Tuesday

CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF MATTHEW 5 THROUGH 7 – WEEK 7

Entering through the Narrow Gate
and Walking on the Constricted Way
That Leads to Life,
the Ever-blessed Condition of the Kingdom

Related Verses
Gen. 2:9
9 And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Rev. 22:1-2
1 And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street.
2 And on this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

John 10:10b
10b ; I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly.

Matt. 4:4
4 But He answered and said, It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.”

Jer. 15:16
16 Your words were found and I ate them, And Your word became to me The gladness and joy of my heart, For I am called by Your name, O Jehovah, God of hosts.

Mark 12:30
30 And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.”

S.S. 1:4
4 Draw me; we will run after you – The king has brought me into his chambers – We will be glad and rejoice in you; We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.

Gal. 6:7-8
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
8 For he who sows unto his own flesh will reap corruption of the flesh, but he who sows unto the Spirit will of the Spirit reap eternal life.

Related Reading
If we read the Bible carefully, we will discover that throughout the Bible we have two lines—the line of the tree of life and the line of the tree of knowledge…These two lines began at the book of Genesis and continue through the subsequent books of the Bible until they reach their destination…The destination of the line of life will be the New Jerusalem, where the tree of life appears once again. The river of the water of life is also found in the New Jerusalem, for it flows throughout the entire city. Thus, the New Jerusalem, a city of living water, is the ultimate consummation of the line of the tree of life. The line of knowledge will conclude with the lake of fire, a vivid contrast to the city of New Jerusalem. The city is a city of living water; the lake is a lake of burning fire. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 181-182) 

As redeemed people we are surely on the right line, the line of life. However, it is possible that our walk and our work—that is, the way we live and work for God—might be on the wrong line…The Bible firstly warns people to stay away from the line of knowledge and remain on or return to the line of life. Once we are saved, we are eternally saved, and our salvation is eternally secure. Nevertheless, the Bible warns us concerning our daily walk and our work for the Lord. In Galatians Paul warns us to walk in the Spirit (5:16) and to sow to the Spirit (6:7-8). Otherwise, everything we do will be consumed by fire. In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul cautions us, the builders of the churches, to be careful to build with the proper materials. If we build the church with gold, silver, and precious stones, this work will continue unto the New Jerusalem, because the New Jerusalem is a city built with gold, pearl, and precious stones. On the other hand, Paul warns us that the wood, grass, and stubble are only useful for burning (1 Cor. 3:12-15)…Thus, we must be careful about ourselves, our walk, and our work. We ourselves must stay on the right line, and our daily walk and work must also be on the right line. Then we and our work will enter the New Jerusalem. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 182-183) 

We will enjoy the Divine Trinity to the fullest in eternity (Rev. 22:1-5)…In this enjoyment we will have God and the Lamb [the redeeming God in His trinity] as the temple for our dwelling (21:22-23). 

The throne of God and of the Lamb is for the divine administration. It is also the source of our divine, eternal enjoyment because the river with the tree of life comes out of the throne [22:1, 3]. We will drink the river of water of life [the Spirit] proceeding out of the throne (v. 1). We will also eat the tree of life [the life-giving Son] growing on the two sides of the river, yielding fruit each month (v. 2). The life-giving Son yields fruit each month for our life supply. Thus, we have the redeeming God as our dwelling place, the throne as the source of our enjoyment, the Spirit as our drink, and the life-giving Son as our food. 

The Triune God…is our dwelling place, our drink, our food, and our light. To maintain life, we need a dwelling place, drink, food, and light. As long as we have these four necessities, we can have a proper living…All of these are the Triune God. The Triune God is our dwelling place, the Son is our food, the Spirit is our drink, and the redeeming God is our light. This describes the coming life in eternity, which we will enjoy to the fullest. (CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Living in and with the Divine Trinity,” pp. 387-389) 

Further Reading: CWWL, 1988, vol. 1, “Living in and with the Divine Trinity,” ch. 13

© Living Stream Ministry, 2023, used by permission