We have seen that the Bible opens with two trees, the tree of
life, which brings in life, and the tree of knowledge, which brings in
knowledge. However, knowledge is a pretense, for the tree of knowledge actually
is the tree of death and brings in death. Thus, from the very beginning of the
Bible we see two lines which continue throughout the entire Bible. The first
line is the line of life, beginning with the tree of life and continuing
throughout the Scriptures until it ends at the city of New Jerusalem, where we also see the tree of
life (Rev. 22:1-2, 14). The second line is the line of knowledge, beginning
with the tree of knowledge and continuing throughout the Scriptures until it
ends at the lake of fire. In this message we shall consider the line of
knowledge throughout the Scriptures. In every book of the Bible we can see the
knowledge that troubles, damages, kills, and destroys. Now we shall examine
many cases of people who lived, worked, moved, and acted by knowledge, not by
life.
I. CAIN
Cain, the first son of Adam and the second generation of mankind,
was the first person to live according to knowledge. Cain brought the fruit of
the ground as an offering to the Lord (Gen. 4:3). Although this appears to be
very good, it was wrong because Cain presented an offering to God in his own
way, not in God's way. God's way required that fallen man offer a redeeming
sacrifice in order to contact Him. However, Cain only offered the fruit of the
ground without the redeeming blood. Cain's offering was presented according to
his own consideration in his mind. It was offered in his own way. Every such
way originates with the human mind. We must be careful. As we have pointed out,
the principle of the tree of knowledge is to be independent of God. It means
that we make our decisions independently. Although Cain performed a good deed,
it was independent of God. Everything that is good yet independent of God
results in death. This is similar to insulation which severs the flow of
electricity. Regardless of the substance that is used as insulation—it may even
be diamond—electricity is cut off nonetheless. As long as it causes insulation,
it does not matter whether the material is good or bad. Likewise, if a thing
keeps us away from God, it brings death, regardless of how good it is.
As a consequence of acting independently Cain went out from the
presence of the Lord (Gen. 4:16). That was dreadful. It does not matter how
good we are, for if we are away from the presence of God it is awful. We may be
either good or bad, but the issue is the same as long as we are out of the
presence of the Lord.
Once people have acted in their own way and have left the presence
of God, they desire to erect a building for themselves. Cain built a city and
called it Enoch, after the name of his son (Gen. 4:17). Cain did not name the
city after the name of God; he made a name for mankind. This was a declaration
that man was independent of God.
II. NIMROD
Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord (Gen. 10:8-11). He was
a mighty one in the earth, a person who was absolutely independent of God. He
built a kingdom for himself, and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel. Although many
Christians know that mankind constructed the tower and city of Babel,
few realize that the kingdom
of Babel was formed by
Nimrod. The first kingdom in human history was probably the kingdom of Babel
formed by Nimrod, who also built the great city of Nineveh
in Assyria. His building was a sign that
mankind was completely independent of God. Abraham, on the contrary, did not
build anything but a little altar. He dwelt in a tent. Noah likewise did not
build anything except the ark and an altar. The people who put their trust in
God do not engage in much building activity. The more we place our confidence
in God, the less independent building we will have. Only the giant
workers—those who are independent of God—will construct their high towers.
III. THE PEOPLE AT BABEL
The people at Babel
held a council (Gen. 11:3). They did not pray nor ask the Lord what they should
do or where they should go. Human history is a history of councils. After World
War I the League of Nations was formed, and
this league was actually a council. After the end of World War II the League of
Nations was changed into the United Nations, which has a huge building in New York where council
is held nearly every day. Such human councils are utterly independent of God.
The result of the council at Babel
was the construction of a high tower for man's name and the formation of a city
for his possession (Gen. 11:4).
IV. LOT
Although Lot was a saved person,
he drifted away from the line of life by making a choice according to his own
sight (Gen. 13:10-11; cf. vv. 14-15). When Lot separated himself from Abraham,
he lifted up his eyes, looked at the plain of the Jordan, and made a decision
according to his own sight. He did not pray, "Lord, I do not know what I
should do. What should I do? Lord have mercy on me. Take Your choice. I want to
take Your choice." Lot did not pray in
this way, but made a choice according to the sight of his eyes. As a result, he
moved toward the evil city of Sodom
(Gen. 13:12-13; cf. v. 18). Whenever you take a course in independence of God,
be assured that your way will be downward. Your way will be in the direction of
the sinful city of Sodom.
