Pentecost, the Tree of Life, and the Holy Spirit

The title of the day is The Tree of Life, Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit.

Today is one of the most important events in the course of human history. It is the day that God through Christ poured out the Holy Spirit, making available to those God was calling out to become first fruits. Note carefully calling out those to become first fruits. God is spirit, the very essence of God. So we want to look at John 4 and verse 24. And John 4, 24. For years in the church, we had difficulty with defining and saying what the Holy Spirit really is. We went around parroting, the Holy Spirit's power of God, the Holy Spirit's power of God. Now the Holy Spirit is the essence of God. That's what he is. Just as you are flesh, God is spirit.

And to even consider and to think about that the Holy Spirit is a separate person, does violence to the scripture and to the sensibilities of any logically thinking person, because how can you be separated from your flesh? Your flesh, God is spirit. If you were separated from your flesh, you'd only have the skeleton left.

And with God, if he were separated from his spirit, it's like he wouldn't exist. So God is spirit, that is his very essence. So John 4 and verse 24. God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And the same thing can be said of the Son.

Jesus Christ is also spirit. But as you know, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he appeared to various ones over a period of some 40 days. So even after one is resurrected, you can appear in the flesh, as it were. You remember the story of Dowding Thomas. He said, I will not believe until I cast my hands into his side. And so Jesus appeared to them, and Thomas did just like that. And Jesus said, Thomas, you have believed because you have seen. Blessed are those who believe and who have not seen. There is one spirit.

If you'll turn forward now to Ephesians 4 and verse 4, you'll see very clearly there is one spirit. Now there's a verse in the Bible. I think Dr. Erwiller read it this morning, like Romans 8 and 9, the spirit of God, the spirit of Christ. It's the same spirit. The same spirits in God as in Christ as in us. So in Ephesians 4 and verse 4, we see there is one body, one spirit, even as you're called, and one hope of your calling.

One faith, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. They were writing one of the songs in the hymnal. I was on the review team back there in Pasadena in the late 80s. We came to that song of one, verse of one baptism. There's one baptism into the body of Christ. See, the Bible speaks of three baptisms, baptism by fire, which you don't want. That's a bad place. The other is water baptism, which man can perform.

But then there's the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which God is the one who gives you the Holy Spirit. So only God can give you the Holy Spirit and that baptism. And he honors the laying on of hands as we read from several different sources in the book of Acts, and also in other places, the laying on of hands, setting one apart.

Now, the source of the Holy Spirit is the Father. If we go to John 15, verse 26, we'll see this very clearly. Somewhere, circa 1500, there was a great schism in the Catholic Church, and it had to do with the procession of the Holy Spirit. In essential Trinitarianism, classical Trinitarianism, it is said that the Father is continually generating the Son, and the Son is generating, and the Father is, I got it backwards, it is said that the Father is continually generating the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is continually generating the Son. And the great dispute arose over whether the Father and the Son were generating the Holy Spirit. And so, it eventually wound up, and there were other issues as well, with there being a division in the, what we call the Catholic Church, and it split off into the Eastern branch, which became the Greek Orthodox Church, and the Western branch, which became, as we call it today, the Catholic Church, headquarters in Rome, the Eastern Church with headquarters in Constantinople, now East Anbul.

And now the Russian Orthodox Church is basically a carbon copy of the Greek Orthodox Church. So the Catholics, the Western Church, insisted on adding the word Philia and the Son, Philia, me and the Son also. So the Catholic Church insisted, well, the Holy Spirit is being generated by the Father and the Son, whereas the Eastern Church says, no, it's just the Father. Well, the Father is not, I don't think the Father is there generating, I think of generating, like you're turning a turbine or something, but the Father is the source of the Holy Spirit according to the Bible. And as we shall see, it is sent to us in the name of and through Christ.

So let's read John 1526, but the comforter, and next we're going to read John 1426, which defines that the comforter is the Holy Spirit. But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, it shall testify of me. So I think if you want to bring it down to example in the power sense that you have this electric station that generates electricity and those lines going out, that's a crude example, but the Father is the source of the Holy Spirit according to the Scripture.

Now we go back to John 1426. In John 14 verse 26, but the comforter which is the Holy Spirit. So it leaves no doubt about what is the Holy Spirit. The comforter is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. And Christ plays a role in that. He shall teach you all things, bring all things to your remembrance. So here are some of the works of the Holy Spirit teaching you, bringing to your remembrance whatsoever I've said unto you. And the Holy Spirit is shed on us through Christ. Now we go back to John 16. In this case, we want to go to verse 7. John 16 and verse 7.

