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KINGDOM
BIBLE STUDIES
“Teaching the things
concerning the
THE TREE OF LIFE
AND THE TREE OF DEATH
Originally
published in March 1971
INTRODUCTION
One of the many Oriental symbols
which, when understood, opens the door to a storehouse of marvelous truth is
the word TREE. It has pleased God, in the unveiling of His great plan and
purposes to couch His truth in Semitic symbols which are so natural to the
Oriental mind. Both the Old and the New Testaments are full of a pictorial
symbolism which, when understood, is far mor expressive than a thousand words
in many instances. However, the symbolisms of Scripture also force those who
would understand to plunge far beneath the surface to see its more profound
meanings. Two things are absolutely essential to understand the great truths of
God contained in symbols. One is to search out and understand Oriental customs
and the characteristics of the Hebrew mind. The other is the SPIRIT OF
REVELATION from God.
Jesus employed this method of
teaching – using symbols. In fact, the Scripture says that, “All these things
spake Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES, and without a parable spake He
not unto them.” The word “parable” in the Old Testament is translated from
the Hebrew word “mashal” which means “a similitude or likeness.” In the New
Testament it is translated from the Greek word “parabole” meaning “a pithy and
instructive saying, involving some comparison and having perceptive or
admonitory force.” Another Greek word translated “parable” is “paroimia” which
is “a symbolic or figurative saying which shadows forth some didactic truth.”
It is interesting to note when Jesus
began to use this method of teaching. So abrupt was the change in His form of
teaching that His disciples asked Him why He did this. Jesus answered, “Because
it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the
TREES REPRESENT MEN
It is evident that trees are used to
represent men throughout the Scriptures. In Isaiah 61:1, 3 the trees represent
God’s chosen ones in this last hour. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me;
because the Lord hath anointed Me… to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to
give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called TREES OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE PLANTING OF THE LORD, that HE might be glorified.” Again in
Psalm 1:1-3, speaking again of God’s elect the Lord declares, “Blessed is the
man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of
sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But His delight is in the law
of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be
like A TREE planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his
fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.” Again in Psalm 92:12-13: “THE RIGHTEOUS shall flourish like the
palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in
Speaking of the day when the Lord
shall come forth to deal with all nations and bring His glorious Kingdom to
pass in the earth, the Spirit says, “Say among the nations that the Lord
reigns; the world also is established, that it cannot be moved; He shall judge
and rule the people righteously and with justice. Let the heavens be glad, and
let the earth rejoice… THEN SHALL ALL THE TREES OF THE WOOD sing for joy before
the Lord!” Psalm 96:10-13.
Of wicked men David says, “I have
seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.”
Psalm 37:35. Jude described certain apostates in the early church in these
terms: “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into
lasciviousness… These are spots in yours feasts… TREES whose fruit withereth,
without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” Jude 4, 12.
Two other interesting accounts where
trees are used for specific individuals are found in Daniel 4:19-24 and Ezekiel
31:1-14. Especially take note of verses 8 and 9 in the latter scripture.
FRUIT AFTER ITS KIND
The word “TREE” makes its first
appearance in Genesis 1:11. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the
herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose
seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” At first glance it would
seem that this is simply a declaration that God is the Creator of fruit trees,
but such is not the case. It is true that God is the Creator of all things,
including fruit trees, but this verse has much more to it than merely a
declaration of origins. There are two statements contained in Genesis 1:11
which we want to study, the first of which is the statement that the FRUIT TREE
is to yield fruit “after its kind.” This is, of course, a statement of
scientific fact and natural law. Apple trees produce apples and orange trees
oranges and so on. But if we stop there then we fall short of all this means in
the symbolic language of Scripture. For this “after its kind” law is a fact not
only in the physical realm, but in the SPIRITUAL REALM as well!
Jesus spoke of this “after its kind”
principle when He said to Nicodemus: “That which is born of the flesh IS FLESH,
and that which is born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT.” John 3:6. Jesus explained to
Nicodemus that in order to enter the
So we see that not only is there
such a thing as physical reproduction, but there is also the reality of
spiritual reproduction. As we have seen, God reproduces, “after His kind.” We
shall see that it is equally true that Satan (through the flesh) reproduces
after “his kind.” The spirit within a man is revealed by his words, actions,
and reactions. The seed of God, which is “The Word of Truth,” produces one kind
of fruit whereby the child of God is known, and the seed of Satan, which is the
“spirit of disobedience,” is recognized by the words, actions, and mental
attitudes which it produces.
