TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

SCRIPTURE

Trees of righteousness. Verses 10 and 11 We are God's garden
He wants to grow his fruit in us for his glory

THREE TYPES OF TREES

GENESIS 2:9

1. Fruit tree for food - flesh
2. Tree of the knowledge of good and evil - soul realm - law of death
3. Tree of Life - spirit realm - law of life

TWO LAWS

ROMANS 8:1-18

Verse 1 - No condemnation for those in Christ
Verse 2 - Law of spirit of life in Christ. The tree of life
Verse 2 - Law of sin and death. ROMANS 6:23 The tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Verse 4 and 10 - Righteous because we are in the spirit. Righteous because Jesus lives in us
Verse 5 and 9 - Because we are spiritual. The spirit of God lives in us because of Jesus
Verse 16 - God's spirit witness to our spirit who we are in Christ. Sons of God
Verse 18 - We shall suffer persecution but shall be glorified with Jesus

TWO FRUITS

GALATIANS 5:19-21 The fruit of the flesh
GALATIANS 5:22-26 The fruit of the spirit
We must walk after the spirit
We must let God work in us

HOW DOES GOD GROW US AS TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?

MATTHEW 13:1-9 The parable of the sower
Verse 3 - The sower is the Holy Spirit
Verse 4 - The seeds are the gospel of salvation. The words of truth
Verse 4 - The wayside is those who are lost i.e. the ones who are not saved
Verse 4 - The fowls are the works of satan
Verse 5 - The stony places are hardened hearts i.e. emotional hearers
Verse 7 - The Thorns are worldly cares
Verse 8 - The good ground is the receptive hearts
Verse 8 - The fruit are other converts
We see the gospel of salvation being accepted in our hearts. God has sown his seed in us i.e. his seeds of righteousness

HOW DO WE GROW?

We need

GOOD SOIL

The environment in which we grow must be good. 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 Fellowship with believers

HUMUS OR FERTILISER

The Bible, The Word of God. 1 PETER 2:2 God's word will nurture us a baby's natural mother

WATER

The Holy Spirit working in us 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17

LIGHT

Revelation knowledge 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-7

A GOOD ROOT SYSTEM

JEREMIAH 17:7-8 Flourishing in times of life's diversities. We have faith in Jesus who sustains us. Always having spiritual fruit

PRUNING

JOHN 15:1-8 Purified and pruned. The fruit we bear are spiritual because we are spiritual. In Jesus we have the Law of Life operating in us.

CONCLUSION

REVELATION 3:20
Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me

ISAIAH 61:3
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified

Allow yourselves to be soft in the hands of the husbandman