God’s Boundaries Are Blessings

Well, it’s wonderful to see you all, brethren. Let’s start with a question. What comes to mind when you think of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? That tree in the garden of Eden, you think of sin. Obviously, Adam and Eve sinned when they took of it, they disobeyed God. And you may think of all of the wrong things that came from that. It’s the world we live in today is the way it is because Adam and Eve ate from that tree. Think of failure. They definitely failed and took from that tree. And to think of punishment. Ultimately, were pushed out by God from the Garden of Eden.

But that tree can represent many things. The way of this world, all very negative. But let’s look at the tree in another way. Let’s turn to Genesis one. Very beginning of the Bible. We’ll begin in and out of Genesis today, so you may want to keep your finger there or a marker. Genesis one and verse thirty-one. So usually when we think of the tree of the knowledge of good or evil, we think of negative things. Bad. And that’s fine. There’s many things that are cautions for us. But let’s look at it in a different way. Genesis one and verse thirty-one. This is at the end of the creation week as God remade the earth.

“And God saw everything that he had made,” everything, “and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and morning on the sixth day.” Just before leading into the Sabbath day. So everything had been created. Heaven, he’s recreating the earth, animals, all those things being made, man too, and it was all very good. Go to chapter two and verse eight. “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant for sight, good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and also the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Also in the midst of the garden. All these things were good and God placed both of those trees, we’re looking at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, in the midst of the garden, in the middle of it. Kind of a focal point where Adam and Eve could see it. And verse sixteen. “And the Lord God commanded the man saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for the day you eat of it you shall surely die.’” So everything was very good, including that tree. But clearly, the effects of eating that tree were not good and led to many ill effects for Adam and Eve, and in the world today as well.

But as we reframe how we see that tree for today, I want to see it as a boundary that God placed there. And that was good. That boundary that God had placed from Adam and Eve was good. As everything he created was good, that was good. And he put it in a very prominent place in the garden, that tree, where they could see it. It’s in the midst. You think of Paris, France, where the Eiffel Tower is in a prominent position, and you know you’re in Paris and you can see that. Oh, this is Paris. That’s a focal point of Paris. For the Garden of Eden, it was these two trees that were a focal point for Adam and Eve.

When they were walking through the garden from one side to the other, they saw them. Brethren, I submit to you that we also have a tree of knowledge of good and evil in the center of our lives today as well. There’s a tree representing the boundaries that God has placed on us. And we can view it in an incorrect way or a correct way. With Adam and Eve, with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, they listened to Satan and they began to see that as a restriction, that God was being unfair and withholding something from them.

And then they took of it and sinned. But we should see those boundaries in a different light. All the commands, the Sabbath, tithing, everything that we do in God’s law in a different light. Not as restrictions or something that God’s being unfair or withholding something from us, but rather as blessings. We should see those boundaries as blessings. All those things, commands, laws, statutes, things that we do in our lives are there to protect us and guide us and bring abundance in our lives, but also to bring eternal life ultimately. But we have to see them in the right light.

And we can see them in the incorrect light. So we’re going to look at the story of Adam and Eve with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, to answer a question, how can we ensure we always see God’s boundaries as blessings? Now, just quickly, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are a big subject. There’s a lot to cover with that. The tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life, both of those trees, think of Mr. Herbert Armstrong in the 20^th century, that’s something he covered a lot toward the end of his life. It’s a big part of God’s plan and it represents two ways of life.

Give and get. It represents following after and leaning on our own understanding with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or leaning on God’s understanding and trusting in him and his way. There’s a lot that can be covered there, but as we focus on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and boundaries, the boundaries as God’s placed, that’s where we’ll stay today. We’ll get a little bit into the tree of life later but we want to ensure we don’t get that corrupted view of the restrictions or boundaries that God has placed in our lives. So, I’ll say it again.

God’s boundaries are blessings, and we can ensure we keep this right mindset by knowing how God and Satan view those boundaries in our lives. God has a view and Satan has a view, and we can start to see them in the right way by looking at both of those. So, let’s look at God’s way first. How he views the boundaries he’s placed and the restrictions he’s placed for us. Once again, we already saw that everything God created was good, including that situation. He said, “Don’t take of this tree,” for Adam and Eve. He wasn’t withholding something like, “Nanner, nanner, you can’t have this.”