James has a great commentary on this
principle in the third chapter of his epistle, as he comments on the unbridled
tongues of men: “Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives? Either a vine, figs?
Neither does a fountain yield both salt water and fresh! Who is a wise man and
endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good life his works with
meekness and wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,
glory not, and lie not against the Truth. Such wisdom is descending not from
above, but is earthly, sensual, demonical, for where envying and strife are,
there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom which is from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easily entreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. The fruit of
Righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace.” James 3:12-18.
Not only does James use fruit
bearing trees to reveal the truth about the difference between righteous and
unrighteous men but so does Jesus. In Matthew 7:16-19 we read, “Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth
good fruit: but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the
fire. WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM.”
THE TREE OF LIFE
“And the Lord God planted a garden
eastward in
It is quite evident to all who
seriously reflect upon the facts that the Tree of Life which God planted in
The question is: What is
LIFE? We speak of true life – incorruptible, immortal, eternal
life. What is the origin and source of such LIFE? Not only now, but back at the
BEGINNING – when all things were created and Adam walked in the Garden of God –
what was then the only source of LIFE? Hear the answer in John
1:1-4: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. IN HIM WAS
LIFE; and THE LIFE was the light OF MEN.” Again we read in I John 1:1-2: “That
which was FROM THE BEGINNING, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the WORD OF
LIFE; (For the LIFE was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show
unto you that ETERNAL LIFE, which was with the father, and was manifested
unto us.” That WORD – OF LIFE – was made flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus
Christ and in the beginning that WORD WAS LIFE!
If the Tree of Life in
Again we read in Revelation 22:2,
“In the MIDST of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit
every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Let us further consider the answer
to this question: Is the Tree of Life referred to in Revelation 2:7 and 22:2 a
literal, physical, material tree? Another question: Are the nations
going to be healed by chewing leaves like cattle from literal, physical,
material trees? Of course we know these questions are foolish, For the book of
Revelation is a book given in SYMBOLS. We have already seen that Jesus Christ,
the Word of God, WAS and IS the only LIFE of men. It has never
been in God’s mind or plan to minister eternal, immortal and incorruptible life
to men by means of a carnal, natural, physical, material tree, fruit,
or leaf. Christ is the Life and the only Life! There never has been and
never will be LIFE apart from Him! Not in
“Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and THE LIFE: no man cometh unto the Father but by
Me.” John 14:6.
“And this is the
record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life IS IN HIS SON. He
that hath the SON hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath
not life.” I John 5:11-12.
“He that believeth on
THE SON hath EVERLASTING LIFE and he that believeth not the Son shall
not see life.” John 3:36.
“As thou hast given Him
power over ALL FLESH, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast
given Him. And THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL, that they might know THEE the only true
God, and JESUS CHRIST whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:2-3.
“But these are written,
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing ye might have LIFE through His name.” John 20:31.
“When Christ, who IS
OUR LIFE shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians
3:4.
“For if by one man’s
offence death reigned by one: much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign IN LIFE BY ONE, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:17.
Must we do our Lord such an
injustice as to say that in order to have eternal life that men must partake of
Him AND ALSO a tree which is growing by a river in the City of
“I assure you, I most
solemnly tell you, he who believes in Me… has… eternal life. I AM the bread of
life – that gives life, the Living Bread. Your forefathers ate the manna in the
wilderness, and yet they died. But this is the bread that comes down from
heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and never die. I MYSELF am this Living
Bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live
forever; and also the Bread that I shall give FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD is My
flesh. Then the Jews angrily contended with one another saying, How is He able
to give us His flesh to eat? And Jesus said to them, I assure you… you cannot
have any life in yourselves unless you EAT THE FLESH of the Son of man
and DRINK HIS BLOOD… He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal
life; and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is TRUE AND GENUINE
FOOD; and My blood is TRUE AND GENUINE DRINK. He who feeds on My flesh and
drinks My blood dwells continually in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father
sent Me, and I LIVE BY THE FATHER, even so whoever CONTINUES TO FEED ON ME –
who takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me – shall in his turn LIVE
THROUGH AND BECAUSE OF ME.” Amplified Bible.
Can anything be plainer than that?
NOTE: The flesh of Christ is
symbolical of His WORD, for we know that even as eternal life cannot be
obtained by eating of a physical fruit, even so Christ is not talking about our
eating of His mortal, physical flesh. His flesh is His Word and His blood is
His SPIRIT – LIFE. “For the LIFE of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus
17:11. There is a great truth here. In the Old Testament we read of two men who
not only were recipients of eternal spiritual life but who also experienced the
change in their bodies from mortality to immortality and did not have to go by
way of the grave.