We read 1526. Early now we're John 16 verse 7.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. If I go not away, the comforter, we just read that the comforter is the Holy Spirit, will not come unto you, but if I go away, if I depart, I will send it unto you. So somehow Christ plays a role in sending the Holy Spirit. Now we look at Acts 2.30. We go there quickly to Acts 2.30. I'll be turning these scriptures with you, and I'm not the world's fastest, but in Acts 2.30, therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, speaking of David's prophecy, that out of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ and sit on his throne. He, seeing this before, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his life essence, his life potential, was not left in the grave, Hades, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus, God raised up where I am, we are all witnesses, therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, having received the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has shed forth this which you now see and hear. Now, in Titus chapter 3, we see something similar. In Titus chapter 3, Titus always have a little trouble finding Titus. He's hiding in there. In Titus chapter 3 and verse 4. In Titus 3 and verse 4, that they may teach the young women to be sober, no, it's 2, 3, and verse 4, but after that the kindness and love of God, our Savior toward man, appeared not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration. Now, regeneration is palingin s-a-c. Now, I'll try that again. Palingin s-a-a. You say that a few times, and it'll help you.

The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. So, Christ plays a role in the shedding of the Holy Spirit on us. The Holy Spirit is under the direction of God and Christ, and that is one of the things that we... the Holy Spirit is not out freelancing on its own, apart from God and Christ. That's the essence of God and Christ is the Spirit and the Holy Spirit, and like you read about, no matter where you go, God's presence is there. You can't get away from God's presence, no matter where you go. There's a psalm that talks about, if I go to the deepest, darkest places, you're still there. So, God's Spirit is always present, and God in the Holy Spirit is under the direction of God and Christ. Look at Psalm 104 verse 30. We used to quote this all the time.

104 verse 30, you send forth your Spirit. They are created, and you renew the face of the earth. And you tie that in with the recreation chapter of Genesis chapter one, and we're one of the few religious organizations that understand and teach the gap theory. That is, that after the rebellion of Satan, how many years passed before God recreated the earth for the habitation of man? And you know the verse that says it was not created in tohu, bohu, in a state of chaos and confusion, but it was created to be inhabited. And through the Holy Spirit, God does works of power.

Then, once again, we had people, ministers, and finally they came to understand. You heard Dr. Erweler several times this morning say, his essence is abiding in you. His essence is abiding in you. The essence of God, the Holy Spirit, is abiding in you. And so in Zechariah 4, in verse 6, back to Zechariah 4 and verse 6, Zephaniah Zechariah 4 and verse 6.

Then he answered and spoken to me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zechariah 4, saying, Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. So even that verse says, not by my power, but by my Spirit. And the Spirit then does works of power. One of the most incredible things that God does, look at Job 26 and verse 13.

Job 26 and verse 13 will turn back there. 26 and verse 13, God does all kinds of things through His Spirit. By His Spirit, this is Job 26 verse 13, by His Spirit, He hath garnished the heavens. So you look up into these starry skies, and we heard in the sermonette today about out on the north plains of Texas, you can see the starry skies, and it sprinkled like pepper over eggs or grits or something.

And it's a beautiful sight to see. He hath garnished the heavens. His hand hath formed the crooked serpent. So, in another place, it says that God even calls the stars by name.

So through His Spirit, He does all kinds of wonderful things. Holy things have God's active presence in them. We turn now to Exodus 3 and verse 5. Exodus 3 and verse 5. The test is to see if you can get there before I do.

Now, I notice a lot of people don't turn to the scriptures anymore, and that's all right. You have the whole Bible memorized.

Then Exodus 3 and verse 5. And He said, Draw an eye here, put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place where upon you stand is holy ground.

Well, we heard in the special music, holy time. See, God has placed His presence in the Sabbath day in an unusual and unique way. It is just different from the other six days of the week.

Even God, it says in Genesis chapter 2 that even God rested on Shabbat on the Sabbath day. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. See, God has made it holy. His presence is in the Sabbath day in a way that is not in other days.

So, holy things have God's active presence in them, or it. In this case, it's it. The ground where on your stand is holy ground because God's presence was there. He was manifesting Himself in a way to Moses, and so it was holy ground.

