All scriptures are taken from New King James Bible.

The Love of God

Believers must begin in faith, then progressively grow towards the Love of God 

We must first grow in brotherly kindness (Strong’s 5360: “philadelphia”) before Love

If these steps God has established are lacking in our walk, we are limiting the Spirit

If we follow God’s steps, we will know Jesus better and enter into His Kingdom

God is Love (Strong’s 26: Greek “agape”)            

God’s Love (“agape”) has many fruitful characteristics that give Life 

Love (“agape”) came to us by Jesus Christ coming in the flesh to complete the Cross

No greater Love than to lay down our life (Strong’s 5590: “psuche”-soul) for friends

Jesus, our Example, laid down His soul (“psuche”) in Garden of Gethsemane (oil press)

Jesus Christ—Our Savior, Lord, and Friend

Jesus desires to be our Friend and we are His friends, if we do what He commands

All commandments of God are summed up by “Love your neighbor as yourself”

New commandment to disciples of Christ, to Love one another as Jesus Loves us

All others will know the disciples of Christ by their Love (“agape”) for one another

The world hates those who are God’s, but world will “love” (5368: “phileo”) its own

The Grace of God Enables Us

We will have tribulations in the world, but Jesus has overcome the world   

We inherited Adam’s tree and his sin nature, but now Christ offers His gift of Grace

God’s Grace (Strong’s 5485), gifts, and influence given to us to reflect Christ in our lives

Believers can now choose for the tree of Life, because of God’s Grace and gift

God’ Grace allows us to choose Christ and the tree of Life, instead of a slave to sin

The Grace of God enables us to walk in Life, instead of walking according to this world

By Grace we have been saved thru faith, but now must choose to walk in God’s Works

Everyone who Jesus Loves, He will rebuke and chasten to be zealous and repent

Jesus Directs Us to Overcome

Anyone who overcomes, as Jesus overcame, will sit with Him on His Throne

Only he who overcomes will inherit all the things of God   

Believers can show Love of God by keeping His commands and overcome the world

Believers can overcome Satan, that serpent of old, by the Blood of Jesus,

            Word of our testimony, and laying down our lives (“psuche”) for our Friends                

Jesus Christ provides the Way to the tree of Life for believers who overcome

Believers Now Choose Between Two Ways and Two Trees

Born again believers have two trees to choose between, as Adam had in the Garden

Adam did not tend and keep (guard and protect) the garden, including God’s Word

After Adam’s choice, fall, and curse, God prevented Adam from eating from tree of Life

Man’s curse will be removed with only the tree of Life remaining for eternity with God

The way of Adam leads many to destruction, Way of Christ leads to Life, but few find it

Beware of false prophets, who will lead you astray     

False prophets and teachers will lead many astray from the Way of Christ 

We will know prophets and others by their fruits, as they will know us by our fruits

God’s precious fruits from tree of Life are worthy of repentance, which we must bear

We should learn to separate God’s precious from vile in our lives & He will deliver us

EXAMPLES of FRUITS of TWO TREES (For Our Discernment):

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE of good and evil       TREE OF LIFE

Spirit of Error                                                          Spirit of Truth

Lies                                                                         Word of God

Flesh                                                                       Holy Spirit   

Fear                                                                        Love of God

Rebellion                                                                 Submission

Pride                                                                       Humility    

Accusation                                                              Rebuke/Chasten

Blame                                                                     Conviction   

Fault finding                                                            Fault correction

Own opinions                                                         God’s Will     

Self justification                                                       God’s Justification

Self protection                                                        God’s Protection

Unforgiveness                                                         Forgiveness   

Despair                                                                   Hope          

Confusion                                                               Peace        

Hardness of heart                                                    Repentance

Fleshly minded                                                        Spiritually Minded

Earthly minded                                                        Christ Minded

Defiled to God                                                        Pure to God

God’s Wisdom will Teach Us Discernment

  

God’s Wisdom must be learned to gain discernment of God’s Right from wrong          

Gaining God’s Wisdom with His Understanding are far better than all the world’s riches

Solomon asked to receive Wisdom to discern above all else as one “Gift” from God     

The Wisdom of God is hidden in a mystery, which must be revealed by the Holy Spirit 

Believers can ask, as Solomon, to receive Wisdom and learn God’s discernment by faith        

Worldly wisdom is physical, but God’s Wisdom will be shown in life with Good fruits    

Jesus Christ is the Power and Wisdom of God thru foolishness of the Message of Cross     

 

Believers Must Learn to Bear Good Fruit

 

We should bear the fruit of God (tree of Life), not bear fruit to death (Adam’s tree)

The fruit of death is evident in works of the flesh             

The fruit of the Spirit is the Love of God with all that is God    

Each believer has battle of flesh vs. Spirit, but must choose to walk in the Spirit

Mature believers have crucified the flesh with Christ and are able to walk in the Spirit

We choose to be sanctified and useful to God, which brings deliverance to others

First, we must learn to put to death the flesh and put off the old man with his deeds

Next, we can learn to put on the new Man, Christ, and the bear fruit of the tree of Life

Believers now must bear the fruit of the Spirit and expose the fruit of darkness

Jesus chose and appointed His Friends to go and bear good fruit as His disciples