Chapter Two
Establishing The Good Tree
Planting the Good Tree
Before looking closely at the evil tree, we need to begin with a good tree. We do not want to leave a void after we destroy the evil tree. Therefore, we want to begin by establishing a good tree. What is a good tree? Where does one come from? One can find several scriptural analogies at this point. I have already mentioned the first analogy. Jesus said that he was to be the vine and that we are to be the branches (John 15:1). The analogy is that Jesus is to be the good tree. Jesus is to live within us, but how does this come into being?
One may find the second analogy in the understanding of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it" (Mark 4:30-32). We find that the good tree begins with a very small seed but continues to grow until it becomes a large tree. It becomes a place of refuge. This passage also gives an analogy of the kingdom of God in the life of an individual.
Some years ago, when I was a child, I lived in a rural farming community. My father pastored a small country church. My parents carried me to church from the time of my birth. I remember when I was nine years old that we had a guest preacher come to our church to hold a revival. Of course, there was a big evangelistic thrust in the nightly meetings. The evangelist preached about being lost and going to hell. He also spoke about being saved and going to heaven. I asked my parents about the meaning of these terms: lost and saved. My mother explained that everyone that disobeyed God was a sinner and was also lost. She further explained that anyone that does not believe in Jesus would go to hell when they died. However, she explained that Jesus died for our sins and that through trusting in him we could be saved and go to heaven. I knew enough about hell to know that I did not want to go there when I died. I also knew enough about heaven to know that was where God lived. I wanted to go to heaven and not to hell. Therefore, as I lay on the bed one night, I struggled with what I perceived as being the destiny of my life. No one told me exactly what to do, nor did they lead me in a prayer. By myself that night, in childlike faith, I gave my life to God believing that Jesus died for me. Something happened within me!
The next night at the revival meeting, I went forward in tears, trying to express that I was giving my life to Jesus. That night everything seemed somewhat confusing. The minister and my dad asked several questions that I did not fully understand. However, I knew that something had changed inside of me the night before. God planted a good tree inside of me that began to grow. However, it was not until some twenty-four years later that I began to understand a fuller meaning of what happened within me that night. One day, about five years after I graduated from seminary, God started revealing some deeper truths.
We must begin by understanding that a tree does not just occur by itself. In order to plant a good tree, one must have good seed. The good seed is not just a good idea. The good seed is not just an idealistic philosophy of some man or religious group of people. The good seed is the Word of God. Luke says in his gospel, "The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). Peter explains, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I Peter 1:23). Peter furthermore states, "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you" (I Peter 1:25). Jesus challenges us by declaring, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39).
Let us be more specific. What is this gospel which the Bible declares to be the seed for the planting of the new tree? Paul gives a summary of the gospel by saying, "...how that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus is the Christ. God anointed Jesus to become the savior of man. Jesus was the Son of God, who was born of Mary, the virgin. He lived a perfect life, then became the substitute for mankind's sin by dying on the cross. He also then spent three days in Hell and arose from the dead. Although that is the gospel in a nutshell, most people need more understanding.
On one occasion, I went to the home of a ten year old boy who had come forward during an invitation to accept Jesus at a showing of a Christian movie. I was met by his mother at the door. She was quite cordial. I sat down with her and her son to explain the gospel to them. The son readily understood, but the mother did not comprehend. I asked her if she had ever given her life to Jesus as her lord. She said that she was trying to get her life in order and that some day that she might do that. She thought that one day she might get good enough for God to accept her.
I spent almost an hour trying to communicate to her that she could not become that good by her own good works. Finally, I prayed within myself and told God that I would try one more time if He would give me a way to get through to her. God did just that. I turned in my Bible to the book of Isaiah and read, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). I explained that from God's view, everything that she had done as a good work was but filthy, blood stained, clothing. It was at that point she discovered she was a sinner and could not please God by her own good works. All too often people believe that they can balance the scales by doing something good. However, God says that even what good they may think they are doing is worthless to Him.
Therefore, the first step in becoming a Christian is to understand that we have sinned and are sinners. Paul informs us, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one": (Romans 3:10). He furthermore states, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"; (Romans 3:23). I have a hunting bow and for several years I had a large target set up next to my house. Occasionally, I would go out and back off from the target about thirty-five yards and try my very best to hit the bull's eye. However, in spite of my best efforts, my arrows all too often fell short. We may try our very best to please God, but our best is not good enough. We still fall short of living a perfectly righteous life. One interesting Greek word translated sin is a word that means missing the mark.
A second step is to understand there is a penalty for sin. Sin results in death. Paul writes, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned": (Romans 5:12). When Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, lived in the garden of Eden, God gave them a specific warning. He told them that they could eat of any of the trees in the garden except for one tree. The forbidden tree was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God warned them by saying, "But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17). They disobeyed God by eating of the tree. All disobedience to God is sin. God said that in the day they sinned that they would die.
Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden, never to return. However, they lived for many years after the day that they had sinned. Adam became one of the oldest men recorded in the Bible. He lived to be nine hundred and thirty years old. Certainly, God was not a liar! A literal translation is, "In dying, ye shall die." In other words, God said that death would begin on the inside and spread to the outside. The day that Adam sinned he died in his spirit. That death spread to his soul and ultimately to his body. As each of us come to know the difference between good and evil, we choose evil and die in the spirit. We become separated from the God of Life and become dead to Him. Paul asserts, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When one goes to work he expects something in return for his labor. When one sins he can expect death in return for his actions.
