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Author Topic:   The Tree of Life as God's Life
John 10:10
Member (Idle past 2995 days)
Posts: 766
From: Mt Juliet / TN / USA
Joined: 02-01-2006


(1)
Message 286 of 292 (550064)
03-12-2010 12:06 PM
Reply to: Message 285 by ICANT
03-10-2010 4:55 PM


Re: Work into Us
ICANT writes: "Now if you have a scripture where God says He will work His way into our life I would like to read it."
Read on!
Phil 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
If we would spend more time getting into God's presence than trying to get into God's mind, we wouldn't be asking Him so many questions.
Blessings

This message is a reply to:
 Message 285 by ICANT, posted 03-10-2010 4:55 PM ICANT has not replied

  
jaywill
Member (Idle past 1941 days)
Posts: 4519
From: VA USA
Joined: 12-05-2005


(1)
Message 287 of 292 (552024)
03-25-2010 10:34 PM


Now if you have a scripture where God says He will work His way into our life I would like to read it.
I would fully agree with the inclusion of Philippians 2:13. And I would add some other passages.
"My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you." (Gal. 4:19)
The Galatians were already in possession of the Holy Spirit. Paul's labors were so that Christ would be formed and take clear shape within them. This could be regarded as God working Himself into them.
" ... I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ." (Phil. 3:8)
Paul was already with Christ. Yet he desired to gain Christ. This may be regarded as the Triune God working Christ into Paul's being, and thereby working God into Paul.
" ... that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith." (Eph. 3:16,17)
Paul's audience here are already in possession of Christ. Yet Paul's prayer is that through the strength of the Spirit of God Christ may make His home in their hearts, their mind, emotion, and will. This can be regarded as God working Himself into man.
"We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us ... Therefore we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet out inner ,am is being renewed day by day." (2 Cor. 3:7,16)
This renewing of the apostles' inner man as they have Christ within as the treasure in their earthen vessels, also may be regarded as God working Himself more and more into their being.
" ... and put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him..." (Col. 3:10)
This putting on of the new man and renewing unto the image of Christ may be regarded as God working Himself into man. As He is wrought into man man is putting on the new man and being renewed into the divine image.
"According to my easnest expactation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body whether through life of through death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. " (Phil.1:20)
This "magnification" of Christ in Paul's body means that Christ would appear larger and larger in Paul. Christ of course is big enough. But in Paul, through His sufferings in prison, he expects Christ would become more visible and magnified in his body.
This should be regarded as God working and dispensing God more and more into Paul's being to be expressed more and more from within Paul.
" ... Grace and peace be multiplied." (1 Peter 1:2)
This multiplication of grace and peace in the experience of the believers may be regarded as God working His life into the believers. The encrease of grace within them, and the encrease of peace within them is by multiplication. This reminds one of the multiplication of living cells in the growth of an organism.
I think this can be regarded as God working Himself into His people.
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1 Cor. 3:7)
This growth of divine life within the Corinthian believers also can be seen as God working His divine life in Christ into the believers. On one hand it is the growth of that life. On the other it is because of God working into them to saturate them with Himself in Christ.
" ... we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory, according to His operation by which He is able to subject all things to Himself." (Phil 3:21)
This transfiguration is a culmination of God's inward working. He is not pleased to change the body yet leave the old soul as it is. Therefore we should consider that God is working from the inside towards the outside to conform man's being to the image of Christ. This is accomplished by God working Himself into man.
The next verse shows the divine life swallowing up the mortal man into immortality.
"For also, we who are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened, int htat we do not desire to be unclothed, but clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Now He who has wrought us for this very thing is God, who also has given to us the Spirit as a pledge." (2 Cor. 5:4,5)
Within God has dispensed His divine life. And without He will swallow the believers up in divine life. So within and without the divine life is saturating and swallowing up the saved. This may be regarded as God wroughting Himself into man.
He has wrought the believers for this total saturation of them in the eternal and divine life of the Triune God.
"He who overcomes, him I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall by no means go out anymore, and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God., and My new name." (Rev. 3:12)
This is symbolic language. For Christ to make the believer a pillar into the temple of His God is to make him a God-man as Christ is a God-man, the mingling of divinity and humanity.
To write upon them the name of His God means to work His God's life and nature into them. This "writing" shows transformation and ownership. God is written on them and the name of God's city is written on them.
This really means the God is wrought into them and they are transformed into the holy city of God which is also the temple of God. That is a living temple where God dwells in man and man dwells in God.
This mutual indwelling of God in man and man in God comes about by the process of the Triune God working Himself into His redeemed people.
The New Jerusalem is the consummation of this process of the Triune God working His communicable attributes into man.
There are many more passages like these.