The saints are called holy. We're called a holy nation. Perhaps we'll read that verse later. Holy things have God's active presence in them. Look at 2 Timothy 3 and verse 15. We couple this with the verse that I've quoted about 100 times in sermons here over the past 12 years, and that is John 6.63. The words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. Back when we had scripture cards, this was 2 Timothy 3 and verse 15 was definitely one of the memory scriptures. You know, every test, basically, when we were attending ambassador, would have a current events test and a scripture test in addition to the subject matter that had been covered in class. In 2 Timothy, I'm in verse, in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 15.

And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures. So you put John 6.63 there in the margin. The words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. That from a child you have known the holy scriptures. God's active presence is in the scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. So you are holy people because God's active presence is in you. We're called a holy nation. If you turn to 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9, there are very few places in the Bible that calls the church a nation, but this is one of the places in which the church is called a nation. Of course, when God led Israel to the Mount Sinai and they received the law according to tradition on the day of Pentecost, which they did not have God's spirit, you know, in Matthew and Deuteronomy, it says, oh, if there was such a heart in them that they would obey me and keep my commandments always. Verse Peter 2.9, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. So God's active presence, a purchased people that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So the New Covenant Church and the observance of Pentecost in the New Covenant way began some 1900-something years ago on this day.

And that is, as some have said, the birthday of the Church of God. So this day marks the day that the Holy Spirit was made available to those whom God is calling out, calling out to be first fruit. Scripture teaches us that the tree of life in the Garden of Eden represented the Holy Spirit. Say that again, and remember that's part of the title. Tree of Life, Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit. This day marks the day that the Holy Spirit was made available to those whom God is calling out to be first fruits. Scripture teaches us that the tree of life in the Garden of Eden represented the Holy Spirit, the eternal immortal essence that allows humans to eventually be begotten and born into the kingdom of God through the eternal spirit. Look at Genesis 3 and verse 9, I believe it is. In Genesis 3 and verse 9, and the Lord God said unto Adam, where are you? And he said, I heard your voice in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. See, they had eaten of the wrong tree. Instead of eating of the tree of life, they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They took to themselves a prerogative of choosing what was good and what was evil.

Now in verse 20, as a result of that, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Make sure it's verse 20 that I'm looking for. Let's look at verse 22. Genesis 3.22. And the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become as one of us to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, which was in the midst of the garden, and eat and live forever. See, that shows he did not have immortality right there because you had to have a Holy Spirit. You had to partake of the tree of life to become an eternal being and live forever. Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, caribim, and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.

And it was not until this day, in the day of Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit was made to people in a general way. But even there, it's made available to those whom God is calling out at this present time. So being begotten by the Holy Spirit represents the same thing as partaking of the tree of life, because the tree of life represents the Holy Spirit. Two of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit. One, what do you think is the greatest work of the Holy Spirit?

The greatest work, in my view, is it imparts life. It imparts life. Now you have the very essence, which you heard a lot about this morning, the very essence of God dwelling within you.

And akin to that, is that through the Holy Spirit, God writes his immutable spiritual law on our hearts and minds, on our inward parts, as it says in Hebrews chapter 10, that God writes his laws on our inward parts so that we have a new mind, a new conscience, a new knowing within. Now, perhaps the most notable prophecy in the Old Testament regarding this day is given in Joel. We want to go to Joel now, Hosea Joel. So Joel is right after Hosea, and Hosea is right after another book.

It's right after Daniel, Hosea is, and then after Hosea is Joel. In Joel 2 and verse 28, Joel 2, 28, And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.

Well, that hasn't happened yet.

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Pentecost represents the early rain, and there is the latter rain.

Rain and water oftentimes represents the Holy Spirit. Christ said, Out of my belly shall flow rivers of living water.

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids. In those days will I pour out my Spirit. Now Peter quotes part of this in his inspired sermon on the day of Pentecost 31 A.D. when the Holy Spirit was sent to the church and notice how it goes forward. And I will show wonders in the heavens and the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. See, this is introducing the day of the Lord.

The sun shall be turned into darkness. If we turn, if we were, we're not going to turn there now, at least I'm not, to Revelation 6 and verse 12 in the opening of the sixth seal. You'll see almost this identical language there. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. So the heavenly signs, the signs that God supernaturally performs, not natural signs of blood moons and anything that man does from carbon to whatever it is that's spewed into the atmosphere. God is the one who does this.

It's not a man-made phenomenon.

And a lot of the prophecy teachers are out there selling books over man-made phenomena. Oh, the end is near. We have a blood moon. No blood moons naturally occur ever so often.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.

Well, that time lies ahead.

