Living In The Tree Of Life (Part 1)

This morning I want to talk about life, not the facts of life or difficulties of life, but how to have true life in the Lord. In our United States Declaration of Independence we encounter the phrase, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” which is one of the most well known statements in human history. This phrase represents humanity’s search for quality of life, meaning in life, and freedom from tyranny, bondage, and condemnation.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6a). He also said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b). The way that Jesus brought us life was to reunite us with God the Father (Job 33:23-28; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:15) in a perfect love relationship with Him. Jesus came to reestablish the relationship that mankind possessed before the fall – the one enjoyed by the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden.

In the Garden mankind enjoyed true life, but life was lost when sin entered the picture. The Bible tells us, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12, NLT). 1 Corinthians 15:22, however, declares, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” Jesus came to bestow life – life eternal and abundant life! So, what is true life supposed to look like?

If we go back to the Garden we catch a glimpse of true life. The Garden of Eden was life as it was meant to be – perfect! Listen as I share some things about Eden from Genesis chapters 2 and 3. Eden was a place where all of mankind’s needs were met. There was unlimited food and water (Genesis 2:9-10); the man and woman had one another for companionship, friendship, and as helpmates (Genesis 2:20b-22); there was no pain there, or going through childbirth (Genesis 3:16a); there was no need to labor and toil, or work (Genesis 3:17-19a); there was no shame or guilt (Genesis 2:25), or blame (Genesis 3:11-12); no victimization (Genesis 3:13); and no need to hide and cover up in fear (Genesis 3:21); God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8a); and they were able to live forever, or have eternal life, while they were living in the Garden (Genesis 3:22-23).

This sounds like the depiction of life in the New Jerusalem after Jesus’ second coming, for we read in the book of Revelation how, “God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3b-4). We are not living in the Garden of Eden or in heaven, but wouldn’t it be great of we could taste that kind of life right now? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could say of our churches that they were places where people walked with God, needs were met, and that there was no shame, blame, or condemnation – churches that promote life!

Life has been bestowed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, the life-giver. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 we read, “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam [Jesus] became a life-giving spirit.” Romans 5:17 in the New Century Version tells us, “One man sinned, and so death ruled all people because of that one man. But now those people who accept God’s full grace and the great gift of being made right with him will surely have true life . . . through the one man, Jesus Christ.” Did you just hear that about having true life? We will surely have it!

So, why are there so many Christians who appear to be defeated, and who live in fear, guilt, shame, and condemnation? Why is there no apparent joy in their walk with the Lord? Why is it that we can enter some church services and the people seem cold and uncaring, and stiff and rigid? It’s because many Christians are still partaking of things associated with the former life of sin, and thereby they are partaking of death instead of life – though I must add that it is often unknowingly. They are eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, instead of eating from the tree of life.

This morning I want to talk about eating from the tree of life and walking in the tree of life. I have entitled our message for this morning, “Living in the Tree of Life,” and want to share some things that will help us learn to experience the abundant life that Jesus promised us.