The Book of Psalms starts with a description of the righteous and the wicked. It describes the righteous person: He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither.
THE WHO: The Biblical definition of righteousness is being in right standing with God. Since Jesus became the sacrifice for all man’s sins, to accept Him as Lord and Savior is the first requirement to become righteous. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior He then comes into our hearts and we abide in Him and become obedient to His voice that we continue in His righteousness. It’s an ongoing process and it is God’s expectation that we walk with Him – not to walk independently and only come to Him in a crisis asking for His assistance. He is not our assistant, He is our Lord. It’s a continual walking with Him in our hearts – not our minds. The mind is separate – it is a component of the soul. The heart is our center, our spirit and it is where Jesus comes to live inside us. His voice is active on the inside of our hearts.
THE WHAT: The tree makes an excellent illustration of what spiritual growth looks and feels like. Like a tree that spreads its branches in each direction, so does our thoughts and emotions when we’re in tests and temptations, trials and tribulations. Spiritual growth requires time and patience. Spiritual growth is evidenced by fruit. This fruit the Bible is talking about is referred to in the New Testament as the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. [Gal. 5:22] The illustration doesn’t stop there, it also describes the location of the tree is planted by the river. The river of life from which the tree drinks. The spiritually bearing fruit takes from the river and processes it and bears fruit. That fruit never stops regardless of the season. It continues. So does the righteous – they continue bearing fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Do the righteous ever fall? Yes, but they get back up every time.
THE HOW: How we grow is not only of utmost importance but it is also where many miss it. The Bible says we grow by His grace. It’s not faith, it’s not love, it’s not by any other means that we grow in Him. Love and faith are fruits of our spiritual growth and fruit has only one purpose – to nourish others. How we get there is by His grace, which is His unmerited favor. What does that mean – unmerited? It means we don’t deserve it but yet He gives it. Yes, it is not only how we receive His greatest gift, His son, but it is also how we grow up spiritually. That grace requires walking with Him. Many view it like walking with Him occasionally, but it’s walking with Him continually that is key. For those who view a continual walk as religious fanaticism, those are the ones who are faking it. Those are the ones who delude themselves by their high mindedness and reliance of self-anything whether it is self-worth, self-identity, self-reliance, self-anything. To experience Jesus is to know Him and His grace is the biggest expression of who He is. He is graceful, which means He’s always continually wanting the best for us and for us to trust His judgment of all things in life.
Let me break it down for you further: Adam and Eve broke God’s command and chose the fruit of knowledge of good and evil over the fruit of the tree of life. They ate, and it tasted good to them. First it looked good, then it tasted good, but the end result was bad. Why? Because God told them not to do it and why did God tell them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Because He wanted to keep them growing in and by His grace found only in the tree of life. What kept Adam and Eve from sinning before the fall? The fruit eaten in the tree of life and that fruit was accessed only through the grace of God and they found eternal life through that tree. But they had two choices: the tree of life or the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Choosing the tree of knowledge of good and evil resulted in being separated from God. They chose to live a life separated from God and they suffered the consequences. We do that very same thing whenever we make choices from what looks good to us and we choose and suffer the consequences. Living that kind of life is living at the foot of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. To live a life independent from God is to be students enrolled in the school of hard knocks and never graduate.
These two choices combine a blueprint that rules over everything in this world. Grace is not a passive trait, it is powerful and sovereign and requires our submission in order to affect our lives. And although there some who interpret the Bible as saying one must depend on their works to get to heaven, no work is acceptable by God unless it is carried out under the sovereignty of His grace. It is His grace found only in His son, Jesus Christ.
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? We must first know Him as Lord and Savior before we can ever enjoy our relationship with Him as His friend. If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you would like to know Him, just say this prayer to Him:
Father in Heaven, I admit I am a sinner and I have not walked with you in my life. I acknowledge your son is Jesus Christ and he is the only mediator between us. Jesus, I am a sinner, I come to you for forgiveness of my sin and ask you to come into my heart and be the Lord of my Life. I will follow you at any and all costs. Help me hear and obey your voice at all times and walk close to you. Help me to stay sensitive to the leading of your precious Holy Spirit. In your name, Lord Jesus I ask. Amen.
Next time on The Tree: How to grow in His grace.
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