If you were a member of the Worldwide Church of God in the early 1980s, you probably heard Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong talk about “the two trees” more than once.
Perhaps you can still picture the throng gathering in the Ambassador Auditorium for the traditional Friday night Bible Study. Mr. Armstrong would walk to center stage, and then sit down behind his desk. As soon as the audience recognized who would be presenting the Bible study, many would turn to their neighbors and whisper, “The two trees!” Sure enough, many times they had guessed exactly right as to the evening’s topic!
Back then, some members professed to be “tired of hearing” the “same message” from Mr. Armstrong so often. They thought they were wise and deeply converted, and they wondered why Mr. Armstrong kept harping on the same topic. Sometimes they would wonder, “Is it because he is so old and infirm? Doesn’t he know that we ‘get it’ already?”
Why did Mr. Armstrong so often return to the second and third chapters of Genesis? Consider the story of the pastor who kept repeating the exact same sermon, week after week. Finally, one of his congregants worked up the courage to ask the minister when he was going to move on to another subject. The preacher answered, “When you all come to understand what I am trying to teach you!”
Sadly, much of the Church did not “get it”—as became clear when Mr. Armstrong’s successors led tens of thousands of members on a radically different course—right out of the Church of God!
At one time, Mr. Armstrong lamented, “Brethren, I don’t think half of you are converted!” At least once he was heard to say, “I don’t think more than a tenth of you are converted!” Certainly, most who heard Mr. Armstrong’s message about the “two trees” have scattered to the winds in the last 25 years.
Thankfully, any of you “old timers” who are reading this are likely to be among the few who actually did “get it”—who understood what Mr. Armstrong was teaching, and who acted upon it!
But—whether we heard Mr. Armstrong or not—what are we really doing with what we have learned? Are we really using the Holy Spirit to help us overcome Satan, society and self? Are we striving for the righteousness exemplified by Jesus Christ, and doing our best to let Him live that life within us? The answer may be found in how we grasp and practice the vital lesson of the two trees.
Adam and Eve Chose Poorly
After Lucifer’s pride led him to rebel against his Creator (Ezekiel 28:11–16), God rejuvenated the ravaged face of the earth, so the human beings He would create could live and flourish there. “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 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” (Genesis 2:8–9).
Those two trees were to play a fascinating and pivotal part in God’s plan. The Lord was going to use them to see whether or not the first man and woman would obey Him.
God gave Adam the responsibility of tending and keeping the garden in which he and his wife were to live (v. 15). “And the Lord God 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 that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (vv. 16–17). This was not a divine suggestion or recommendation; this was a command and a warning of what the penalty would be, if the man disobeyed his Lord and Creator!
The garden was to be filled with living creatures. “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him” (vv. 19–20). None of the animals had the spirit that was in man—the spirit that gave Adam this level of communication with his Creator.
So, “the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man” (vv. 21–22). Note that God did not take Adam’s toe—which could have implied Eve’s status as below the man. He did not take Adam’s finger, which could be used to make a fist or to point as in accusation. He chose a rib—indicating that the woman would be close to the man’s heart, and supportive by his side.
The plan was for Adam and Eve to repopulate the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:26–28). God had created Adam and Eve in the divine image—literally looking like God—and intended that these beings would eventually become full members of the Family of God. But God could not by fiat force Adam and Eve or their descendants to submit their wills to God’s law. He could not impose on them a holy and righteous character that they did not want. Rather, He had to see whether they would be willing to live His way, instead of striking out as adversaries, as Lucifer had done when he became Satan. He had to see whether they would learn to reject the bad fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which they would consume to their great spiritual detriment.
By eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve had chosen selfishness rather than selflessness. They had chosen their self-will instead of yielding to God’s will. The two trees symbolize selfishness vs. selflessness, or, as Mr. Armstrong put it, the way of get vs. the way of give. Mankind’s way, turned away from God, is the way of selfishness. God wants His people to learn selflessness, as exemplified by the tree of life.
Another “god”?
Scripture describes Satan as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). As ruler of the earth, Satan broadcasts his negative influence and evil ideas into the minds of human beings everywhere. He puts his stamp on the content of the movies and television programs we watch. He emboldens those who fill the Internet with pornography, slander and rebellion. He influences those who create music that stirs mankind’s vilest passions.
The Messiah—Jesus Christ—will soon return to establish the Kingdom of God right here on planet Earth. In that Kingdom, human beings will be able to live in freedom, no longer influenced by Satan’s broadcasted temptations. Yet, even today, we as Christians can overcome his influence if we yield to Jesus Christ, allowing Him to live His life in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
You may have heard the saying, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” When God first created the earth, He placed it under the rule of the archangel Lucifer. Lucifer’s rebellion did not remove him from his position of rule; it led to the destruction and confusion described in Genesis 1:2, and to the earth coming under the sway of the being since known as Satan.
God’s plan, however, was to re-establish His rule over the earth. So, Adam was created and given dominion over the planet (Genesis 1:26–28). But Adam failed to qualify to replace Satan. The task then went to the “Second Adam”—Jesus Christ. It is Christ—King of kings and Lord of lords—who will replace Satan. Until then, Satan’s rule over the earth continues even now (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
Before Christ began His three-and-a-half-year ministry, Satan tempted Him. He even offered Jesus Christ the rulership of the earth! “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours’” (Luke 4:5–7).
Notice that Jesus did not dispute Satan’s claim to rule the world at that time, nor his prerogative to offer Him its rulership. Christ knew that the world at that time belonged to Satan. Had Jesus chosen to worship Satan, He could right then and there have had dominion over the earth. But it would have been a selfish rule based on Satan’s ways of evil, rather than a selfless rule based on God’s way of good. Christ knew that He had to sacrifice His very life as a sin-offering—not only to qualify as the rightful ruler of planet Earth, but also to make salvation available to billions of human beings.