The third step is to understand that Jesus paid the full penalty for our sins. Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, prophesied, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). For Jesus to pay the penalty, he first had to become a substitute for our sins. Paul explains this by stating, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). When the soldiers took Jesus to the cross, he took our sins upon himself. As he carried our sins, he had to also carry our judgment. Isaiah looks forward to the event by recording, "...yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4-5).
The fourth step is to yield our life to Jesus as Lord. Paul clearly states, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9). To accept Jesus as Lord is to make him our ruler, king, or boss. There is a story of a man who was a professional tightrope walker. He advertised that he would walk across a portion of Niagara Falls. He gathered a large crowd and asked them, "Do you believe that I can walk across the falls on the rope?" The crowd's response was, "Yes, we believe." With professional ease, the man made the walk and returned. Then the man asked the crowd, "Do you believe that I can put a wheelbarrow on the rope and push it across?" The crowd responded, "We believe." Again, the man fulfilled the challenge in the style of one who had years of experience. As the man returned, he asked the crowd, "Do you believe that I can put a man in the wheelbarrow and push him across?" The crowd answered with a hearty, "Yes!" The man turned to one unsuspecting gentleman and asked, "Sir, do you believe?" The gentleman responded, "Well, yes, I believe you can." The tightrope walker commanded, "Well, sir, get into the wheelbarrow." The moment of truth had arrived for the poor gentleman. If he really believed, he must act upon his belief. So it is with us. If we really believe in Jesus, then we must give our lives to him as our Lord and Saviour. The understanding of these four simple steps is important, but we must also believe and apply them to our lives.
Finding the Good Soil
Returning to the analogy of the seed, there must be good ground upon which to plant the seed of God's Word. Jesus gave a parable of the sower and the kinds of ground. "A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold" (Luke 8:5-8). The way side is the beaten path. It would be the person who learns of the gospel for the sake of learning. The gospel would be just more information to such a person. He would study Christianity as he would any other religion of the world. The devil will come and take the seed away. The devil will use doubt, deception, fear, and outright lies.
The rocky ground has a thin layer of soil on the surface. This type of person receives the Word with joy. This person will gets all excited and really thinks that the gospel is the best news yet. However, because there is rock under the soil, he can not establish life sustaining roots. The seed will soon die. This person may intellectually or emotionally assent to the Word, but when he comes to realize that it requires a commitment, he walks away from it.
The third type of soil is the thorny ground. The person may listen to the gospel, but has too great a desire to sow his own wild oats. The desires, riches, and pleasures choke out the good seed. The Word says, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). The good seed does not have a chance to grow and produce mature fruit.
The last type of soil is the good ground. Jesus says, "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15). It is the good ground that becomes productive. However, one must even prepare the good ground to receive the good seed. Jeremiah the prophet records, "For thus saith the LORD ... Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns" (Jeremiah 4:3). We should note that the first key here is honesty. Until you first admit that you are a sinner and have need of Jesus, you will not receive him.
Actually, God usually brings people to the end of their rope. As a counselor, I am able to lead many to the Lord. Because the people who come for counseling have their lives torn apart. the Word is able to fall into the cracks. I once watched a video of a mountain climber who scaled some sheer rock-faced bluffs. He looked for the cracks to secure the metal spikes as he made his way up the rock wall. God looks for the cracks in which to drop His seed. We must also remember that sometimes the Word needs time to germinate, sprout, and grow before it produces the fruit.
Let us now review the four steps in receiving the good seed. This time let us put them into a form of a prayer that you can pray:
DEAR GOD...
1. I confess that I have sinned (disobeyed you). (Romans 3:10, 23)
2. I understand that the penalty for sin is death on the inside. (Roman 5:12, 6:23)
3. I believe that Jesus Christ paid that penalty by dying on the cross. (Romans 5:8)
4. Therefore, I receive you, Jesus into my life, letting you become my Lord and Saviour. Amen. (Romans 10:9-10)
Congratulations! If you have just prayed this prayer for the first time, you have received the good seed of the Word of God. You now have a good tree growing inside of you.
Caring for the Good Tree
After we have planted a good tree, it is important that we care for that tree. Again, we want the tree to grow, mature, and become fruitful. There are ten simple steps that we should be willing to take. As we take each of these steps, we should realize some spiritual growth in our lives.
1. We should be baptized. This means that we, as Believers, are to submit ourselves to water baptism by immersion. Luke records in the book of Acts, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized": (Acts 2:41).
2. We should go to church. This means that we are to join ourselves to a local Bible believing body of Christians. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).
3. We should spend time in prayer daily. This is one way that we communicate with our Heavenly Father. We are to have an attitude of prayer at all times. Paul exhorts us, "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17).
4. We should read the Bible daily. The Bible is the nourishment that the baby Christian needs. Peter encourages us, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby": (I Peter 2:2).
5. We should receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian receives a down payment of the Holy Spirit when they are born of the Spirit. However, there is more. One may be baptized in the Holy Spirit whereby they may also be filled with the power of God. The Word says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me ..." (Acts 1:8).
6. We should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. Yesterday's filling is not sufficient for today. Paul commands, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit"; (Ephesians 5:18).
7. We should live for Jesus. We should place living for Christ above everything else in our lives. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
8. We should share our faith. A dam on a lake without an outlet will cause the water to become stagnant. Jesus commanded, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).
9. We should depend upon God. Even as Christians, we must come to depend upon God rather than ourselves. Paul explains, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
10. We should bear spiritual fruit. Spiritual fruit is grown through time and faithfulness. Paul describes the fruit by stating, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
Click here to look at a graphic illustration of the evil tree before going to chapter Three.
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