  
jaywill
Member (Idle past 1941 days)
Posts: 4519
From: VA USA
Joined: 12-05-2005


Message 288 of 292 (676610)
10-24-2012 10:35 AM


Well, what do you think readers?
Anyone feel there is an outstanding unanswered objection or issue with the OP still?

  
kofh2u
Member (Idle past 3820 days)
Posts: 1162
From: phila., PA
Joined: 04-05-2004


Message 289 of 292 (693132)
03-11-2013 12:11 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by jaywill
12-09-2005 1:07 AM


...tree of life...
Adam had no reason to die other than for the cause of eating of the tree of the knowledgeof good and evil.
He was created with an immortal life.
If so then what could the tree of life signify?
Obviously the tree of life is the Unconscious mind that returns with every baby that is born, again, into the world of the living from the code in the gene pool pf his parents.
Inside that deeply rooted well established and experienced-based memory is all the past experiences and history of our species and even beyond.
That Unconscious mechanism was what all animals and man used exclusive of the hardly yet present Conscious mind that was to evolve.
By "eating" of the knowledge about the world as a response to fear, the pause expanded to the present point wherein we are both conscious 24/7, and directing our own Free willed behavior based upon the knowledge we glean consciously.
Had man not become conflicted with Consciousness, his Unconscious mind had no fear of death, clearly aware that it would be resurrecxted in future generations over and agin, eternally.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by jaywill, posted 12-09-2005 1:07 AM jaywill has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 290 by jaywill, posted 02-18-2016 8:14 AM kofh2u has not replied

  
jaywill
Member (Idle past 1941 days)
Posts: 4519
From: VA USA
Joined: 12-05-2005


(1)
Message 290 of 292 (778205)
02-18-2016 8:14 AM
Reply to: Message 289 by kofh2u
03-11-2013 12:11 PM


Re: ...tree of life...
How is it so obvious to you ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 289 by kofh2u, posted 03-11-2013 12:11 PM kofh2u has not replied

  
Hawkins
Member (Idle past 1374 days)
Posts: 150
From: Hong Kong
Joined: 08-25-2005


(1)
Message 291 of 292 (786151)
06-17-2016 1:14 PM


The Tree of Knowledge refers to how humans make judgments basing on knowledge and intelligence, just as how one judges good from evil by his own knowledge and intelligence.
The other way is to listen to what God says instead of relying on humans' own knowledge and intelligence. The fundamental reason for this is that human knowledge and intelligence are given for them to deal with this reality but not the next. This is the "Tree of Life" already guarded by God from the reach of humans.
Tree of Life thus refers to how humans see how life will continue eternally. You should get to this by relying on God instead of exploring it by yourself, that doesn't work for you to understand how things work in an eternity.
Anyway, after Adam Tree of Life is strictly guarded from the reach of humans. Thus we have no way to speculate what could possibly happen after our physical death.
It's thus up to our faith to believe either life will continue, or it will not.
If you choose to rely on your knowledge/intelligence (which will never bring you to the fact whether life with continue or not) to make a judgment on this, by neglecting the Word of God (Bible) as Adam did, then;
The same day you choose to eat of it, the same day you shall surely die.
Edited by Hawkins, : No reason given.
Edited by Hawkins, : No reason given.

Replies to this message:
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jaywill
Member (Idle past 1941 days)
Posts: 4519
From: VA USA
Joined: 12-05-2005


