Our Spiritual Richness

Now for the second part of the revelation of Christ restored to all who have passed through redemptions school of hard knocks, by the Holy Spirit as our personal tutor and trainer. My focus and target is the tree of life found in Genesis 2:9, the vary tree that Jesus stated, we are to be grafted into, Christ being figured as being the branch and Vine, of the same tree. For the tree is GOD in figurative form, as Jesus used the vine, father and king in His many parables. In each of these forms we draw all that we need and require of the new restored spiritual in His kingdom. Especially when combined with the marriage of two other wise separate people having opposing natures. But first Pastor Hoekstra and his teaching on Grace as he looks at the conquest of Grace by Faith. And then making use of the ESV translation and with the LORD's help I will look into the tree of life.


"More Consequences of Accessing Grace through Faith"


"Time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness." (Hebrews 11:32-33)

"With time and pages running out in his epistle, our divinely inspired writer summarizes the testimonies of specific servants of the LORD (Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel), as well as one general category (the prophets). In his summary, we see more consequences of accessing Grace through Faith. Keep in mind that the word righteousness implies that these people all walked through life in agreement with GOD. For righteousness is of GOD or the Christ one. For no one could gain the witness but they be of Christ, Christ-ones. This being so from the vary beginning, for it was Christ's seed hidden in all of mankind. Where Christ the Messiah and GOD are the co-equals both complementing each other.

The first consequence of their faith given here is they "subdued kingdoms." As with Joshua, David was exceptionally effective in defeating enemy nations. "David attacked the Philistines, subdued them . . . Then he defeated Moab . . . And David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his power by the River Euphrates . . . Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus . . . He also put garrisons in Edom" (1Chronicles 18:1-3, 6, 13).


The next consequence of their faith is they "worked righteousness." These terms speak of walking in righteousness before the LORD and calling others to the righteous ways of the LORD. Samuel had a reputation of walking in righteousness before his GOD. "There is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man . . . Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate" (1Samuel 9:6, 18). The prophets persistently called the people to forsake their ungodly ways and to turn to the LORD's righteous ways. Isaiah preached powerful warnings concerning unrighteousness. "Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward" (Isaiah 1:4). He also held forth the LORD as man's only hope of righteousness. "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our GOD, for HE will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).


The kingdoms we are to subdue today are the kingdoms of self and flesh, as well as the kingdom of this world (with its millions of bound and lost, who are perishing in darkness). The righteousness we need and that we proclaim is the righteousness of Christ, Who lives in us! The means is ever the same — by faith."


Tree of Life,


Genesis 2:4-9 "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD GOD made the earth and the heavens. When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD GOD had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the LORD GOD formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD GOD planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD GOD made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." 


Genesis 3:22-24 "Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—" therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life."

Proverbs 3:13-26 "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew (as His Grace). My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught."

Proverbs 11:25-31 "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!"

Ezekiel 47:3-12 "Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."

Revelation 2:2-7 (Jesus is speaking) "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for My name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of GOD.'"

Revelation 22:1-5 "The angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of GOD and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of GOD and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the LORD GOD will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever."