seated with Him in the heavenly realms and are blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3,6). We have been given everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). This means our inheritance includes unlimited supernatural stuff—love, peace, joy, goodness, might, provision, wholeness—the very virtue and power of Christ. Here’s the question again, “Have we begun to experience this inherited life?”

One of the keys to possessing our inheritance now is to learn to eat from the Tree of Life. Living from the Tree of Life means making choices, using words, and allowing our mind to only think on those things that will lead to life—not only in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.

There were two trees in the beginning—the Tree of Life and it’s forbidden counterfeit, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Let’s refer to this tree as the KGE tree or “cage” tree, because that’s what it does—it puts us in bondage. The choice to eat from either of these trees still exists today.

Living from the KGE tree means making choices based on what is good and what is bad —or what is right and wrong—which leads to death in us and possibly in those around us. Genesis 2:17: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”

Choosing to eat from the KGE tree makes us filter everything—every attitude, every decision, every action–through a value system of judging what is good and what is bad.

The problem is: being “right” does not always bring us life. Being right sometimes is counterproductive if it is poisoning us, making us bitter, or destroying our freedom in Christ. “Technically” we may be right—dead right! When Adam and Eve ate from the KGE tree, the shame and embarrassment they experienced caused them to blame one another and hide from God. That is what happens to us if we react to circumstances based on the KGE—we end up blaming others for our failures and hiding from God.

Whenever we start blaming others for our own actions or situations, we are really declaring their "lordship" over our lives. When we blame others we are saying, "God, You are not in charge of my life any longer-my circumstances are in charge, God is not." Many times we say things like, "I can't focus when I pray. Every time I try to pray, I think about 'so and so' and what they did to me. I'm so angry with them." When we do this, we are saying, "'So and so' is my lord." We've abdicated authority in our life to someone who has wronged us. We have taken on a victim mentality. We are looking at the facts-what they did that was wrong, who is to blame, how awful the situation is-this is tree of knowledge stuff.

KGE tree thinking focuses on performance-earning and being measured. Whether it's our performance or others, we end up labeling people. This kind of measuring puts people and situations in a box and God becomes limited in our mindsets. Faith is quenched as pride and fear are accommodated. These are the sounds of legalism and the law.

We will not find the Life of Christ in "knowing" what is good and bad-right and wrong. The knowledge of good and evil always has the same result: death-death to faith, death to peace, death to joy, death to intimacy, death to humility, death to grace, death to dependence on God…

Jesus wants us to choose Him-to choose LIFE!

The Tree of Life is sourced in the nature of God-love, wisdom and power. The fruit of the Life Tree is absolutely superior to anything else. It is the brilliance of God in Christ Jesus. God eliminated the necessity of measuring by bringing the immeasurable-His love expressed through Christ. The Tree of Life says, "Align your thinking with God's heart-receive forgiveness. And now always be ready to forgive them, release them and trust the Lord." We may still need to take some action, but that action must come out of a pure heart-this is a heart of love which responds to God's heart. Forgiveness and trusting the Lord will always bring LIFE to us and to those around us.

"Wisdom is a tree of life" (Proverbs 3:18). "A wholesome (healing) tongue is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4).

When we choose the Tree of Life and refuse to be controlled by the knowledge of good and evil, it confuses the strategies of the enemy. If we are living from the Tree of Life, our hearts will not become wounded when we are wronged or mistakes are made-it won't affect us because the enemy can't control our reactions if they are coming from the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is sourced in wisdom and love, which is always up to good. The Tree of Life has unlimited ability to solve and overcome any relational conflict or oppressive situation.

With every thought and decision we have a choice. We can choose to eat from the Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Let's begin to listen more closely to our thoughts and words and find out their source-Life or KGE. The Holy Spirit is very ready to help us eat well. Let's increase our abundant life by eating only from the Tree of Life.
...............................................................................- Bea Tapparo & Bobbi Hicks