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This is my first entry ever! I want to talk about two trees. Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, which I think must have been a pretty spectacular place (being perfect and all). There were two trees with special purposes and special rules- the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and also the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve were in paradise and were walking with God in the garden!!! Yet, even though this was true, they chose to eat of the first tree anyway. Though they only had one rule to follow and paradise to enjoy, they broke that rule and were banned from paradise.

We are sinful just as Adam and Eve were. We are born sinful and are naturally inclined to "have it our way" rather than God's way. We rebel, as Adam did, against God's will. We all think in our own minds that we know better than God, the God who gives breath and takes away, the God who created the entire universe in six days (though six seconds would have sufficed). 

We are wrong. We hurt ourselves when we sin. We are condemned because of it. We will always sin, but we must repent. We have no hope in our sin because our holy God has no tolerance for contaminated sinners. 

The second tree in the Garden was the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve were banned from it. But God had a plan. He was going to save His people. He would reconcile His people to Himself. A sacrifice was needed to atone for the sins of His people. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth. Jesus died upon the Tree at Calvary. Though Jesus died there, that tree is not a tree of death for us. It is the Tree of Life. From His sacrifice on Good Friday and resurrection victory on Easter, we have life after death. We have forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation because of His death for our sake. His death on that cross gives us life. This Jesus on that cross is our only hope for the forgiveness of sins that we so desperately need. We are now and forever clothed with Christ's righteousness. What a great thing! That's an understatement). Thanks be to God, who cares, guides, protects, and provides for us each and every day.

-- James (Guest Writer)