Now, if you call on the name of the Lord in the ultimate sense of repentance from dead works, faith in the sacrifice of Christ, baptism laying on of hands, understanding of resurrection, judgment going on to perfection and all of that, then it could apply now, but in the ultimate sense later. For in Mount Zion, in Mount Zion and Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, and in the remnant, there will be people who live over into the millennium, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

Note the remnant that will serve God and Christ and bring deliverance to all peoples of the world are called. God is calling out firstfruits now, and that's why you are sitting here today, because you believe that He is calling out firstfruits, and you believe the gospel. Now, let's look at James 1, verse 17, which uses the term firstfruits. James 1, verse 17.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no wearableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Now, we will probably come back to that word, begat, a little later. Of His own will, begat He us with the word of truth. The thing about the Father, and even though Christ plays a role, if you hold your place here right now, this is sort of a side point, but it's a buggy point to me. Not a buggy that you put horses behind, but another buggy.

That in Romans 8, verse 11, Romans 8 and verse 11, when it comes to the resurrection, we'll note this in Romans 8 and verse 11.

But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead, time after time in the New Testament, you will see scriptures about Jesus being raised from the dead by the Father, sitting on the right hand of the Father at the present time. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your...make alive...quicken means make alive... shall also make alive your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you. See, that is a life-giving Spirit that is in you. You have that essence of God, His Spirit, within you. Now, you have a...the scripture like was read this morning that...and as the last day I will raise Him up. Christ somehow plays a role, like in sending the Holy Spirit. Somehow Christ plays a role. I don't know exactly how that role is played, but it says it shed on us through Christ. And the source, we read clearly John 1526, the source is the Father. The Father begets us, the Father brings us to birth. If that were not the case, someone or something else would be our Father. But the Father is the Father. And we pray our Father who art in heaven. Now, one of the budding heresies that's been around for quite a long time is the timing of the resurrection because of the term first fruits. In the Old Testament, oftentimes Pentecost was referred to as the Feast of First Fruits. The timing of the resurrection. Some have that notion that the first fruits are harvested on the day of Pentecost. There is no scripture in the Bible that I can find that even remotely hints that the resurrection takes place on Pentecost. We'll examine that just briefly here. The first resurrection marks the time when the spiritual first fruits are harvested. So let's quickly review what the Holy Days represent in the plan of God. Israel kept the Passover on the 14th day of Nisan, Nisan. I guess Nisan is a car. Israel kept Passover on the 14th day of Nisan.

They left Egypt on the 15th day of Nisan, the first day of Unleavened Bread. They were baptized in the Red Sea on the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

They received the 10 commandments on the day of Pentecost.

On Pentecost, they received the 10 commandments. The Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost. We are now in what the Bible calls the Church Age. There are seven dispensations mentioned in the Bible. I'm not going to cover all of that. I'm just going to cover two. Ephesians will cover the sixth and the seventh. They're easy for us to see quickly. In Ephesians chapter 3, here's the dispensation we're currently in. This word dispensation that we're going to read in verse 2 is the Greek word is ekonomia. It's the word from which we get economics, but it also has to do with an administration. It is a period of time in which God administered things in a certain way.

The first administration was a time of innocence. Adam and Eve were innocent, not sinned. Then there was a time of man deciding for himself man's governance. There was a time in which the taking of life was transferred to man, eye for eye, tooth for tooth after the flood. Then there was the patriarchal age. Then there was the the old covenant age, the law. Now we are in the dispensation of grace. We got Ephesians 3 verse 1. For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the ekonomia, the dispensation of the grace which is given me to you. We hear so much about grace today. Grace means divine favor. God's grace has allowed us, even because of grace, we have the plan of salvation because God loved us favored us, he gave us the plan of salvation. God's grace is divine favor. Some people put equate grace almost with the Holy Spirit like the grace is what pushes you over here, pushes you over there. The Holy Spirit is a power that can be tapped into and used, but grace is God's divine favor to you. The Apostle Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 6, somewhere along in there, he says, I am what I am by the grace of God. That Paul was out imprisoning Christians, killing Christians, apparently, and doing all kind of evil things because he was zealous for the paracelical way. And then by the grace of God, God called him by his divine favor. Paul didn't do anything.

We have been called by God's divine favor his grace. We didn't do anything to be called initially. Now, after the calling takes place and we are convicted by hearing the Word of God and the Spirit of God working within us, then we have to make a decision.