V. ESAU
If we read the history of Esau, we find that, ethically speaking,
he did nothing wrong. Jacob seemed to have been much worse. Esau, however, was
a hunter, hunting for his own satisfaction (Gen. 25:27, 29). Esau hunted
independently of God. Eventually, for the purpose of satisfying his appetite,
he sold his birthright (Gen. 25:30-34). All the people who are independent of
God have sold their human birthright, the enjoyment of God. Since God created
man in His own image to be His expression, it means that, by birth, man has the
right to express God. Thus, every human being has a birthright, the right by
birth to express God. However, nearly everyone has sold his birthright because
of his independence. What does it mean to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus?
Repentance means to have a change in our thinking, in our mentality. Formerly,
I was moving in a certain direction with my back turned toward God. After I
heard the gospel I turned around. This is the meaning of repentance. To believe
in the Lord Jesus means to come back to our human birthright, to come back to
the enjoyment of God and to the expression of God. This is the meaning of
repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus. Esau did not do this, but moved in the
opposite direction.
VI. PHARAOH
In Exodus 1—12 we see how independent Pharaoh was. He was not only
independent; he was rebellious against God, even asking on one occasion,
"Who is God?" (Exo. 5:2). Pharaoh did not care for God and he was
unwilling to know God. Thus, Pharaoh's heart was hardened. He hardened his
heart and even God hardened his heart (Exo. 7:13, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:34-35).
Again and again and again the heart of Pharaoh was hardened. The people
throughout the world today are hardened in their heart because they do not care
for God. They care about their councils, plans and plots, but they do not care
for God. Thus, God lets go of them and their hearts become hardened.
VII. AARON
The name of Aaron is a good name. Although he was the high priest
and was on the line of life, Aaron acted according to the line of knowledge.
While Moses was on the mount enjoying God as the tree of life, Aaron and the
people were at the foot of the mountain. They neither prayed nor looked to the
Lord. When the people proposed to Aaron that he make them gods out of gold, he
hearkened to them (Exo. 32:1, 4, 24). There are times when we should not listen
to the people, for the congregation may present a proposal that is against God.
Aaron heeded their advice, acting independently to make an idol of gold. The
idol was very attractive; it was not made of clay but of gold. When Moses had
descended from the mountaintop, he asked Aaron what happened. Aaron replied
that he put the gold into the fire and a golden calf came out (Exo. 32:24).
Aaron seemed to be defending himself, asking Moses not to condemn him and
apparently thinking that he had not done very much. Nevertheless, as long as we
are independent of God it does not matter how much we do or fail to do. As long
as we are independent of God the golden calf will appear. There is no need for
us to do very much: simply be independent of God and the result will be a
golden calf.
VIII. NADAB AND ABIHU
Nadab and Abihu offered to God "strange fire" with their
incense (Lev. 10:1-2). Although the incense was good, the fire was
"strange." It was not the fire from the altar where the atonement was
made. The fire they used was acceptable to their concept, but it was
"strange" to God. This "strange fire," applied in their own
way, not according to God's revelation, caused their death.
IX. MIRIAM AND AARON
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because he had married a
heathen woman (Num. 12:1-2). Undoubtedly Moses was wrong in this. However,
Miriam and Aaron were opposed to Moses, not as a result of their contacting God,
but because of their own motive. Their opposition to Moses did not have its
source in God, but in themselves, in their knowledge. This brought God's wrath
upon them, causing Miriam to suffer leprosy and to be shut out of the camp
seven days (Num. 12:9-15).
The record of the Bible shows us that only one leadership has ever
been faultless—the leadership of the Lord Jesus. Every other leadership has
some shortcoming. Thus, with any leadership, other than the leadership of the
Lord Jesus, there are always mistakes. Nevertheless, we must be very careful
about our attack, even if the leadership is wrong.
X. THE TEN SPIES
The failure of the ten spies was looking at the situation in the
land by their own sight (Num. 13:28, 32-33). As they were spying out the land,
they saw the giants and the walled cities and were frightened. Unlike Joshua
and Caleb, they did not turn their eyes to God. They failed because they relied
on their knowledge and refused to trust in the Lord (cf. Num. 13:30; 14:6-9).
