TWO TREES IN THE GARDEN OF OUR HEARTS Part 7
TWO TREES IN THE GARDEN OF OUR HEARTS
Part 7 The Tree of Life (Jesus Christ)
Over the past few weeks, we have looked intently at the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.’ We have discovered it to be the forbidden tree because whenever we eat from it, we behave as ‘little gods’ unto ourselves. The enemy of our souls couldn’t destroy us, so his way of controlling us is through the flesh. We came to understand its hideous fruits bring death to our souls every time we eat from it. It also sets us at odds and war with the only loving Father we were created to depend on and be loved by. We were made aware the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil’ brought us:
- Independence
- Fear
- Masks and strategies on how to hide and pretend
- Ways to meet our own intimate needs
- All about I, my, and me
- Death – the absence of Life (peace, joy, rest, love, grace)
Today, we will turn our eyes to the other tree in the garden of our souls; the tree our Father says to eat from and we will find rest for our souls… ‘The Tree of Life.’
The ‘Tree of Life’ represents the Life of Christ and Life from the Holy Spirit. Outside of them, there is No Life! We experience only a meager existence and a drive to survive. Jesus Christ came into our hearts to reveal the truth of who we really are…sons and daughters of the God of the Universe! He also came to reveal our true purpose for our creation… to bear the image of the Trinity and to reproduce their image through us to the whole world. He destroyed the power on the flesh in us when we died to our old life and nature on the cross with Him. We NO longer have to yield to or obey the power of sin and the flesh; we have the power to say, No!
Jesus IS our source of ALL Life!
Colossians 1:16 (Amplified)
For by Him (Jesus Christ) ALL things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; ALL things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and FOR Him.
Everything and everyone has their source of life and purpose only in Christ. We were created to be dependent upon Him every moment of our lives. Just like we need air to breathe and water to drink, we NEED Jesus Christ to sustain us in our spirits, bodies, our thoughts, wills, and emotions. We are like fish gasping for air on dry land when we don’t find Jesus as our source of life. Let me explain. When things don’t go as we wish or as we plan, what are the emotions that take over… disappointment or frustration right? When the stresses of life overwhelm us and we can’t get a handle on life, what emotions or thoughts come to our minds? Fear, anxiety, or worry, right? He is our TREE OF LIFE TO EAT FROM EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY so those emotions or thoughts won’t rule us.
Revelation 22:1-2 (Amplified)
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Christ), 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the Tree of Life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
What kind of fruit brings healing to nations? We discovered from our last six blogs what kind of fruit brings death, anguish, fear, and destruction to the soul… the flesh. Let’s examine what fruits provides the soul with LIFE. Let take a look:
Galatians 5:22-24 (Amplified) – The Fruit of the Holy Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is:
Love [unselfish concern for others]
Joy [inner]
Peace
Patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting]
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
Against such things, there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.
Ephesians 5:9 (Amplified) – The Fruit of the Light of Christ
…for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light of Christ consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
In our next few blogs, let’s look more in-depth at the fruit of the Spirit within us and how to eat of its fruit moment by moment.
Prayer: Thank you, Papa, for the ‘Tree of Life,’ who is Christ and Your Spirit living within us. We are so grateful we can feast off of them every second of the day. They bring life and sweetness to our souls. Teach us how to eat of their life moment by moment. Amen