The Tree in Me

1 Peter 1:25-2:3
25but the word of the Lord stands forever."[a] And this is the word that was preached to you. 1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The word of the Lord which endures forever is the gospel that was preached to me. The gospel then endures forever. And if I am born again by that word being planted in my heart and mind as an incorruptible seed, then the Tree of Life has sprouted forth in the garden of my life.

Like Adam, I am to tend to the garden and may eat the fruit therein. But there was another tree in Adam’s Garden as there once was in mine. The moment Christ broke through with his precious blood, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil began to be uprooted and started itself dying, even as the Tree of Life started to grow. As the keeper of my garden I must clip the roots of the evil tree which are malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and evil speech. The Devil who planted that tree has spent years nurturing its roots. He acted with malice against Yahweh to destroy His good creation. The Devil’s hypocrisy was evident in that he disguises himself as an angel of light. It was his envy of God’s glory that set things in motion. And through evil speech he spread his filth depositing the seed of sinful nature into all mankind.

Now, Christ Jesus has reestablished the Tree of Life through his eternal word planted in me. The growth is new and young and must be nurtured as a babe growing by its mother’s milk. So too, I must desire the pure milk of the word that the Tree of Life would grow in me and bear eternal fruit. If indeed life is in me, then I will desire what brings life and shun that which brings death. I have tasted O Lord that you are gracious . . . bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in me as I drink in your eternal and incorruptible word.