Whenever you are in a difficult situation, do not survey it according to your
own eyes. If you do this, you will turn away from God. In a difficult situation
you need to close your eyes, turn yourself in your spirit to God, and pray to
Him. Then you will be rescued. Because the ten spies looked at the situation by
their own sight, they did not trust in the Lord as did Caleb and Joshua. Joshua
and Caleb told the people, "Forget the situation and trust in the Lord.
The Lord is higher than the walls of the city and He is greater than all the
giants." The difference between the ten spies and Joshua and Caleb was
that the two trusted in the Lord and the ten surveyed the situation by their
own understanding, that is, according to their own knowledge.
XI. KORAH AND HIS COMPANY
Korah and his company attacked God's deputy authority (Num.
16:1-3). Any attack against God's authority, whether it is reasonable or
unreasonable, has its origin in the mind. The principle is the same in the
church today. You may attack the leaders because you feel they have "taken
too much upon themselves," but your attack, which has its source in the
mind, brings you spiritual death. Korah and his company suffered the
destruction of death due to their attack upon God's authority. You may consider
that you are right in attacking the leaders in the church, but you must examine
the result—death or life? If you are truly right, the result of your attack
must be life. I can testify to you, however, that in the past I saw several
attacks against the leadership in the church and that every one of those
attacks brought in the destruction of death to the attackers. This is serious!
You must ask yourself, "Does my attack proceed out of the spirit, out of
the throne of God, or does it come from my mind?" Attack against God's
deputy authority, regardless of the reason, is on the line of knowledge that
brings in death.
The attack of Korah and his company was due to the fact that they
neglected the presence of God (Num. 16:19). If they had taken care of the
presence of God, they would have been rescued from their attack against Moses
and Aaron. They would have been turned from the line of knowledge to the line
of life.
XII. SAUL
Saul did not act immorally as did David. Nevertheless, he dealt
with the enemy according to his likes (1 Sam. 15:8). God had told him to smite
and kill all of his enemies, but Saul spared some of them because they were
good in his sight. Thus, Saul acted independently and did not follow the Lord
(1 Sam. 15:11, 22-23). As a result of this independence Saul was dethroned and
lost his kingdom.
XIII. ABSALOM
Absalom rebelled against his father, King David (2 Sam. 15:10-13).
According to the record of 2 Samuel 13—18, he was a person who acted altogether
on his own and by his knowledge. He had no trust in God, and the result was
nothing except death.
XIV. AHAB
Ahab was an evil king. He married Jezebel, a devilish and
idolatrous woman, and built a temple for Baal, the most famous idol of the time
(1 Kings 16:30-32). Although Ahab was born in a nation of God, he was more than
independent of God. He did not have one thought toward God. He was utterly
independent of Him.
XV. THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES
Now we come to the New Testament. The chief priests and the
scribes knew the Bible. When King Herod inquired where Christ was to be born,
they gave him the answer immediately (Matt. 2:4-6). Although there is nothing
inherently wrong with Bible knowledge, it is dangerous merely to hold the
knowledge as did the chief priests and scribes. Although they knew that Christ
was to be born at Bethlehem,
none of them went to see for themselves. This proves that they were on the line
of knowledge, not on the line of life. The wise men from the east, who had no
knowledge of the Bible, were on the line of life. Following the heavenly star,
they came to the place where Christ was and worshipped Him. Undoubtedly, the
wise men from a heathen land had life, while the chief priests and the scribes
had death. Although the chief priests and scribes had the knowledge of the
Bible, the result of their knowledge was death. Knowledge cannot give life.
XVI. NICODEMUS
Nicodemus was a good man. However, when he first came to the Lord
he was on the line of knowledge (John 3:1-2). He said to the Lord Jesus,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God." In His reply
the Lord turned Nicodemus from teaching and knowledge to the line of life (John
3:3). The Lord was telling Nicodemus, "You do not need teaching. You need
a new birth and a new life. Nicodemus, you don't need any more knowledge. As a
teacher of the law of Moses you have enough knowledge already. What you need is
a new life."
XVII. THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
Although the Samaritan woman was an immoral person, she was still
religious. She had the traditional knowledge of religion, yet lived in sin
without satisfaction (John 4:15-20). This proves that religion cannot help us.