It was because He knew that with that, they would take and lean to their own understanding and decide for themselves what was right and wrong, and go off and do everything that mankind does today. We see it in the world today as well. But God’s way is not all restrictive in where he’s withholding. It’s abundant and he wants to make that very clear, and he did for Adam and Eve. Let’s go to Genesis two and verse sixteen. You read it earlier but we’ll read it again. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat.’” And then one tree you can’t eat of.

How big was that garden? We don’t know. But think of all of the different types of trees that we eat from today. We get them from the grocery store, but apples, many of us love apples and eating those. Throw some peanut butter on them, they’re even better. Think of pears, peaches when they’re really, really ripe, and that just the drizzle down your chin, that juice. It’s delicious. Or really good oranges, you can’t beat it. Of course they come from Southern California, not Florida, but I may or may not be born in Southern California, so I may be biased.

But think of all those trees. All of the trees, Adam and Eve could eat from all of them, including the tree of life. God gave so, so much. His way is expansive and abundant. And there’s one area that God said you can’t have that. Don’t eat from that tree. But we should have God’s mindset. It’s explained a little more in Psalm sixteen. Let’s go over there. How God views the boundaries in our lives and explains them to us. Psalm sixteen and verse eleven. “You will show me the path of life,” that includes the boundaries, and you think of a path, they have boundaries and sides to them, “...show me the path of life.

In your presence is fullness of joy,” living God’s way brings joy, “at your right hand are pleasures evermore.” Both now and also eternally, in the God family. Pleasures evermore. Joy, fulfillment, blessings. This all comes from God. Let’s go to Deuteronomy ten, a little more of God’s view, how he views his commandments and laws, what he wants us to do and not do. Deuteronomy ten and verse twelve. Deuteronomy ten, twelve. “And now, Israel...” so God’s talking to ancient Israel, but we’re spiritual Israel so this can apply to us as well.

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul.” Do what he says. “To keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes, which I command you to this day for your good.” So just says God created everything in the garden and said it was good, everything in creation and said it was good. Those commandments, those boundaries, those restrictions he places on us are good. And we have to remember that.

God’s ways are here for our benefit and not to limit us. Of course, Satan doesn’t want us to think that way. He uses many tactics to distort that abundance, all that God has given us, and wants us to think differently and focus on those restrictions. Hopefully you’ve kept your finger in Genesis. We’ll go back there, Genesis three. Or bookmark. Genesis three in verse one. Start to see Satan’s tactics. How he distorts what God has given us. Where a boundary can be seen as a blessing, that tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a boundary and brings blessings.

Not doing what God said. But he viewed it in a different way and wanted Adam and Eve to do the same. Genesis three and verse one. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field,” serpent as in Satan, “...subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, ‘Yes, has God not said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” I think I said that wrong. “Yeah, has God not said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Asking this question, Satan was starting to have Eve think of all of the... think of restrictions.

What has God said? Has he said you couldn’t eat of every tree of the garden? He’s twisting it, but he’s getting her thinking that and moving toward what she can’t do. Verse two. “And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of every fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it lest you die.’” So, see what happened here. Satan was exaggerating those restrictions, but it got her focusing on the one. So, she started to look at that tree. “And the serpent sat unto the woman, ‘You shall not surely die.

For God knows that in the day that you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as gods knowing good and evil.’” So, Eve heard this and listened to it, and kept focusing on that restriction, that boundary that God had placed, and in a bad way. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and also gave to her husband who was with her, and he did eat.” Both Adam and Eve heard what Satan had said.

They processed in their mind, they saw that restriction and corrupted that thinking, where this boundary is good. I shouldn’t do that because it will bring bad results. But started to see it, oh, this isn’t so bad. And that’s Satan’s way, he wants to exaggerate God’s restrictions in our lives. He wants us to focus on them in an incorrect way and lead to blowing past that boundary and doing what God doesn’t want us to do. We can have those sorts of thoughts in our minds as well, and Satan will put them there too. Why can’t I spend my tithe on something that I want to spend it on?

Or even in an emergency. Well, things are really tight this month, and that money’s there, but God says ten percent is for me. That’s a boundary there, and you can start to look at it in the wrong way. About entertainment, things you watch or music you listen to. Is it really bad to watch or listen to what everyone else does? Is it really... Maybe this is okay. You dip your foot in the water and leads to where it can lead to worse and worse things. Sabbath, why can’t I do this or that on the Sabbath? Is it really... Maybe it’s not so bad if I do this or that.