(1)
Message 292 of 292 (793784)
11-06-2016 4:11 AM
Reply to: Message 291 by Hawkins
06-17-2016 1:14 PM


quote:
The Tree of Knowledge refers to how humans make judgments basing on knowledge and intelligence, just as how one judges good from evil by his own knowledge and intelligence.
Greetings Hawkins. Thanks for your contribution to a long dormant discussion.
The simplicity of the name "the knowledge of good and evil" certainly agrees with what you wrote. But there are some unsaid things about the result of Adam taking in the fruit of this "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" which I think render its nature somewhat more involved.
But go on.
quote:
The other way is to listen to what God says instead of relying on humans' own knowledge and intelligence. The fundamental reason for this is that human knowledge and intelligence are given for them to deal with this reality but not the next. This is the "Tree of Life" already guarded by God from the reach of humans.
By just considering Genesis, it is hard to know what the tree of life would mean. But coming to the New Testament where the Son of God repeatedly speaks of Himself as "the life" we could see more.
Through the incarnation of God as a man He came to impart God Himself into man for humanity and Divinity to be united in an "organic" union of oneness. This means man would actually live God.
Put another way, God would live IN man.
Put yet another way, God and man would be mingled together.
This reality of man and God being united and mingled into an incorporation of harmonious oneness was cut of from man from the time man became united with God's enemy, Satan.
On one hand the knowledge of good and evil made man seemingly independent from God. But in reality it brought man under the tyranny and kingdom of Satan the enemy and slanderer of man's Creator.
So this thrust for independence had three byproducts.
1.) It caused man to transgress the commandment of the holy God.
2.) It joined man to Satan and death which is the authority of the Devil.
3.) It caused a separation from the holy, righteous, and glorious Creator who intended man to take into himself instead, God as divine, uncreated eternal life.
Just by reading Genesis it is difficult to see all of this. But as the Bible unfolds and the plan of salvation unfolds we should be able to see these matters.
After man took into himself this fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, immediately he was constituted with a foreign element which corrupts him and kills him.
And the way to take into himself the divine and uncreated life of God in His holiness, righteousness and glory was forbidden. Man is cut off from God's eternal purpose to dispense Himself into man for an organic union of blended incorporation - God lives in man and man in God.
quote:
Anyway, after Adam Tree of Life is strictly guarded from the reach of humans. Thus we have no way to speculate what could possibly happen after our physical death.
A better view of death would be a meaning of separation.
And for Christ to be life to man is not restricted to the so called "afterlife". From the moment of receiving Christ into the human spirit this life of God begins to save us from separation from God and from death.
Christ being life to man starts immediately as a potential when the available resurrection Christ as life giving Spirit enters into a person's innermost spiritual being.
"the last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45)
The resurrected Christ became in a form in which God as divine life is available, receivable, experiential even on this side of physical death. This is why John says upon receiving Him He as life is the light of men NOW.
" In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4)
Christ, now "a life giving [Holy] Spirit" can TODAY enter into us to by our "light of men".
On this side of the Christians' physical death and physical resurrection Paul says Christ is "our life".
"When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory." (Col. 3:4)
Presently, before his physical departure and inevitable resurrection, Paul says that for him to LIVE, during his laboring days, "is Christ".
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is vain." (Phil. 1:21)
It is in the church age, that Christ, Who says He IS the divine life, lives in the believers.
"Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him." (John 14:23)
The Father and the Son as the Divine "We" will come to the lover of Christ to make an abode with him. That is to impart Christ into him to be his life. And that is to be her or his life during the church age.
For it is "the Spirit of life" in Christ Jesus which has the power to set the believer free from sin and death [separation from God].
"There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death." (Rom. 8:1,2)
I have tried with these texts to demonstrate that the reality of " the tree of life" today is Christ. And it is Christ as the AVAILABLE resurrected Son of God made in a form in which He can come into us and make an abode with us.
quote:
Anyway, after Adam Tree of Life is strictly guarded from the reach of humans. Thus we have no way to speculate what could possibly happen after our physical death.
The alienation from "the life of God" is terminated when beginning with our innermost being, Jesus Christ comes to live in oneness with us. So Paul's says that as unredeemed and unregenerated sinners people were alienated from the life of God.
" This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk in the vanity of their mind,
Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance which is in them, because of the hardness of their heart ..." (Eph. 4:17,18)
When Jesus as the life giving Spirit which He became, in addition to His physical resurrection, comes into us, this ends that "alienated from the life of God". The life of God is Christ coming into our innermost human spirit.
You should not relegate this matter to only in a future age after physical death. Today I am not alienated from the life of God. The fruit of the tree of life in its new covenant reality has come into me.
And Jesus said the one who "eats" Him shall live because of Him.
" As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me." (John 6:57)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 291 by Hawkins, posted 06-17-2016 1:14 PM Hawkins has not replied

  
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