THE
TRUTH
John 1:4 "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
John 8:32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 14:6
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me."
MONTHLY LESSONS DESIGNED TO CONVERT.
“The Way to the Tree of Life!”
Revelation 2:7
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To
him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
As the angel of the Lord reveals to the church at Ephesus the words of the
Lord concerning their condition, the Lord emphatically states that He has
the power to grant those who overcome the right to eat from the tree of
life. This tree represents the eternal life that God has promised all those
who come to Him through His beloved Son.
There are over 300 references to trees in the Bible! They are used to
project such illustrations as representing a righteous man who is planted by
the rivers of water (Psalms
1:3).
Good trees bearing fruit are used to depict righteousness, while bad tress
that do not produce are thrown into the fire as worthless, are used to
illustrate false prophets (Matthew
7:15-19).
While trees are prolifically used in scripture as a teaching tool, there are
two trees recorded in God’s word that we want to take a closer look at.
Genesis 2:9
“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.”
Moses by revelation records that along with all the trees that were pleasant
to the sight and good for food, two special trees existed. One of these
trees would be the basis for the first commandment of God, note:
Genesis 2:16-17 “And
the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may
freely eat;
17
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.”
At the violation of this first law of God, the second of these trees would
be removed from man’s access, note:
Genesis 3:22-24 “Then
the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good
and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of
life, and eat, and live forever”—
23
therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground
from which he was taken.
24
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of
Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the
tree of life.”
Two things need our attention! First, although the tree of life has been
removed from man’s access, there remains a
“WAY” to the tree of life!
Second, in our opening text, Jesus claims to have the power to present us
with access to the tree of life. This
“WAY” is described best by the
words of our Lord to His chosen, note:
John 14:6
“Jesus
said to him, “I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.”
There can be no doubt by the revelation of scripture that God will render to
each and every man righteous judgment for the deeds done in his body.
Romans 2:6
who “will render to each one according to his deeds”
However, if we can seek God through Christ Jesus, like the Christians of the
first century, who had been baptized into His body for the remission of
sins, through the instructions of the Gospel of Christ; as it is the power
of God to salvation, we can regain access to the tree of life based on a
continued conformance to the word of God (Acts
2:38;
Romans 1:16;
6:3-4).
Romans 2:7
“eternal
life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory,
honor, and immortality”
Since all scripture is given by the inspiration of God (2
Timothy 3:16-17),
the tree of life appears often to illustrate a reward for the
characteristics needed to please God. We can learn a great deal from
Solomon; who revealed many of these characteristics needed to regain the
right to the tree of life.
-
Retaining the Wisdom of God is like a Tree of Life!
Proverbs 3:18 “She
is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all
who retain her.”
The “She” mentioned here is
wisdom (3:13),
and the wisdom is that which comes from God (3:19-21).
So, those who retain and keep the wisdom of God are likened to a tree of
life, or to those who reach its branches. The Apostle Peter stated to
Christians that we have been given
“All things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him
who has called us by glory and virtue” –
2 Peter 1:3.
The wisdom that leads to the tree of life is contained in the scriptures of
the New Testament, as God now speaks to us through His Son (Hebrews
1:1-2).
Those who diligently work with this word, will not be ashamed (2
Timothy 2:15).
-
The Production of Righteousness is Like a Tree of Life!
Proverbs 11:30 “The
fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is
wise.”
Here, Solomon teaches us that it is not enough to just know the wisdom of
God; this wisdom is expected to produce in each man [FRUIT].This
fruit is characterized as desirable because it is that which makes us right
with God. The Apostle Paul wrote to Christians and stated this same
principle that includes the sharing of truth with others, note:
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
-
A Life of Hope is Like a Tree of Life!
Proverbs 13:12 “Hope
deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is
a tree of life.”
The promises of God produce hope, first because He cannot lie (Titus
1:2),
and second because they are not founded on the corruptible things of this
physical life. This life is full of bumps and bruises as we go (thanks to
the ruler of this world – the Adversary); however, as the old saying goes,
“You don’t get the rainbow until
after the rain!”
1 Peter 3:15 “But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give
a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,
with meekness and fear”
-
A Healing Tongue is Like a Tree of Life!
Proverbs 15:4
“A
wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the
spirit.”
Solomon reveals the damage that can come from unchecked speech. Destructive
theories, self -elevating critical words, complaining, vulgarity, and plain
foolishness can cause many to fall short of achieving the tree of life.
Since Christ Jesus is the “WAY”
to God and the tree of life, Paul says:
Colossians 3:17 “And
whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
These are just a few of the characteristics needed in anyone who wishes to
regain access to the tree of life. The one very important thing to keep in
mind if you want to know the hope of the tree of life is:
Revelation 22:14 “Blessed
are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to
the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”
Seek the WAY to the Tree of Life!
We invite you to worship and learn with us:
Sunday Morning Bible Study – 10 A .M. (Classes for all ages)
Sunday Morning Worship – 10:55 A.M.
Sunday Evening Worship – 5 P.M.
Wednesday Evening Service – 7 P.M.
Visit our web site at:
plvcc.org