And that can lead to maybe later, is it really bad to work on the Sabbath? I really need to get some more money and provide for my family. Those thoughts, patterns, and thinking can go there. And they start with questions, start with questioning those restrictions, focusing on them in an incorrect way. We can start to overly focus on and desire things that are out of reach for us. Sometimes that can be, those decisions can be a matter of minutes where we can desire something. And it can be a sin, and quickly. Had our minutes, could be over the course of a day or weeks, or years.

Those thought patterns can lead us astray. It can lead to sin and ruin. Brethren, Satan wants us to think that God’s way is super small. Can you really not eat up all the trees of the garden? Can you not do anything on the Sabbath? You’ve probably heard some people say that you really can’t do anything? Why can’t you do anything on the Sabbath? Exaggerating that restriction and making it seem like the world has all of these things going on outside of God’s way. God’s way is tiny and itty-bitty, and the world is huge. When God has given, just as Adam and Eve were given all the trees of the garden and the tree of life, and one thing they couldn’t have, we should see it the same.

God’s way is one of abundance and has... there’s so much we can do, but he gives us a few restrictions, a few things we can’t do. But we shouldn’t get that flipped in our head. Brethren, God’s boundaries are blessings. And we can ensure we keep that proper mindset by understanding the temptation process. We’ve seen a little bit of that already with Eve, but let’s get into it a little more, because temptation follows a predictable pattern. And when we start to recognize that pattern and certain thoughts and triggers for ourselves individually, then we can learn to stamp it out.

When that temptation arises, when those thoughts start to happen, when Satan puts in our mind certain things, you shall not surely die. Is it really that bad? Let’s read Genesis three, six one more time. It’s a predictable pattern. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, a tree to be desired, to make one wise,” look at all she did before she acted. “...she took their fruit thereof and did eat, and her husband did too.” This whole process started with some doubts or wrong thoughts. Was Satan questioning God’s word and goodness and posing that question to Eve.

Hey, God’s way is restrictive. It’s unfair. He’s withholding from you. You can have a lot more. And then you can start to focus on that restriction. Just as Eve was examining it, oh, you know what? This looks okay. Instead of just rejecting it outright. And rationalized, she rationalized what she was doing, listening to the devil, and ultimately acted on those thoughts and led to sin. This is a pattern we see over and over in the Bible where it’s a temptation, wrong thoughts, and it leads to sin. Sometimes big sins, sometimes little ones. We can look at at Cain. Let’s turn to Genesis four, a few pages over.

So Cain and Abel gave offerings. Abel’s was accepted by God. It was a good offering. And Cain had a bad attitude, and he wasn’t accepted by God, and he wasn’t happy about it. Genesis four, five. “But unto Cain and his offering, God had no respect. And Cain was wroth and his countenance fell.” So wrong attitude, wrong thoughts. He was in a bad attitude and started down a train of thoughts. “And the Lord said unto Cain, ‘Why are you wroth and why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.’”

If you keep thinking like this, this train of thought, you’re going to head down to sin and even bigger sin. “...and unto you shall be his desire.” This is personifying sin. Sin’s there, it’s at the door, it’s ready. Crouching to pounce. And when we have those wrong thoughts and wrong trains of thought, that’s where it can lead. Sin. And ultimately Cain killed his brother because of it. He didn’t stop that train of thought. David and Bathsheba is another example. Second Samuel eleven, David with Bathsheba. Second Samuel eleven verse two. Seeing this process of temptation.

Second Samuel eleven and verse two, “And it came to pass in evening tide that David arose off his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself. And the woman was very beautiful to look upon.” So here’s where he should have stopped. Don’t look at her, go somewhere else. But he didn’t. So he saw her. There was a desire there, and he kept down that train of thinking. And it started with some actions too. Verse three, “And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, ‘Is that not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’”

That was David’s friend. So David continued with this, “And David sent messengers and took her. She came onto him and he lay with her. And she was purified from her uncleanness and returned to her house.” The woman conceived and sent and told David and said, I’m with child. And ultimately David conspired to kill Uriah. The child died as a result. All those things occurred because David saw something, he had a train of thought, a temptation. And he blew past a boundary that God had placed to not lust after women, not covet your neighbor’s wife, but that’s that pattern of temptation.

