We Eat of the Tree of Life, December 24
            
            
              To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is
            
            
              in the midst of the paradise of God.
            
            
              Revelation 2:7
            
            
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              In view of the Lord’s soon coming, how earnest we should be in
            
            
              forming characters after the divine similitude....
            
            
              “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the
            
            
              last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right
            
            
              to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Is
            
            
              not this worth striving for? If we lose heaven, we lose everything, and
            
            
              there are none of us who can afford to do that. If we keep in view the
            
            
              eternal joys awaiting the overcomer, and trust in Christ as we strive for the
            
            
              perfection of character, do you think we shall be unhappy? Should it make
            
            
              us unhappy to imitate Christ’s example of self-denial and ministry? ...
            
            
              We are seeking for the life that measures with the life of God; therefore
            
            
              our natures must be brought into conformity with the will of God. We
            
            
              must so conduct our life work that we can go to God in confidence and
            
            
              open our hearts before Him, telling Him our necessities and believing that
            
            
              He hears and will give us grace and strength to carry out the principles of
            
            
              the Word of God. What we want is heaven, the victor’s crown, an entrance
            
            
              through the gates to the city of God, the right to eat of the tree of life in
            
            
              the midst of the Paradise of God. We want to see the King in His beauty.
            
            
              Then daily let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, the perfection of human
            
            
              character, and laying hold of His divinity we shall have the strength of
            
            
              divinity to aid us in overcoming every evil tendency and desire
            
            
            
            
              I thank God for my life.... I have a faith that looks over into the future,
            
            
              and sees the tree of life. Upon it grows precious fruits, and the leaves of
            
            
              the tree are for the healing of the nations. No more broken hearts, no more
            
            
              sadness, no more sins, no more sorrow, no more suffering, in that kingdom
            
            
              of glory
            
            
            
            
              [366]
            
            
              48
            
            
              Manuscript 87, 1909
            
            
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              49
            
            
              The Review and Herald, December 23, 1884
            
            
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              379