The Samaritan woman was on the line of knowledge. The Lord Jesus directed her
to God, the Spirit, as the living water for her satisfaction (John 4:21-24,
14). Although she was on the line of knowledge, the Lord turned her to the line
of life.
XVIII. THE JEWISH RELIGIONISTS
Now we come to the Jewish religionists. According to John 5, the
Lord Jesus quickened a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. This
happened on the Sabbath day, and the Jewish religionists were offended (John
5:1-16). They only cared for the Sabbath, not for man's genuine rest. The
palsied man had no rest, even on the Sabbath day, for a period of thirty-eight
years. When the Lord Jesus quickened him he experienced true rest. The Jewish
religionists condemned the Lord Jesus, and He said to them, "You search
the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life...and you
are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." In other words, the
Lord was telling them that they searched the Bible thinking that in it they had
eternal life, yet they would not come to the Lord for that very life.
The same thing in principle is happening to people today. Many
Christians search the Scriptures with the consideration that in them they have
eternal life, yet they do not come to contact the living Lord Himself. It is
possible for us to read many verses and chapters of the Bible without
contacting the Lord. We should never separate our reading of the Bible from our
contacting of the Lord. These two things must be one. Whenever we read a line
of the Bible, we must say, "Lord Jesus, let me contact You in the divine
Word. Lord, You are the living Word. Without You as the living Word I can receive
nothing as life from the written Word. Lord, I must contact You. Although You
are so mysterious, I praise You that You have given me such a tangible Word.
This Word is solid, concrete, and substantial. I thank You for the Word that I
can read and pray with. Yet, Lord, what I need is not the letter in black and
white, but You, the living Spirit." This is the correct way to use the
Scriptures. Never touch the Bible independently of the Lord. There is no need
for you to read an immoral novel in order to experience death. If you read the
Bible without being in the spirit, you will also experience death. Thus, even
the reading of the Bible can be on the line of knowledge that leads to death.
XIX. THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES
The Scribes and Pharisees held the knowledge of the law, but were
still under the slavery of sin (John 8:5, 9, 34). They brought a sinful woman
to the Lord and, according to their knowledge, demanded a yes or no answer
regarding the way in which the woman should be treated. They said that Moses
commanded that such a person be stoned. Although the book of John reveals that
the Lord Jesus several times was challenged to give yes or no answers, He
always refused to do so. He did not refrain from giving such answers because He
was wise, but because He was concerned with life. The Gospel of John is the
book of life. Life is simply life, not knowledge of yes or no, good or evil.
Both yes and no and good and evil belong to the tree of knowledge. Thus, the
Lord did not answer them in that way. He stooped to write on the ground. Then
He answered, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to
throw a stone." When the Lord spoke this to them, His word touched their
conscience and, beginning with the most experienced ones, they turned away. Not
one of them was without sin. The only person without sin was the Lord Jesus.
Therefore, the Lord's answer pointed to Himself as the tree of life.
XX. THE DISCIPLES
Do not think that because we are disciples we have a guarantee
that we are on the line of life. The disciples who were with the Lord still
held the traditional knowledge of religion when they saw a man blind from birth
(John 9:1-3). Based upon their religious knowledge, they asked, "Who
sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?" The Lord
answered, "Neither has this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works
of God might be manifested in him." The Lord did not give them a yes or no
answer, but directed them to God. Yes and no belong to the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, but God is the tree of life. Thus, the Lord
directed the disciples from the line of knowledge to the line of life.
XXI. MARTHA
Martha was a disciple of the Lord. However, she was occupied with
the line of knowledge, holding the knowledge of the sound teachings regarding
the resurrection on the last day (John 11:24). Martha had complained to the
Lord that if He had been present, Lazarus would not have died. When the Lord
said that her brother would rise again, Martha immediately expounded His word,
saying she knew that Lazarus would rise again in the resurrection at the last
day (John 11:23-24). She postponed the present resurrection life to a time two
thousand years in the future. In His answer the Lord was referring to the
present resurrection life, but Martha, by her religious knowledge and
expounding of the Lord's word, postponed the resurrection to the distant
future. This was dreadful. Martha offered a good, fundamental exposition of the
Bible. Nevertheless, the Lord directed her to the present resurrection by
saying, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). The Lord
seemed to be telling Martha, "There is no need to wait for two thousand
years. You need not wait for the last day. I am the resurrection life right
now. Don't change My word by your religious, fundamental expounding of it. I am
the resurrection now."
