Eternal Death That Sounds So Good

There are men and women of the cloth in our country, and countries across the world, who are starting to teach things that are different than what we find in Scripture. It may seem like all of these things that they are teaching is new, and some of that is true. Turn to John 16. We’re hearing preachers say that when you sin you don’t have to repent because it’s all by grace.

In John 16, verse 13, the Bible says “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

If you are listening to preachers, including our pastor and me, more than you are listening to the Holy Spirit, then you are setting yourself up to be deceived and, now listen to me, you are setting yourself up to potentially walk away from your salvation.

In Matthew 24, when the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of his return, the first thing he said, and we see this in verse 4, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” The first sign of Jesus’ return will be an increase in deception – an increase in the teaching of wrong doctrine.

There is a reason that Jesus said this and we find that reason back in Genesis. But before we go there, look at 2 Corinthians 11.

(1) Would that God ye could be with me a little in my folly; and indeed bear with me.

(2) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

(3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

It’s not by accident that Paul says “as the serpent beguiled Eve … so your minds should be corrupted.” He’s making a point. The corruption he’s talking about is your mind no longer thinking the way God thinks. You and God are no longer on the same page. How do you know that Bro. Barry? Let’s go to Genesis 3.

In Genesis 3, well, hold your finger there and go to Genesis 2 and look at verses 8 and 9.

(8) And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man who he had formed.

Now, in Hebrews 9:23 it says the things of this world are a pattern of the things that you see in heaven. In Ezekiel 28, verses 13 through 15, it talks about how Satan was in the “Eden of God.” What we’re seeing here, the garden of Eden, is a replica of the Eden of God. Now do you understand why we say things like “heaven on earth?” God designed the garden of Eden to be like the Eden that He has in heaven,. That is important to remember.

(9) And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; [Do you see that little thing after the word “food?” It’s a semicolon. When we read this, it’s telling us to pause before we continue reading.]

Let’s pick it up with “good for food”; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, AND the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

What tree is in the midst of the garden? The tree of life. Remember this.

Go down to verse 15.

(15) And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

In Ezekiel 28, verses 13 and 14, scripture says the same thing being described here was originally Lucifer’s job in heaven. He was the anointed cherub “that covereth” – that kept the Eden of God.

(16) And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

I want you to hear what the Bible says. “Every tree of the garden you may freely eat.”

(17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:

What does this tell us? The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was originally not part of the garden. Do you see this? Let me read it again. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.” Every tree. That word “every” means exactly what it says, every.

“‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”