Where was the source of the Divine
Life these men received? Let us look at the record of Enoch. How did he manage
to escape the grave? How did he qualify to be translated? The Bible states that
Enoch “walked with God: and was not; for God took him.” Genesis 5:24.
There is the answer. He WALKED WITH GOD! Is this not exactly what Adam and Eve
did in the garden before they sinned? Elijah was translated, and did not go by
way of the grave. How did Elijah do this thing? First Kings informs us that
Elijah obeyed the word of the Lord. He obeyed the commands of God to Him – he
walked in the will of God. This was true of Enoch. Both men pleased God
because they obeyed the Word of God that came to them. Jesus said, “Man shall
not LIVE by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God.” Matthew 4:4. In other words, man can have life only by eating and living
every Word of God to him! Thus, in John 8:51, Jesus could say, “He that keepeth
MY SAYINGS (My Word, in essence) shall never see death.” He shall abide in
life. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Except ye eat the flesh (Word) of
the Son of man… ye have no life in you.” His “flesh” speaks of His Word. No wonder
we are said to be, “Born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the WORD OF GOD, which liveth and abideth forever” I Peter 1:23.
THE TREE OF DEATH
If the Tree of Life is a Person, and
that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ, then the Tree of Death must be a person,
and that person would be Satan. Surely it must be obvious that the FRUIT of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil produced death in Adam and Eve. The real
“key” to unlocking this “tree” symbol is to be found in the principle, “like
doth beget like.” Some 4,000 years after this Tree of Death began to bring forth
after its kind, Jesus met some of the posterity of that original tree and He said
to them, “But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which
I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then
said they to Him, We be not born of fornication; we have one father, even God.
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I
proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me. YE
ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and the lusts of your father will ye do” John
8:40-42, 44. It was through partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Death that
Adam and Eve experienced death. The power and poison of this fruit was Satan.
The writer to the Hebrews refers to this in Hebrews 2:14: “Forasmuch then as
the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took
part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the
POWER OF DEATH, that is, the devil.”
But while it is true that the Tree
of Death is Satan, it is evident that the FRUIT of the tree is the flesh.
Adam and Eve had flesh bodies, for the Lord God had formed them in
the beginning “of the dust of the ground.” But they were perfect and walked
with God and lived by His every Word. They walked in total innocence so far as
sin and the devil were concerned. They knew nothing of evil for they had never
experienced it and had no knowledge of it. While they had flesh bodies, yet
they did not walk in the desires or emotions of flesh controlled by Satan, for
their flesh bodies had never been surrendered to Satan and he did not have
control of them. They were totally yielded to God, walking in intimate
fellowship and vital union with Him. They were not living carnal, selfish,
self-centered, fleshly lives because they were so caught up in God they were
not even aware of any evil emotions, desires or thoughts. In other words, their
flesh was TOTALLY SURRENDERED to God – to His presence and will. God was IN
CONTROL of their beings.
But then – they met Satan! How
cunningly he appealed to their natural minds – their flesh being with its
HIDDEN pride, emotions, desires and potentials which up until now had not
presented any problem to them because they were so caught up in God and so
walking in the Spirit and Presence of God. How naïve was Eve! How
innocent! The trick the devil played on Eve was to appeal to the inner, hidden
emotions and desires which up until now had lain dormant because of her
submission to and preoccupation with God alone. These inner potentials of her
flesh being had never yet been stirred. Satan began to draw out these
hidden, inner potentials of flesh, he began to stir them and awaken them in her
being – in her mind – and the next thing Eve knew she was confronted with
fleshly thoughts, motives, emotions and desires (temptation) that she never
even knew that she possessed! The battle in her mind only raged a short time,
and poor naïve Eve yielded to Satan’s cunningly devised suggestion and partook of
her newly discovered fleshly appetite. The same thing happened to Eve that
befalls all mortals. James describes it in James 1:13-15, “Let no man say when
he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempteth he any man. But EVERY MAN is tempted when he is DRAWN AWAY OF
HIS OWN LUST, and ENTICED. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” The only difference
between Eve and us in this respect is that we came into the world with this
carnal nature IN FULL FORCE. But with Adam and Eve – it had to be awakened –
fanned into flame – because they were created perfect, innocent, and totally
yielded to God by the Spirit as we are to be WHEN we grow up into the full perfection
of Christ.