XXII. PETER
Immediately after receiving the revelation from the heavenly
Father (Matt. 16:17), Peter turned to his mind and was utilized by Satan to
frustrate the Lord from going to suffer crucifixion (Matt. 16:21-23). The Lord
rebuked him, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan..for you are not setting your
mind on the things of God, but on the things of men." Thinking is a matter
in the mind and of knowledge. It is easy to be usurped and utilized by Satan
when we exercise our mind in the line of knowledge to think independently of
the Lord. Although Peter was on the line of life, beyond his consciousness he
was shifted to the line of knowledge. We all must be careful about our
thinking! Otherwise we may be taken over by Satan, the source of death.
XXIII. JUDAS
Judas was one of the twelve apostles, but he was always in his
mind counting money (John 12:4-6). He was absolutely on the line of the killing
knowledge and not at all on the line of life, even though he was with the Lord
Jesus, who was then the tree of life. Since his mind was occupied with thoughts
of money he opened himself to the Devil, who put into his heart the thought of
betraying the Lord (John 13:2). Eventually, Satan entered into him (John
13:27), and he betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15).
However, the result was that he gained no profit from the money, but that he
lost himself in death by hanging (Matt. 27:5).
XXIV. THE JEWS
The Jews kept their law and sentenced the Lord Jesus to death
according to it (John 19:7). They said, "We have a law, and according to
our law he ought to die, because he made himself Son of God." According to
their law, the Lord had blasphemed God in saying that He was His Son. Thus,
they sentenced Him to death according to their law. We must be careful in using
and in quoting the Bible. A great deal depends on whether we employ the
Scriptures in the way of life or in the way of knowledge. The Scriptures should
be the tree of life, which brings us life, but they can be the tree of
knowledge, which brings us death. Even in using the Scriptures we have to be
careful.
XXV. SAUL OF TARSUS
Saul of Tarsus was a foremost religionist. He was exceedingly
zealous of the tradition of his fathers and surpassed many of his equals in the
Jewish religion. As a result, he persecuted the church (Gal. 1:13-14).
Religion, with its traditional knowledge, is always a persecutor of the living
church. How did God turn Saul of Tarsus to the line of life? As Saul was
persecuting the churches, God revealed the Son of God into him, and he came to
live by Him (Gal. 1:16; 2:20). Saul was extremely religious. Although no one
thinks that religion is wrong, it is altogether on the line of knowledge. Only
as you turn to the living Christ will you be shifted from the line of knowledge
to the line of life.
XXVI. THE CORINTHIANS
The Corinthian believers were enriched in all knowledge, but were
puffed up and were still babes in Christ (1 Cor. 1:5; 8:1; 3:1). Knowledge will
not help you grow a fraction of an inch; it will only keep you in your
spiritual infancy. The more you cling to knowledge, the longer you will remain
a babe in Christ. In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul turned them from
knowledge to the growth in life that they might thereby experience
transformation for God's building (1 Cor. 3:6-12). Paul said, "I planted,
Apollos watered, but God made to grow." He seemed to tell the Corinthians,
"You don't need any more knowledge. What you need is the growth in life. This
growth in life is for the transformation which produces the precious materials
for God's building. You need the growth in life to transform you from being
fleshly into being genuinely spiritual that you may become the precious stones
for God's building."
XXVII. THE GNOSTICS
During the time of the apostles there was a philosophy called
gnosticism. Gnosticism was a composite of Egyptian, Babylonian, Jewish, and
Greek thought. This eclectic philosophy crept into the church life and it is
described in Colossians 2:8 as philosophy, vain deceit, the tradition of men,
and the rudiments of the world. This philosophy distracted and spoiled many
believers from Christ as their life. At that time the Roman politics did not
damage the believers as much as did the Hebrew religion and the Greek
philosophy. Therefore, Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians instructing them
to turn back to the Christ whom they had received. Since they had received
Christ, they should also walk in Him (Col. 2:6), not according to philosophy,
human concepts, or worldly rudiments.
XXVIII. THE DISSENTERS IN THE CHURCH
The New Testament refers to the dissenters in the church. In
Romans 16:17 Paul warns us to keep a watchful eye over the dissenting ones.