One more. Achan at Jericho. Let’s go to Joshua seven and verse twenty. So this is as Israel’s going into the promised land, and they had marched around the city for seven days. And on the seventh day they marched around the city and shouted, and the walls came down. God was clearly with them. They knew that God was with them. Achan knew, we’ll see, that God was with them, because he had been in the wilderness and had had manna come from heaven, that he ate food that God gave them every day. Pillar of fire and pillar of cloud. He’s very clear that God was working with them, but he fell into a temptation.

God told all of Israel, don’t take anything from Jericho. Don’t take any treasures. Just don’t. And that was the restriction, that was the boundary that God had placed there. But notice how Achan fell into sin. Joshua seven and verse twenty, “And Achan answered Joshua and said,” this is after he’d been found out, “‘Indeed I have sinned against the Lord, God of Israel. And thus and thus have I done. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment and 200 shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of 50 shekels of weight, I coveted them.’”

So he saw them, just like Eve, she saw, and coveted and thought, oh, I would really like that. “‘Then I took them,’” that action. “‘And behold they’re hid from the earth in the midst of my tent, the silver under it.’” This is all a temptation process and it comes from viewing God’s boundaries in an incorrect way. Like, oh, I want that. And, is it really that bad? Rather than God’s boundaries are blessings and they’re there for a reason. James one also explains the temptation process. Let’s turn over there, James one and verse thirteen. James one, thirteen.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I’m tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither he tempts any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.” Lust there can mean desire. If lust often... with lust we think of sexual lust, which is one aspect of this, but think of it as desire. We’re drawn away of own desires. We all have our own weaknesses and things that we desire more that are outside of God’s way. And we need to know what those are, as we’re looking at this temptation process and understanding it.

But we’re drawn away of our own desire and enticed. “For when lust desire has conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin when it is finished brings forth death.” So that desire, those thoughts and that thought process that leads to sin, it brings forth sin, and ultimately it brings forth death, eternal death. So brethren, as we’re looking at that temptation process, those thought patterns that lead to sin, ask yourself, where am I entertaining thoughts I should reject? Where are those places that I have a desire? And we can all ask ourselves this. Where I have a desire that is outside of God’s way, that blows past certain boundaries, that’s outside of what God has commanded.

Another way to look at this is you can stop yourself, and if you’re thinking about something and really fixated on it, and it gets you worked up, and they’re emotional about it, there’s probably something there that you should be paying attention to. But if your line of thinking and reasoning, if you can kind of look through, and where is this going to lead? If the only resolution of that line of thinking and reasoning is sin, you need to stop. But it takes being able to see those things and learn, and grow. And when we make mistakes, obviously we can go to God and he will forgive us.

We can repent of those things. But we should look at that temptation process. Understand it, know ourselves so that we can reject those thoughts, put them out of our way. And when we see them, we must fight. Let’s turn to second Corinthians. When we see those thoughts, those desires and lusts come out we must fight. Second Corinthians ten. We’ll start in verse three. Second Corinthians ten, three. Here’s what we should do when we see those thoughts or desires come up. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For our weapons of warfare are not carnal, not physical, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”

Strongholds of the mind, thoughts. “Casting down imaginations,” those thoughts, “and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,” leaning on your own understanding, going your own way, doing what you want rather than what God says, “and bringing into captivity every thought to obedience of Christ.” We should bring into captivity those thoughts. When those wrong thoughts come up, we fight. We know that we have God on our side. Our weapons are spiritual. So as we look at temptation and the temptation process, here’s a few ways to guard against that temptation, in summary, for this section.

Recognize it early. With Eve, there was a question. oh, can you not eat of every tree of the garden? And then there was another question. It’s like, oh, you’re not going to surely die. Another thought. But she could have stopped it at the beginning. Every tree of the garden? That’s silly. And rejected it. And leaned on God’s way rather than her own understanding. Recognize it early, those desires and wrong desires that come up in our lives. Then replace those thoughts with God’s truth. We’ll get into that in a moment here, and more ways to do that.

And pray for the strength to resist. We should understand that temptation process. Satan has a bag of tricks and he uses them over and over again. He used them in the garden, he used them with Cain, he used them with Achan, he used them with David and Bathsheba, he uses them today. And we can know what he’s going to come at us with and reject it. And lean on God and his strength. Brethren, God’s boundaries are blessings. And we can ensure we keep this mindset by remembering the other tree at the center of our lives. So we were talking about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is in the garden.