The partaking of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil was in Eve’s departing from perfect obedience and
submission to the Spirit of God – and in tasting (at the instigation of Satan)
of the “works of the flesh,” the carnal, sensual desires of her carnal mind and
flesh being. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that
it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES, and a tree to be DESIRED… she took of the fruit
thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat.”
If only Eve could have realized the tragedy of that moment! If she could have
perceived the great truth written thousands of years later by the apostle John,
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. And the world passeth
away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God ABIDETH
FOREVER!”
Once Eve had yielded to Satan’s
hypnotic power – once the carnal emotions of sin had been awakened and
experienced in her (and then in Adam) she was in the same position all sinners
are today – a slave to her own sinful nature! A nature was awakened within her
that she would never have known existed if she had continued to talk in the
Spirit and never allowed herself to be seduced by Satan. Once man had fallen
into the pit – once the motions of sin were stirred – he was trapped with no
way out! The battle was on – the same battle being waged today. Formerly he had
only known good – GOD. But now he had the knowledge of BOTH GOOD AND EVIL. The
evil was in his flesh… awakened and CONTROLLED BY SATAN! No wonder man’s eyes
were opened and they saw that they were naked. For the first time in their
lives their “flesh” was exposed – they had tasted of and KNEW EVIL – they were
changed – and they now felt the emotions of shame, fear and guilt – and so
tried to hide from God!
What happened in
REMEMBER: The Tree of Death is
Satan. But the FRUIT of that tree is THE FLESH. When we fulfill the lusts of
the flesh, we partake of the TREE OF DEATH. When we partake of the Spirit of
Christ, we partake of the TREE OF LIFE. And herein lies the SECRET to deliverance
from sin and death unto eternal life as a SON OF GOD! We are still upon the
battleground between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Death. We read in
Galatians 6:8, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap
life everlasting.” “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto
death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:16.
Paul graphically sets forth this
great truth in Romans 8:2-9 and 13:
“For the law of the
Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God
sending His Own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin
in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:
for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you… For if ye live after
the flesh ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of
the body, ye shall live.”
Haven’t we all experienced what Paul
describes in Romans 7:15-25?
“For I do not
understand my own actions – I am baffled, bewildered. I do not practice or
accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe (which my moral
instinct condemns). Now if I do what is contrary to my desire, that means that
I acknowledge and agree that the Law is good (morally excellent) and that I
take sides with it. However, it is no longer I that do the deed, but the sin
principle which is at home in me and has possession of me. For I know that
nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right,
but I cannot perform it. I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but
no power to carry it out; For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do,
but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am ever doing. Now if
I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it – it is not myself
that acts – but the sin principle which dwells within me. So I find it to be a
law of my being that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever
present with me and I am subject to its inmost self – with my new nature. But I
discern in my bodily members – in the sensitive appetites and wills of the
flesh – a different law at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and
making me a prisoner to the law of sin that swells in my bodily organs – in the
sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh. Oh unhappy and pitiable and
wretched man that I am! WHO will release and deliver me from the shackles of
this body of death? O thank God! – He will! THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, the Anointed
One, our Lord!” Amplified Bible.
Paul has set forth the STRUGGLE
between the flesh (fruit of the Tree of Death) and the Spirit (Tree of Life).
The SOLUTION to this struggle is set forth in the following Scriptures:
“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but
YIELD YOURSELVES UNTO GOD, as those that are alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness UNTO GOD” Romans 6:13. “There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, WHO WALK NOT
AFTER THE FLESH BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT. For the law of the SPIRIT OF LIFE in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His Own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE
FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT.” Romans 8:1-4. “This I say then, WALK IN THE
SPIRIT, AND YE SHALL NOT FULFILL THE LUST OF THE FLESH.” Galatians 5:16. The
SOLUTION lies in yielding to and walking in the Spirit of God. The solution
lies in “eating” of Jesus – eating His flesh (Word) and drinking His blood
(life, Spirit).
“WHOSE SEED IS IN ITSELF”
In Genesis 1:11 it says… “And God
said, let the earth bring forth… the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,
WHOSE SEED IS IN ITSELF, upon the earth.” The fruit tree not only is a bearer
of fruit “after its kind,” but, also, its seed is “in itself” upon the
earth. Herein lies the “key” to what many have found to be a very difficult
passage in I John 3:9. Before we consider this verse, let me remind you that we
have already seen that fruit bearing trees are used as a type of the character
of real persons. “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:16.
