Article of the Month

August

Longevity of Life
Wade E Taylor

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

This “condemnation” is the judgment of death, which was given Adam for his transgression, which has been handed down to each of us.

We are set free from “the law of sin,” through the blood that Jesus shed, in our behalf, on the cross.  The bread of communion is the body of the Lord, who shed blood for our redemption.  As I identify with His body, I receive forgiveness.

We are set free from “the law of death,” through the resurrection of Jesus as quickening, life giving spirit.  The wine of communion is the blood of Jesus, who in resurrection, became quickening - life giving spirit.  As I identify with Jesus in His resurrection, I receive life more abundant, and become younger.

Jesus said that He came that we might have life, and have life more abundantly.  This speaks of divine health and longevity of life.  Those who receive this gift from Him will stand out from all others in the quality and length of their life span.  Jesus fed the multitude with five loaves and two fishes.  But when they returned, asking for more, He told them that He had something better for them.

He said, “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53b).  He also said, “Your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eats of this bread shall live forever” (John 6:58).  Jesus is telling them that he is offering them a higher life in which they will not die.  The condition being that they eat, not loaves and fishes, but rather, his very flesh and blood.

In Genesis Chapter 3, the “flaming sword” was placed in front of the Tree of Life, “Lest Adam put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (Genesis 3:22).  Adam had to come regularly and partake of the Tree of Life in order to live.  All that the Lord did, in order to allow death to set in, was to hinder him from partaking.

The flaming sword again became a friend on the day of Pentecost.  It descended and sat upon the head of each one.  It stopped there, because it had to be invited to come within.  Israel was offered the manifest presence of the Lord and rejected it.  Therefore, the Lord is seeking an invitation from us, that He is welcomed.

When Jesus said that they were to eat his flesh and drink His blood, they scorned and ridiculed Him and then left.  He could not explain this, because His ministry was not completed.  He had yet to die upon the cross for our sin, and then in resurrection become “quickening” life-giving spirit.

When all this was in place and Jesus was about to die on the cross, He took bread and said, “This IS my body.”  He did not say, “This is a symbol or an emblem.”  Rather, He said, “IT IS.”  Then He took the cup and said, “This IS my blood.”  Jesus then said that He would not partake again with us, until we partook with Him in the kingdom.

The Word says that except we become as little children, we cannot enter the kingdom.  Therefore we have to become as a little child to enter into the place where we can again take communion with Him.  Here, as a child, we simply believe what He said.   The Catholics transform the bread and the grape juice into the body and the blood.  The priest does it for the believer.  Martin Luther said that we could do this for ourselves, without the priest.

The Word says that we do not need to transform the bread and fruit of the vine.  We simply take the bread and the fruit of the vine, and believe what Jesus said.  In faith, believing, we are literally partaking of His body and blood, which in His resurrection, has become “quickening,” or, “life giving.”

Jesus is the tree of life.  In His resurrection, He became a life-giving Spirit.

“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”  I Corinthians 15:45

Thus, when we partake of Communion, we are eating the very life of one who is able to impart life.  He is a “root” out of dry ground; therefore, He is the Tree of Life in mystical form, recognizable to those who have spiritual ears and eyes.  Communion then is the mystical form of the tree of life, hidden from the spiritually blind.

Jesus said that if we partake without understanding (unworthily), we are partaking of death.  We are simply receiving bread and the fruit of the vine, another good meal, and we are that much closer to death.    But if we partake knowingly - knowing what we are doing, we will no longer be weak, sickly, and dying prematurely.  Rather we have received quickening life giving spirit, and we will be living.  Therefore, communion is the tree of life in mystical form.

As often as we do this, we are “showing” the Lord’s death.  This means that we are demonstrating the value of it.   If we die the same as other people, we are not demonstrating anything.   When we partake of Life, we are receiving the life that Jesus came to offer -  “Life and more abundantly.”

Paul tells us that we have been set free from the law of sin and death.  We are free from sin because, as we partake of the bread (His body) and identify ourselves with Jesus in His death, we are forgiven through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross.  Then as we partake of the fruit of the vine (the blood of Jesus) and identify with Him in His resurrection as “quickening” spirit; we become free from death.

Thus, I in faith identify my self with Jesus upon the cross and I am set free from the law of sin.  I then in faith identify myself with Jesus in His resurrection, and I am set free from the law of death.  Therefore, we should no longer be dying, but living.  Just as Adam, we must come to the tree of Life in order to live; or we will continue to die.  Therefore, if we understand that communion is the Tree of Life, and then we in faith, partake of communion as being the tree of life, we will live, and not die.

This is an end-time principle and revelation, as we live in the time of the redemption of the body.   The Lord is beginning to reveal the connection between communion and the tree of life to those He is calling to become “remaining” ones.

Paul said, “We who are alive and REMAIN at the coming of the Lord...”  Jesus, on the 8th day was taken into the temple, to be dedicated.  There were two people there, Anna and Simeon.  Anna was old, but Simeon had a word that he would not see death until he saw the anointed of the Lord.  Anna was alive, but Simeon was remaining.  Thus, two classes of people were present.

These remaining ones are those who are believing to live beyond their normal span of life, in the time of the return of the Lord, because they have learned the principle of communion.  They are looking beyond liturgical religious forms, into spiritual reality and are partaking in faith, knowing that they are eating the flesh, and drinking the blood, of Jesus, who is the Tree of Life.  And if we partake of Life, we will live.

The fruit on the tree of life is there for our healing.  Therefore, we will no longer be weak and sickly.

The word says,  “As often as ye do it.”  Communion can be taken as often as we desire.  If we realize we are partaking of strength and life, we will want to do so quite often.