生命树的内容、性质和结果
第一个选择是生命树，这树指明神自己是生命。生命树的内容是生命，单单、纯粹、绝对是生命。这树的性质和结果也是生命。生命是内容、性质和结果。一切都是生命。
生命树的原则—倚靠
许多人也许不太清楚这倚靠的原则，我可以用毕业为例来说明。虽然我们可以从这些学校毕业，却绝不能从餐厅毕业；我们念书有毕业的时候，却绝不可从吃毕业，也不能从喝水或呼吸毕业。我们学了某种知识，就可以毕业，并且独立行动。比方说，我可能不懂得烹饪，但是等我在烹饪专家指点下有了学习，最终我就富有知识，可以独立，不必教师帮助，自己就会烹饪了。
然而，关于生命的事，我们绝不能独立，我们需要不断的倚靠生命。我一生下来就开始呼吸，并且一天二十四小时不断的呼吸，绝不会有毕业的时候。我绝不能不倚靠呼吸而活。知识造成独立，生命要求倚靠。
假设我学会了每一种道理，也熟悉圣经中的每一卷书，并且写了成百篇的信息，可供我一生传道之用；我若是这样，就只能给你们知识树。知识不要求我们倚靠。当你得到知识，牢牢记住或写在笔记本上，你就可以远离神的面，而仍然为祂工作。你有了知识，就不需要倚靠主耶稣了。主在三层天上，你在地上远处，你仍然可以供职。
生命树的原则是甚么？生命树的原则就是倚靠。我们必须倚靠；不要走知识的路，因为那条路的结果乃是死。
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The Tree of Life (2) – John 15:1, 5
The Tree of Life – Its Content, Nature and Result
The first choice is the tree of life, which indicates that God Himself is life. The content of the tree of life is life — solely, purely and absolutely life. The nature and result of this tree are also life. Life is the content, the nature and the result. Everything is life.
The Principle of the Tree of Life – Dependence
Many people may not clearly understand the principle of dependence. I can use graduation as an example to explain. While we can graduate from schools, we can never graduate from restaurants; we may finish our studies, but we must never graduate from eating, nor from drinking water or breathing. Once we have learned certain knowledge, we can graduate and act independently. For instance, I may not know how to cook at first, but after learning under the guidance of an expert, I will eventually gain the knowledge and be able to cook on my own without a teacher.
However, when it comes to matters of life, we can never be independent — we need to continually depend on life. From the moment I was born, I began to breathe, and I continue to breathe 24 hours a day without ever “graduating” from it. I cannot live without relying on breathing. Knowledge leads to independence, but life requires dependence.
Suppose I’ve learned every doctrine and am familiar with every book of the Bible, and I’ve written hundreds of messages to preach for the rest of my life. If that’s the case, then all I can give you is from the tree of knowledge. Knowledge does not require dependence. Once you have the knowledge — whether memorized or written down — you can be far from God’s presence and still serve Him. With knowledge, you no longer need to rely on the Lord Jesus. He may be in the third heaven, and you on earth far away, yet you can still carry out your duties.
What is the principle of the tree of life? The principle of the tree of life is dependence. We must depend — do not take the path of knowledge, because the result of that path is death.