D
We stay on the way of life by enjoying the Triune God as the law of the Spirit of life with its divine capacity—Rom. 8:2; Jer. 32:39:
１
In the garden of Eden with the two trees, we see life, good, and evil; we are a miniature garden of Eden with the law of the Spirit of life in our spirit, the law of good in our natural, independent mind, and the law of evil in our flesh—Rom. 7:23; 8:2, 16.
２
We must “switch on” the law of the Spirit of life by walking according to the spirit and setting our mind on the spirit for the dispensing of the Triune God as life into our tripartite being—vv. 2, 4, 6, 10-11.
E
We stay on the way of life by living in resurrection, in the reality of the church as the Body of Christ, signified by the golden lampstand as a tree of resurrection life; this is so that we may bear the glory of God for God's expression as the city of life, the New Jerusalem—Eph. 1:22-23; Exo. 25:31-40; Rev. 1:11-12; 21:10-11.
Ⅲ
The unique way for us to be overcomers is by eating and enjoying Christ as the tree of life so that we can be transformed in life to become the man-child for the display of Christ's victory and for us to become the bride for Christ's satisfaction—2:7, 17; 3:20-21; 12:5-12; 19:7-9; 22:2, 14.
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death.6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.
Every genuine Christian is a miniature garden of Eden. The mind of your soul represents your self, sin in your flesh represents Satan [as the tree of knowledge], and the Spirit in your spirit represents God [as the tree of life]. In Romans 8…we see the outcrop of the two trees. Romans 8:6 says that the mind set on the flesh is death and that the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. In Genesis 2 the two trees were objective; in Romans 8 they are subjective. We should never say that these two trees are no longer with us. Even as you read this message, they are within you…Romans 8:2 mentions the law of the Spirit of life, which sets us free from the law of sin and death. Therefore, in Romans 8 we have two laws—the law of life and the law of death. These two laws are the two principles of the two trees in our subjective experience. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 177-178)
Today’s Reading
Who is this “me” [in Romans 8:2]? It is the switching “me.” It does not mean that the law of the Spirit of life frees every believer with no qualification. At least the one in Romans 7 was not freed; he was still struggling there. Until Paul reached chapter 8, the law [of the Spirit of life] had no way to work out something. The law had been set up, and the law was still under God’s operation, yet it needed Paul’s switching on.We have the regeneration, and we have the indwelling. We also have the mingling. All these are matters of the installation…The installation has been done, and the operation is in progress. They are all here waiting for you to switch on by walking according to the spirit, by setting the mind on the spirit, by killing the practices of the body, by being led by Him, by crying, by witnessing, by groaning. (CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” pp. 314-315, 317-318)
[The] golden tree [the golden lampstand in Exodus 25] has many almond blossoms… Aaron’s rod budding with almonds signifies resurrection life. Hence, the almonds on the lamp-stand indicate that it is a tree in resurrection. Resurrection is life that overcomes death without being damaged or injured by death. Death is powerless to do anything with resurrection life. Death can inflict all kinds of damage on other forms of life, plant life, animal life, and human life. Only one kind of life cannot be hurt by death, and this is resurrection life… According to the full revelation of the Scriptures, God Himself is this resurrection life.
The lampstand, of course, gives light. However, the first significance of the lampstand is not light, but life. The light is at the top of the lampstand, and underneath this shining light are the blossoms…The calyx under each pair of branches indicates the growth of life. These branches are produced by the growing of life. Thus, with the lampstand we see the branching out of life which takes place under the shining of the light. Life grows out light and blossoms with light. This means that the light is actually the blossoming of life. When we grow and blossom, the light shines. Our blossoming is our shining. We grow with life, but we blossom out light.
Praise the Lord that we [who believe in Christ] are parts of this tree in resurrection and with the divine nature, life, the Spirit, and the shining light! This living tree is growing, branching, budding, and blossoming…The blossoming is the shining of the light. Thus, the light is the life blossoming. Actually the light is the life. John 1:1 and 4 say, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God… In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” This is the shining of Christ, the embodiment of the Triune God, as the light of life. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 1083-1084)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1980, vol. 1, “Perfecting Training,” chs. 31, 33; CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, “The Divine Economy,” ch. 4; Life-study of Exodus, msg. 93