But also in the midst of the garden was the tree of life. And we’re thinking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as boundaries. Tree of life represents taking in God’s spirit and receiving God’s spirit. Ultimately, it represents receiving eternal life. But, we can, and have access to, God’s spirit. He’ll give us more of it. To allow us to do everything we were talking about, of rejecting temptation. Rejecting Satan’s lies. His wrong ways of thinking. That tree was also in the midst of the garden. In our lives, we can think of having both of those trees. They’re at the center of our lives.

Everything we’re doing in our lives, we should be able to see those two trees. There’s boundaries, things we shouldn’t be doing, and there’s blessings that come from not doing those. And then there’s the tree of life, God’s way, and all of the blessings that flow from that as well. Things that we should be doing. So as we’re going through, we should picture that. It can be helpful to remember those two things. Let’s turn to Proverbs three. Those two trees offer us a choice. Proverbs three. So as you remember that tree of life and take from it, we should be asking for more of God’s Spirit.

Proverbs three and verse five. This is how we should be living our lives. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” Lean not on your own understanding. That’s what happens when we blow past God’s boundaries. Like, you don’t know what you’re talking about, God. I’ve got this. Those restrictions, those commandments. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he’ll direct your paths. God will guide us. In verse seven, “But be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord, depart from evil.”

So that’s that choice that God’s placed in front of us, which is pictured by those two trees. It’s living the way of give or living in the way of get. Way of outflowing concern. What God has told us to do, leaning on his understanding. Or way of get, taking to ourselves what we want and leaning on what we think is right. Deuteronomy thirty. Let’s look a little more at this choice. We’ll start in verse fifteen. Deuteronomy thirty, fifteen. Again, this is with ancient Israel. Moses is talking here. But as it was for ancient Israel, it applies to us of spiritual Israel. Deuteronomy thirty and verse fifteen.

“See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. In that, I commanded you this day to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and statutes and his judgments, that you may live and multiply,” have an abundant life to enjoy all those blessings that God showers on us. Eat from all the trees that he has allowed us to eat from. And verse nineteen. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life that both you and your seed may live.”

Choose life. We should be going to the Father and asking him for more of his Spirit daily. Being specific, the things that we need. If you want wisdom, be specific. Don’t just say, God, grant me wisdom. Break it out. What are you looking for? Where do you see weaknesses in yourself and that God’s Spirit can help you to iron out those weaknesses? God can build his character in you. But choose life. Choose his spirit and his way of life. Verse twenty. “That you may love the love the Lord your God, and that you may obey his voice, and that you may cleave unto him, for he is life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land...”

And it’s talking about application for ancient Israel. But that you may have life. Brethren, we choose life when we align our thoughts and our actions, and priorities with God’s way when we ask for more of that Spirit. And it can help us to keep that right mindset about God’s boundaries, remembering that they’re blessings. They’re not something God’s withholding from us or any of the wrong ways we can view them. Let’s turn to first John five. God can help us to keep that correct way to view everything, to view his way of life. First John five and we’ll start in verse one.

First John five, one, “Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loves him also that has begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments,” especially focusing on verse three. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments,” do what God says, stay within the boundaries that he set up, “and his commandments are not grievous.” They’re not burdensome, they’re not, oh, God’s put me in this little, tiny box. No, that’s how Satan wants us to view it and it’s incorrect.

God’s commandments are not grievous. That’s that right mindset that we should be having. And the more that we are in God’s way and believe and act on his truth, the more that you’ll understand that his ways aren’t grievous. When we first learn certain things, keep the Sabbath day, sunset to sunset, Friday to Saturday, you know that God has commanded it, and you may just do it because God told me to do this and I’m doing it. And you may have heard some of the blessings that come from it, but over time you start to see, wow, human beings need this day of rest.

They need a day where they unplug, where you can draw closer to God, and you start to see all those benefits. We should do that in all of the parts of God’s way. Pay attention to them and over time, you’re going to see those benefits and you can act on them and they will anchor you. And any time that you may have a thought or Satan puts a thought in your mind where, hey, is this really that bad? Whatever that desire is that you may have, you can stop and say, wait, God’s way brings all of this good to me, and it stops at cold in it tracks. Galatians five, looking at the tree of life, asking for more of God’s spirit and living his way, and how that can keep us in that right mindset to view God’s boundaries correctly.