Now let us consider I John, chapter
3, verse nine: “Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; (for his seed
remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.)” Please
observe that just as the “fruit tree” of Genesis 1:11 has its “seed in itself,”
so, also, the Sinless One of I John 3:9 also contains His seed in Himself. That
the reference here is NOT to a Christian believer is evident from the statement
that “HE CANNOT SIN.” If the one who “cannot sin” is the Christian believer,
John is most assuredly contradicting himself, for earlier in this same book
John writes: “If we say that we have NO SIN, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness: And He is the
propitiation FOR OUR SINS: and not for OURS ONLY, but also for the sins
of the whole world.” I John 1:8-10, 2:1-2. We would do well to consider Wuest’s
translation of these verses: “If we say that indwelling sin we are not having,
ourselves we are leading astray (nobody else), and the truth is not in us. If
we continue to confess our sins, faithful is He and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from every unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned
and are now in a state where we do not sin, a liar we are making Him, and His
word is not in us. My little children, these things I am writing to you in
order that you may NOT commit an act of sin. And if anyone commits an act of
sin, One who pleads our cause we constantly have facing the Father, Jesus
Christ the Righteous One. And He Himself is an expiatory sacrifice for our
sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world.”
It is interesting to note that in
contrast to the emphasis in these above verses, John refers to Jesus Christ in
chapter two, verse one: “We have an advocate with Jesus Christ THE RIGHTEOUS.”
The amplified Bible renders this thus: “We have an Advocate with the Father; it
is Jesus Christ the all righteous…” In chapter two, verse twenty, Jesus
is called the “HOLY ONE.” Then in chapter three, verse five, John declares,
“And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and IN HIM
THERE IS NO SIN!”
“Whosoever is born of God does not
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in Him and He CANNOT SIN…” This does not
refer to the Christian believer, but to that Person whose name is “The Tree of
Life” in Genesis – He who dwells in the
Many mis-guided Christians are
constantly struggling to “kill” their “old man” of sin, or their “flesh nature”
so they can walk in the Spirit and fulfill righteousness in their lives. But
they have the cart before the horse! You cannot get “rid” of the flesh so you
can walk in the Spirit. Rather, you must yield to and walk in the Spirit of God
in order to be able to subdue and bring to death the desires and works
of the flesh. Here is God’s order: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2. “This I say
then, WALK IN THE SPIRIT and ye SHALL NOT fulfill the lust of the flesh!”
Galatians 5:16. Too long God’s people have been “sin conscious” when they need
to become “God conscious”. Let us quit trying to DIE and begin to WALK IN THE
LIFE OF CHRIST and the more we walk in His life, His lovely presence, His
Spirit, His word, the more the flesh will be put into “neutral” by the presence
and victory of Christ within! Feed your new man (Christ). Let Him begin
to grow up in you and HE WILL LIVE HIS SINLESS, ALL-GLORIOUS LIFE IN AND
THROUGH YOU!
When the fruit of the Holy Spirit is
produced in the child of God, it is Christ in the believer doing the good
works. Don’t make the mistake of seeking after the “fruit” of the
Spirit. God does not give this fruit to anyone! The Holy Spirit is a gift, but
the fruit of the Spirit is not a gift, but like all fruit it must be borne.
Ask God to fill you and control your life with His Spirit, and when the Spirit
of God begins to come forth and reign in your life HE WILL BEAR THE FRUIT in
your life. It is not your fruit, it is HIS and only HE can bear it! This
fruit can only spring forth within us through partaking (eating) of Jesus. Thus
we take the “seed” of the Tree of Life into our beings and the Tree of Life grows
up IN US and bears the fruit of Righteousness and Life. When this
Tree of Life has fully grown up in all of God’s Sons, then not only will Jesus
the Head be the Tree of Life, but the entire Christ-Body will be the Tree of
Life for we are the fulness (completion) of Him who filleth all things!
The final experience of all mature Sons of God is to be: “As He is, so are we
in this world.” It is this many-membered Tree of Life (the manifested Sons of
God) which will deliver the whole creation from the bondage of corruption.
Your mortal body cannot live apart
from the assimilation of food. Even as natural food sustains our physical
bodies, even so it is only the assimilation of the immortal, incorruptible,
eternal Life of Christ that can bring the Lord’s Body all the way into full
redemption and stature in Christ as the perfect, undefiled, incorruptible,
immortal and eternal Sons of God!
“Lord, evermore give us this Bread!”
Amen.
J.
PRESTON EBY
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