So you have heard of the dispensation of grace which has given me to you, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in a few words. One of the great mysteries in Ephesians 3 is how the Jew and Gentile are joined together in one body. That was unheard of, unknown in the Jewish religion before the days of the New Covenant. Then if you look over in chapter 1 or verse 10, that which is to come later, the latter reign, this is Ephesians 1.10, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and in earth.

So Joel's prophecy includes from the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost to the day of the Lord to the planting of the tree of life and the paradise of God. Well, let's notice, in Genesis, you had the tree of life. Do you have the tree of life in the millennium? Go to Revelation 2, verse 7. Revelation 2 and verse 7. In Revelation 2 and verse 7, now what is given here in Revelation at the end of each message to each church is the reward. And believe it or not, every church gets the reward. If they make it, they get it.

Every church. And we used to talk about, oh, you want to be just Philadelphia, because Philadelphia is protected from the great tribulation from the day of trial and so on and so on. In Genesis, not Genesis, Revelation 2.7, what was taken away in Genesis is basically restored in Revelation 2.7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. To him that overcomes, notice that word overcomes, to him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. And the writer of Revelation and the one who revealed it, the revelation begins with God who gave it to Christ, who gave it to the angel, who gave it to John, and John gave it to the churches. So look at Revelation 22. In Revelation 22 verse 2, in the midst of the street of it, well, we ought to read 1.

Revelation 22.1, and he showed me a pure river of water, a water of life, a water of life, clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. And in the midst of the street of it, on either side of the river, was there a, well, it was the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Now in verse 14, blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life. Now I'm reading Revelation 22. And may enter in the gates into the city. What city?

For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loves and makes a lie.

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify in you these things in the churches.

I am the rude and offspring of David and the bright and morning star. And of course, that's Christ. He is the rude of David and he's the bright and morning star. And the spirit and the bride say, come, and let him that hears say, come, and let him that is a thirst, come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto you unto every man that hears the words and the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man take away the words of this book, this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in the book. That's the word of God, not mine. So we see the tree of life and the book of life continue in eternity, a time in which all peoples of the world will have opportunity for salvation. Now, a casual reading of some scriptures might cause some to believe that their names were written in the book of life before the foundation of the world.

Now, here are some scriptures. We go back to Ephesians once again. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4. And some people get confused, and there's a whole religious denomination that insists on predestination. There's a branch of the Presbyterian Church that teaches strict predestination, but that cannot be true. Ephesians 1.4, according as he has chosen us and him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us unto sonship, not adoption. Now, we have spent a lot of time in trying to get ministry to understand it's sonship. It's not adoption. Why is it adoption? Well, why is it adoption? See, adoption is a legal matter that you can adopt someone that has all the legal rights and so on that a biologically born child would have. But sonship, you come out of the very being of your parents. We come out of the very being of God and Christ, the very essence. By the same spirit that he raised Jesus from the dead, what will he do? He will quicken our mortal bodies. We are born through the spirit into the kingdom of God.

Now, another scripture along these lines that causes trips, a lot of people have Revelation 17.8. Revelation 17.8 is very similar to what we read there in Ephesians 1 and verse 4. Revelation 17.8 The beast that you saw was and is not, it's interesting this is in this context, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was not and yet is.

So once again, there's a strict branch of Presbyterianism that teaches strict predestination, and some people in the church get caught up with this. It cannot mean that true Christian's name was written in the book of life before, I mean, specific and individually. I mean, the process, the means, the way was there before the foundation of the earth. The whole plan of salvation was planned out, so it doesn't mean that everyone specifically and individually, I don't think my name was written in the book of life before conversion. I don't think your name was either. The meaning is that anyone, for anyone's name to be written in the book of life, is through the sacrifice of Christ. That's what the Bible teaches. Christ agreed to die for the sins of the world before the foundation of the world. Now, we have covered those scriptures many times. The process for one to partake of the tree of life, to have their names written in the book of life, was determined before time began, but not individual names.

Just in general, those who have been converted are those whom God will call for the first fruits. The only way for sin to be forgiven is through repentance and exercise and faith in the sacrifice of Christ. Christ was slain from the foundation of the world, but a person must choose to obey. So let's note Revelation 3 and verse 5.

One time I gave them years ago, one time I gave a sermon using as the basis this word overcomes. In Revelation 3 verse 5, who is able to enter into the kingdom? Who gets the reward?