Galatians five and sixteen, verse sixteen, “This I say, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust,” those desires of the flesh, “for the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you’re led by the Spirit,” leaning on God’s understanding, not our own, “you’re not under the law,” the penalty of the law, eternal death. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest,” and these are the things we should be avoiding outside the boundaries of God’s way.

“The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,” and go through all of those. Things we must avoid, the end of verse twenty-one, “...that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” God’s Spirit can allow us to see that, to see there’s internal implications for blowing past God’s boundaries for sin and doing the wrong things. Verse twenty-two, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,” these are the right things we should be focusing on, “long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such, there is no law.”

As we do those things and grow in those fruits of the Spirit, those characteristics of God, it brings more blessings to our lives when we do those things and focus on them. And that abundance and grows larger and larger, and it spreads to others as well. Colossians three. Colossians three and verse two. Make sure we’re daily taking from the tree of life, asking for more of God’s Spirit. Colossians three and verse two, “Set your affection on things above, not things on the earth. For you were dead and your life was hid from Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory,” thinking forward to those things.

But as we keep that proper mindset and are relying on God’s Spirit, we can mortify therefore your members. “Put to death the wrong things in our lives, which are upon the earth. Those desires and lusts, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, covetousness, which is idolatry.” Brethren, we should be daily asking for more of God’s Spirit. I’ve said that a number of times, but it’s easy to forget and get caught up and swept up in the ways of this world. Get on your knees, ask God for it. It doesn’t have to be just during your main daily prayer.

You can ask at any time. Let’s turn to Psalm one. One more way to make sure we’re looking at the tree of life and choosing that way, God’s way. Psalm one and verse one, “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly or stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of God. For his law, does he meditate day and night.” We should be thinking about God’s... those boundaries in a positive way. They’re good. God’s boundaries bring blessings. And meditate on them. See those benefits, anchor yourself to them.

The more that you know that there’s a reason why I shouldn’t be doing this, and here are all those reasons, here’s all of the benefits that come from living God’s way. If you can see all of those, it’ll change your thinking. And when those temptations come, they can seem... sometimes they’ll be very difficult, but other times you can just bat them down and just say no and reject it, and stop that train of thought that can lead you astray. But one way to ensure we do that, to meditate on God’s law is pray about it. Thank God when you see those benefits.

If you go to... if you want a study that you can kind of dig into after this message, Psalm one hundred and three is all of the blessings that David listed out. He has a long list. That was his way. He made a list. We can make lists too. But Psalm one hundred and three, the whole thing is all about not forgetting God’s benefits. Okay? Have fun digging into that later. Brethren, God’s boundaries bring us blessings. All of God’s commandments are not burdensome or grievous as we heard, but they bring peace and joy, and ultimately eternal life. When we look back to the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, he gave them all the trees of the garden.

He gave them so much. He gave them the tree of life that they could eat from. It’s expansive and abundant and that’s the God we serve. And then he, there was one tree in that garden for Adam and Eve that they couldn’t eat from. For us, as we look at our lives, and prominent in our lives too, is that tree, tree of knowledge of good and evil. God’s boundaries that he’s placed. And the tree of life. Let’s ensure we have the proper view of both of those, but especially as we’re looking today of the boundaries that God has placed on us. Don’t allow yourself to see them as grievous or as burdensome.

Let’s not allow ourselves to think that God is withholding anything from us. He is, but it’s for our good because there’s nothing good that comes from going outside of God’s way and what he has given to us. Let’s turn to Revelation twenty-two as we finish. Because if we view God’s boundaries as blessings and see all the blessings that flow from him and daily take from the tree of life, that has internal implications that we can keep in mind as well. Revelation twenty-two and verse fourteen. Revelation twenty-two, fourteen. “Blessed are they that do his commandments...”

Brethren, let’s view God’s boundaries as blessings and obey them. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life,” ultimate example of that, eternal life, “and may enter through the gates of the city.” Brethren, let’s ensure we keep this correct mindset as we see those two trees in our lives. Let’s daily ask for more of God’s Spirit so that we can keep a clear mind when we see those temptation and those wrong thought patterns. Both identify them and root them out of our lives. Take them out, and with, God’s help, of course. And stamp out any of wrong thinking that we may have. Brethren, let’s never forget. God’s boundaries are blessings.