Just as Satan sought to tempt Christ to take the “easy way” out to become the ruler of the earth, he and his demons also strive to influence the actions of blinded human beings (1 John 2:21–24). “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). In this world ruled by Satan, it is no wonder that so many false religions are led by demon-influenced men, and that governments are in the hands of base men who trust in themselves and ultimately in Satan, not knowing the true God.
Why Suffering?
What purpose does suffering serve? Is God being cruel by allowing humanity to reap the bitter fruit of its rebellion? It is true that God has allowed Satan to deceive the whole world so that, generation after generation, men and women could have the lesson burned into their minds that disobedience and rebellion against their Creator is folly and ultimately leads to curses and eternal death. But this is for mankind’s ultimate good. God is giving rebellious human beings an unfettered opportunity to do things “their way” without Him. When they are resurrected in the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11–15), they will have to admit that the selfish results of “their way” led to evil and chaos. Having experienced the results of living without God, they will be that much more ready to embrace God’s selfless way and experience its benefits.
Satan is filled with hate and jealousy toward human beings, to whom God has given an opportunity that he and his demons will never have. Satan is a spirit being, but can never become part of the Family of God. Unlike the angels, human beings were created with God specifically planning to make them (us) part of His family, through the sacrifice of the Logos—the Word, who became Jesus Christ. Human beings in the Millennium and in the Great White Throne Judgment will be able to look back at the fruits of Satan’s rule, in comparison to God’s rule, and make the informed choice to live God’s way.
Today’s Christians, however, are living in a world ruled by Satan. We do not have a perfect world around us as firsthand proof of the value of God’s way of life. Yet we, too, are meant to become full sons of our Father when we are born into the God Family upon Jesus Christ’s return. At the first resurrection, the “dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), along with those still alive who have Christ living in them, will become born again as Spirit beings in the Family of God. And for those of us who overcome in this age ruled by Satan, God promises a special blessing. Ours will be a “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35). Today’s Christians who have kept Christ’s word, persevered and not denied His name (Revelation 3:8–13) will become the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7), and will reign under Him as kings and priests (Revelation 20:6).
Christ told us: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one” (John 10:27–30).
Notice! God the Father promises that His people cannot be snatched out of His hand! If we have yielded ourselves to Him—if we remain close to Him and obey Him and rely on Him—we can be confident of His protection. If we prefer rebellion, we may choose to leap out of the Father’s hand. But if we trust in Him, He will never drop us or let us go!
The Whole World Is Evil?
The Apostle John reminded us: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).
To some, this may seem like an extreme statement. We may know many “nice” people outside God’s Church. Perhaps we remember a kindly nun who sacrificed so much to teach generations of schoolchildren, or who spent her life in selfless service to the poor. We may think of a Protestant minister who always lived frugally so he could purchase more Bibles to send to the “mission field.” We may have known Buddhists or Hindus who strove to live lives of great personal integrity, refusing to lie or cheat or steal and always humbly tried to serve others around them. Are all these people under the sway of Satan?
The scriptural answer, though shocking to some, is: Yes! Without the true God, even the greatest human righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Yet, we should not as Christians make the mistake of feeling “superior” to such deceived people. Many of them are, in terms of their own human character, “better” than we are. Once God opens their eyes to the Truth, they will take to it far more readily than many of us have. Although today’s Christians have been given the extraordinary opportunity to become “firstfruits” in the Kingdom of God, we need to remember with humility that, in this present age, God is generally not calling the “best people” into His Truth (1 Corinthians 1:26–29).
We must also remember that God’s own people can be swayed by Satan’s lies. It is not just those practicing false religions who can be led into error; Satan also tries to pervert and “water down” the truth of God. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
Yes, there will be false teachers even masquerading as true followers of Christ. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).
God forcefully condemns those who teach falsehood in His name! “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:20–21).
Our Calling and Challenge
To test their faith and conversion, true Christians—those who have Christ dwelling in them through the power of the Holy Spirit—daily face challenges from the world! “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)!
We must turn away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and reject the selfish way of “get.” We must turn toward the tree of life, and choose the selfless way of “give.” Yet, God is not asking us to do this on our own strength. He has given us His Holy Spirit, through which we can use God’s own strength to draw closer to Him. God does not want us to fail—and He has given us what it takes to succeed! Our calling gives us the opportunity—and the ability—to come out from under the tree of darkness and death, into the life-giving shade of the tree of life!
Although the task in front of us may sometimes seem daunting, even overwhelming, we should not let ourselves become discouraged. God Himself “has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12–14).
Where Are You?
By examining our fruits, we can determine which tree we are seeking. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil produces fruit that looks attractive and at first seems desirable (Genesis 3:6–7). However, that fruit contains a poison deadlier than any toxin known to science! That poison is the “way of get”—a self-directed orientation that works slowly into every aspect of life, sapping our spiritual strength, warping the body and the mind, and ultimately leading to death. How can we recognize the symptoms of eating from this deadly tree? Paul gives us a helpful list: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19–21).
Where we find these symptoms in our lives, we can know that we have been eating from the forbidden tree. Thankfully, there is an antidote. When we repent, and we rely on God’s Spirit to bring about a real change in our spiritual “diet,” we can overcome the deadly effects of our past sins.
What happens when we rely on God’s Spirit instead of the fruit of self-will? Paul listed some symptoms that we should be able to find in our lives: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no [penalty of the] law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–25).
Brethren, we cannot afford to wait until “later” to make the needed changes in our lives. We do not know when our lives will end. Every moment God has given us is precious, and not to be wasted. As Paul wrote: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:11–14).
This is the lesson of the two trees. Are we applying it in how we spend our lives?
—LCG Editorial Staff