Participating in the Tree of Life series: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit

This is the 6th post in the Tree of Life series.  Here are links to the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth posts.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, Jesus declared He is the vine and we are the branches.  We are branches bearing fruit and leaves.  I addressed our spiritual nature as fruit bearers in the last post.  We know the fruit we bear is the fruit of the spirit based on what Jesus declared in the Gospel of John, chapter 7 (verses 37-38)

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Note the wording in verse 38, and compare different translations to gain a fuller understanding of what Jesus said.  Here is the Tree of Life version (I actually didn’t know that there was a Tree of Life version until now!)

“Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”

Every translation indicates an outward flow from within.  Revisit the 3rd post in this series, if you need a reminder of how water flows through a plant.  Water flows up and out of a plant through the leaves.

Let’s go back to the foundational passage in Revelation 22, verses 1-3:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any curse.

Why are the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations?  Because they represent the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; the fulfillment of prophecy in the Book of Joel, chapter 2 (verses 28-29) – the same passage which was referenced by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts, chapter 2.  

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."

Do you see yourself as a vehicle for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the environment around you?  Because you should (because you are).  You bear the fruit of the spirit, containing seeds intended to reproduce the same fruit around you, and the Holy Spirit flows out of you, impacting the world around you.

How do the leaves of the tree heal the nations?  In other words, how does the outpouring of the Holy Spirit bring healing to His creation – His children?  Jesus himself instructed his apostles concerning the purpose of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, shortly before his arrest, trial death and resurrection.  Verses 8-11 are critical to understand, and these are worth studying comprehensively.  I say this, as I’ve often found well-meaning Christians taking the role of the Holy Spirit on themselves!  I don’t know about you, but I’d rather believe God for what He says, and take on the role He has assigned to His people, and leave the role of the Holy Spirit to the Holy Spirit!  Here is John 16:8-11 from The Message (keep in mind, Jesus is explaining why He must leave them, so that the Holy Spirit will come to them)

“When he comes, he’ll expose the error of the godless world’s view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He’ll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted.”

Do you see how the healing declared in Revelation 22 comes?  Through the Holy Spirit working on the hearts and minds of people, convincing them of their sin (of disbelief), that they can be right with God (through Jesus), and that judgment on the accuser (Satan) has taken place. (You might benefit from an expanded explanation of John 16:9-11, and John Gill’s exposition is a good one.  John Gill was an English pastor in the mid 1700s)

The healing of the nations involves people believing in God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, and this comes about through Christians declaring the gospel message, while bearing the fruit of the spirit, and serving as the vehicle for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whose role is to convince unbelievers of the truth.

This is how we participate in the Tree of Life – by believing in Jesus, which connects us to Him, which gives us spiritual life through the flow of the Holy Spirit, which produces spiritual fruit, as we also become the means by which the Holy Spirit flows out to the world, to act according to God’s plan and purpose – to bring healing to the nations, by compelling the world to believe, in order to be made righteous through Jesus Christ.  It’s a beautiful image, and an amazing design.  Are you participating in the Tree of Life?

There’s still more good news about participating in the Tree of Life – did you know that the Tree of Life is always in the presence of light?  See the next post, to learn more.