What you do think is the purpose of the Tree of Life?
The Tree of Life
- Thread starter Douglas King
- Start date
Hello Douglas King;
The Tree of Life from Genesis 2:9 has given us/me the purpose of eternal life granted by God.
But it comes with lessons, reference Revelation 2:7 which is part of the purpose. The lessons in my day to day walk with Jesus includes an open heart and ears to hear, getting past the setbacks in my sin and decisions that I've made that had consequences to those in my life.
By receiving His forgiveness and pressing on through His grace and restoration is why I'm still standing today. These lessons are precious and have built my confidence in Him assuring me of eternal life.
What about you, brother? What is the purpose of the Tree of Life?
God bless you, Douglas King, and your family.
The Tree of Life from Genesis 2:9 has given us/me the purpose of eternal life granted by God.
But it comes with lessons, reference Revelation 2:7 which is part of the purpose. The lessons in my day to day walk with Jesus includes an open heart and ears to hear, getting past the setbacks in my sin and decisions that I've made that had consequences to those in my life.
By receiving His forgiveness and pressing on through His grace and restoration is why I'm still standing today. These lessons are precious and have built my confidence in Him assuring me of eternal life.
What about you, brother? What is the purpose of the Tree of Life?
God bless you, Douglas King, and your family.
Thanks for the blessing. My answer as to the purpose of the Tree of Life is more pragmatic: it is a tree that gives immortal life. Let me ask you two more questions: Were Adam and Eve mortal or immortal while living in the Garden of Eden? Do you have evidence either way?
Yes, Adam and Eve were mortal before they sinned. They were mortal in that they physically could have died even though they had not yet sinned.
It was a mercy that God kept us from the tree of life. By barring access to the tree of life, God showed compassion in His omniscience. Knowing that, because of sin, earthly life would be filled with sorrow and toil, God graciously limited the number of years men would live. To live eternally in a sinful state would mean endless agony for humanity, with no hope of the relief that comes with death. By limiting our lifespan, God gives us enough time to come to know Him and His provision for eternal life through Christ but spares us the misery of an endless existence in a sinful condition.
Hello Major
Let me ask you. Are you not now eating from the tree of life?
After the fall they were cast out of the garden and fellowship was broken so in their imperfect condition it made it impossible to partake. Now a way has been provided through Christ's atonement and we are again able to partake.
You didn't answer the second question: Do you have evidence either way? I looking for Scriptural evidence here.
I think your right.... because why would God so guard the tree in Genesis 3;22, if there were already immortal?
22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
See Gen3;22
22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
so It seems A&E was mortal? unless there's something else....
Hello Douglas King;
It goes both ways if you want participation in your thread. Before you escalate from the 1st question to the next, please answer your original question first, What is the purpose of the Tree of Life? Your answer was pragmatic. Please elaborate and be clear. Then I can understand the direction of your thread and the questions to follow. Thank you, Douglas King.
Hello Major;
Adam and Eve were mortal before they sinned. In Genesis 2:8b, and there he put the man whom he had formed and in verse 22,
22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
I read these passages as being mortal.
Had they walked in obedience to God's command of the Tree of Life meaning the trees, except for the tree of knowledge of good or evil, they would have enjoyed immortal life.
God bless you, Major.
Adam and Eve were mortal only because they sinned. See Romans 5:12: "Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned (because sin is inherited), and so everyone must die." The implication here is that by not sinning, one can achieve immortality.
This notion that everyone seems to have that Adam and Eve were mortal while living in the Garden of Eden, is not supported by Scripture. Makes me wonder where you all got that idea?
I agree with you that God would not have us live eternally while we are sinful. This is why He barred Adam and Eve from access to the Tree of Life after they had sinned. To live in endless suffering is cruel and God wouldn't allow that.
This suffering angle has got me thinking. What is the purpose of our suffering? Is it punishment for our sin? If it is, then why do we suffer so much? Indeed, why is it increasing globally, e.g. world wars, terrorism, national starvation, nuclear attacks, etc? I agree that suffering can help one come to Jesus for Salvation. That is a good thing. But then, why do Born Again Christians still suffer? If the entire purpose of suffering was to enable us to receive Salvation from Jesus, then once we are Saved, shouldn't our suffering stop? There has got to be another reason for all this suffering, besides coming to Jesus for Salvation.
When I asked the question "What is the purpose of the Tree of Life", I was wanted to get insight from the members of this forum, not to provide an answer to my own question. I was gathering information. I did offer an opinion as to its purpose in which I said that it was to bestow immortality. This would be accomplished by eating the fruit of that Tree.
Not everyone wants to stop sinning. We have sin nature, so there’s that I suppose , which makes us suffer again and again. Like a needle continuous stabbing us causing pain.
But then again pain and suffering are a different kettle of fish. Pain says ouch and suffering says this shouldn’t be happening…
Just My 2 cents…
But then again pain and suffering are a different kettle of fish. Pain says ouch and suffering says this shouldn’t be happening…
Just My 2 cents…
Welcome to the forum Douglas King By the way
Hello Douglas King;
I understand and thank you for clarifying the purpose of your thread. Your remark, Makes me wonder where you all got that idea? This remark can go both ways, can be taken out of context and is not productive. The answers you receive is not dependent on meeting your approval or whether you feel what's right or wrong.
I'm encouraging you to allow the posters of your thread to answer with variances. (Of course if its an obvious erroneous answer then it's wise to refute and there will be others to support you.
As the author, please give the other posters the benefit in their study and answers and allow everyone to receive your answers as well. This avoids limitation and becomes productive for the author and posters to discuss and learn in their personal walk in Christ.
Douglas King, I'm here if you want to pm me and we can discuss this further.
God bless you and your family.
That's true that not everyone wants to stop sinning. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "We have a sin nature", though. Can you clarify?
You are asking what men have been asking for thousands of years.
Romans 8:28...........
"For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
I am not the expert but one reason is that we are HUMAN.
Another reason is SIN which affects the saved and the lost.
The concept of suffering entered the world at the fall of Adam and Eve. The moment they chose to disobey… everything changed. Sin entered the world. Consequently, our world has suffering in all forms- physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and relationally. However we aren’t built for pain. We were made for glory.
Pain is not optional, rather it is part of living in this world. Jesus plainly states......
“In this world you will have trouble”.
Suffering comes directly from God, Satan, our own sinful choices or as a natural consequence of living in a broken world.
Also, if we are honest with ourselves and admitt it, we uselly talk with God when we need something or want something.
So when we are in pain, or suffering a loss what is the 1st thing we say............O GOD HELP ME!!!!
Suffering and pain is what motivates us to seek out God and talk to Him!!!!!
Thanks.
I think that we need to remember that death exists in the world today because of Adam's sin, not because of Adam and Eve’s lack of knowledge (cf. Romans 5:12). In other words, God did not punish Adam and Eve with death for simply “not knowing” something but for acting against what they already knew to be right. Death was a consequence of their disobedience, not their ignorance.
That being the case, then they would have been immortal since DEATH came by SIN.
In the end, we must come to think of Adam and Eve the way Scripture portrays them: as responsible, comprehending adults who rebelled against the authority of their Maker. They knew and understood that they were disobeying God, yet they ate of the fruit that was “a delight to the eyes, and . . . desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6).
This was not an accident or a mistake; it was a choice. And that is the reason that God was justified in sentencing them—and us—to death.
The moment Adam ate the fruit he died spiritually. He lived another 960 years physically but he died spiritually and now we all pay the price.