Living in the Tree of Life

Are there two Gospels?

Galatians 1:6-7 (NIV)

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

Our Key Question is....

How am I going to become Godly?

Genesis 2:8-9 (NIV)

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

These two trees are symbolic of the two Gospels.  Be careful which tree you're eating from. 

Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV)

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will lose your innocence and feel shame.

Genesis 3:1-7 (NIV)

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

1. One Gospel focuses on what you do for God.  One focuses on what Jesus has already done for you on the Cross.

John 5:39-40  (NIV)

39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Your relationship with God will be based on your view of God. 

2.  One focuses on getting God's approval.  One focus on receiving God's love. 

Romans 5:8  (NIV)

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:19 (NIV)

19 We love because he first loved us.

3. One focuses on external duty of rules.  One focuses on internal desire to love God Himself. 

1 John 5:3,12   (NIV)

3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

How to Live in the Tree of Life

1. Fall in love with Jesus. 

John 14:15 (ESV)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments".

2. Don't allow condemnation in your life. 

Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

3. Make the choice every day to walk in love with Jesus.

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)

19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

Approach God through a love relationship and not rules. 

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/living-in-the-tree-of-life