In Revelation 3 and verse 5, he that overcomes, he that overcomes, he that is not, he that doesn't say he that was predestined before the foundation of the world. The process and the plan was laid out before the foundation of the world. But individually and specifically, you have to make the choice. You have to overcome. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. Apparently, we're going to have like an introduction to the father. I don't know if he's going to be in mass or however he's going to be, but Christ apparently is going to say, okay, here they are, Father. These have been faithful. They are spiritual virgins received. I don't know how that's going to take place. Moreover, the preaching of the gospel to the world, the work of the church is based on preaching and repentance and obedience based on faith. So your name is placed in the book of life upon repentance, the exercise of faith, and the sacrifice of Christ, baptism laying on of hands at the time you are begotten of God's Spirit. As we have noted, the day of Pentecost was planned and ordained before the foundation of the world, and God is not willing that any should perish. See, God is not willing that any should perish.

Why would he make that statement if he's already determined, well, some are going to perish. I'm not concerned about them, but he makes the statement in 1 Peter 3 verse 9, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

On the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached his inspired sermon, verse 37, this is Acts 2, 37, they were pricked in their heart and said, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter responded, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. What was it contingent on? Repent. Repent. And, of course, in addition to repentance, you have to have faith in the sacrifice of Christ and understand that he paid the prize for you. God is not a respecter of persons. It says that in Romans 2, 11, Romans 2, 11 says God is not a respecter of persons. And we know that God is not a respecter of persons. However, God will never remove free choice.

You know, even the apostle Paul says, I keep my body under control that I, myself, after having run, and I'm paraphrasing, become a cast away. We can become a cast away.

We have to make the choice of what we're going to do until the day we die. Time after time in the Bible, people are challenged to choose who they will follow. Moses and Joshua challenge Israel to obey God or Baal. We often quote Deuteronomy 30, verse 19. Deuteronomy 30, verse 19. I'm going to read that. That's one case where I have it written on here, so I don't have turn there, but you can. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I've said before you, life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life that both you and your seed may live.

Now, verse 20. That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey his voice, that you may cleave unto him, for he is your life, and the length of your days that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore unto the Father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. If God and Christ had already determined who would be saved and who would face eternal destruction, the talk about repentance, faith, overcoming would be meaningless. We have, once again, the essence of God dwelling in us, and it is through the sacrifice of Christ that he paid the penalty, so that when we come to that point, we have been convicted of our sins, and we're ready to be baptized. We have repented. We've exercised faith in the sacrifice of Christ. At that point, God views us as sinless, having been reconciled by the death of his son, we shall be saved by his life. That's Romans 5.10. So God, through Christ, and in fact, God and Christ are living in us because John 14.23 says, we both shall make our abode in him. Sometimes the song is, the song, abide with me, or abide with him, whatever it is. Both of them abide in us.

Galatians 2.20 says, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. So we have the Father and the Son living within us.

The tree of life represents, as we have noted, the eternal Spirit of God. Remember, man is moral, is mortal, subject to sin and death, and unless he eats the tree of life, he cannot live forever. So unless you repent, exercise faith in Christ, be baptized, receive the laying on of hands, you're going to die.

There is a spiritual, there is a physical birth, there is a spiritual birth. The Bible makes that very clear.

The Church of God holds the keys to the kingdom of God. Over the past two Sabbaths, you have heard a lot about the keys to the kingdom of God. You have heard about the Holy Spirit. You've heard about the works of the Holy Spirit. You have heard about the power of the Holy Spirit. You have heard so many wonderful things about the Holy Spirit.

And so, we would make this appeal as we close here this afternoon.

We want to make sure that we continue to draw our spiritual substance from the tree of life through God and Christ and the Holy Spirit, and that our names are written in the Book of Life. We must renew the inward man daily. 2 Corinthians 4, 16 says, the inward man is renewed daily. How so? I mean, if you only read the Word of God daily, see the words I speak, their spirit, and they are life. And so, reading the Word of God on a daily basis provides you with spiritual sustenance, just like you eat three meals a day. But if you'll eat one spiritual meal a day. Another way, let's go to Luke 11.

Don't get nervous. We're about to close. And Luke 11 in verse 9.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be open unto you. For every one that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks, it shall be open. And if a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? And if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? And then the other thing, the Holy Spirit and obedience are inextricably linked together. You can't have one without the other. They are like reciprocals. Acts 5.32 says, and he gives his Spirit to those who obey him. So, brethren, we have taken a little whirlwind tour of some of the scriptures in the Bible. You've heard some great sermons the past two weeks here. And so, we close with this. And let's enjoy the rest of the day of Pentecost. And you should be so full of the Holy Spirit, you just float on out of here.