Genesis 3:22 NKJV
“Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.’”
The Mystery of “One of Us”
Have you ever pondered what God meant when He said, “one of Us”?
That phrase reveals the divine counsel of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, united in perfect wisdom, holiness, and purpose.
From the beginning, God possessed full knowledge of both good and evil. Yet His knowledge was pure, holy, and untainted, because evil could never corrupt His divine nature. God knew evil only as something to judge and overcome, not something to experience.
Adam and Eve were created in the purity of God’s image to reflect His holiness. Although humanity was given free will, their souls were nourished initially by righteousness; no inclination to sin existed within them.
But Satan knew that. When God forbade eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, His warning wasn’t meant to withhold wisdom; it was meant to protect purity.
God was shielding them from a corrupted awareness that would separate them from Him.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed, they didn’t just learn about evil; they experienced it. Their eyes were opened not to divine understanding, but to guilt, shame, and death. Humanity gained awareness of evil but not the purity or power to govern it.
Why Did God Protect Us from the Knowledge of Evil?
God’s command not to eat from the forbidden tree was never restrictive; it was protective. He wasn’t withholding wisdom; He was guarding holiness.
Humanity gained access to a power it could not control. That knowledge dimmed the light of purity within the human soul and corrupted the harmony of the mind, heart, and spirit, leading to separation from our Creator.
God’s knowledge of good and evil is sovereign and undefiled, but the human heart, being created, not divine, could not bear that knowledge without corruption. When humanity tried to define right and wrong apart from God’s authority, rebellion replaced truth.
So, when God said,
“Lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever…” (Genesis 3:22), He banished humanity from Eden—not merely as judgment, but as mercy.
If humankind had eaten from the Tree of Life in a fallen state, we would have lived forever in sin, eternally separated from God. By driving Adam and Eve out, God preserved the possibility of redemption. Even in judgment, mercy was already preparing the way for Jesus Christ—the Redeemer who would restore eternal life through grace and truth.
Two Trees: Two Destinies
Today, we still stand before two trees:
- Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life, restores us to purity and eternal fellowship with God.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” — John 3:16
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” — John 14:6
- Satan, the tree of death, who leads to eternal separation from God.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23
“They will be thrown into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” — Matthew 13:42
My friend, God’s love has always been protective, not restrictive.
His commands are coverings of mercy meant to guard the soul from corruption.
The way back to the Tree of Life has been restored through Christ, but the choice remains yours.
Which tree will you choose today—Life or Death?
