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.
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.
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.
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).
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. Gen. 13:14-15). 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. Gen. 13:18). 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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 (14, John 4:21-24). Although she was on the line of knowledge, the Lord turned her to the line of life.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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).
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.
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.
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."
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.
The New Testament refers to the dissenters in the church. In Rom. 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.
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.
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 (2 Thes. 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).
As a conclusion I want to refer to 2 Cor. 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.