They hold dissenting teachings and make divisions and causes of falling. They
speak with flattering, enticing words and pretend to be helpful. If they did
not speak with smooth words, no one would listen to them. Paul charged us to be
watchful over the dissenting ones because they like to teach differently and
contend for contrary doctrines. However, the test we must apply to any
dissenting talk is not the standard of good or bad, right or wrong. Instead, we
must ask, "Does this build up or tear down? Does it maintain unity and
oneness or cause division? Does it help you to go on or does it cause you to
fall?" Before you listened to the dissenting talk you were alive, but
after listening for an hour you were deadened, thus proving that such
dissension spreads death. Do not examine the dissenters according to the
knowledge of right or wrong, for if you do this you will be tasting the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. You must test all dissenting opinions according to
death or life. After you listen to the dissenting talk, are you alive or dead? If
you are truly alive, then listen as much as possible. However, if you
experience death, you must go to the Lord and ask Him to cleanse you and to
rescue you from that death. During the past decades we have seen many
dissenting ones. We need to realize that in no church is the situation always
right. However, the issue is not a matter of right or wrong; it is a matter of
death or life. Never test dissenting talk by the standard of right or wrong.
Always measure it by death or life. Anything that enlivens you and gives you
life you may receive. Anything that deadens and kills you you must renounce.
Paul charged Timothy to remain at Ephesus to do one thing—to
charge the dissenters not to teach differently, but to take care of God's
dispensation, the dispensing of God as life (1 Tim. 1:3-4). Once again we see
that the test is life. If a man's talk dispenses God into you as life, that is
fine. If it does not give you life but kills you instead, it is certainly on
the line of knowledge.
XXIX. BALAAM, THE NICOLAITANS, AND JEZEBEL
Revelation 2 mentions the doctrine of Balaam, the doctrine of the
Nicolaitans, the teachings of Jezebel, and the depths of Satan (Rev. 2:14, 15,
20, 24). The early churches were deceived by such teachings and turned away
from the eating of the Lord and the feasting with the Lord. Therefore, to turn
the churches back to the enjoyment of Himself, the Lord made a promise to the
churches that if they stay away from this kind of doctrine He will give them to
eat of Himself. In Revelation 2:7 the Lord promises to give them to eat of the
tree of life. In Revelation 2:17 He promises to give them the hidden manna. In
these two verses we see the tree that was in the garden of Eden and the manna
that was in the wilderness, both of which are Christ Himself. The Lord did not
say that He would give them teachings or that He would offer them a superior
doctrine. While Balaam and the Nicolaitans have their doctrines, Jezebel her
teaching, and Satan his depths, the Lord Jesus has the tree of life and the hidden
manna. According to Revelation 3:20, the Lord promises a feast to everyone who
will open to Him as He knocks on the door. What does it mean to eat of the tree
of life, to partake of the hidden manna, and to feast with the Lord Jesus? It
means that we stay continually on the line of life to enjoy the Lord. If, in
the midst of the confusions and divisions of the day, we go along with the
teachings, we will be killed. However, if we take care of the enjoyment of the
Lord, that is, to be on the line of life, we will receive life and live.
XXX. THE ANTICHRIST
The Antichrist will be a man completely in the mind with a strong,
independent will. Thus, he will be totally possessed by Satan and will even
become the incarnation of Satan (Rev. 13:5-8). He is called "the man of
lawlessness," "the son of destruction," because he will exalt
himself as God (2Thes. 2:3-4). He will be the giant on the line of knowledge in
the Bible, knowing and caring for nothing on the line of life. His destiny will
be to suffer eternal death with Satan, the source of death (Rev. 19:20; 20:10).
XXXI. IN GENERAL
As a conclusion I want to refer to 2 Corinthians 3:6, which says,
"the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." The "letter"
here refers to the Old Testament, and the same Greek word is rendered
"writings" in 2 Timothy 3:15, where Paul mentions that Timothy knew
the sacred writings since childhood. But the Bible in dead letters, which
belongs to the tree of knowledge, kills, while the Spirit, who belongs to the
tree of life, gives life. Therefore, we do have a choice. Praise the Lord for
this choice! The choice of life! Besides the line of knowledge there is the
line of life. We must make a choice between life and knowledge. We must choose
between death and life.
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