The Scriptures, from beginning to end, associate life with authority. When man is first mentioned, these two matters are both introduced. In the first chapter of Genesis the question of authority is brought up. When God created man He said, "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Gen. 1:28). As soon as God created Adam, He bestowed on him the right to govern the entire earth. But Genesis 1 does not tell us all that transpired between God and man when man was created, so Genesis 2 supplements the record. Genesis 1 tells us that God wanted man to exercise dominion over the earth on His behalf, and it tells us also what sort of man this man must be who is to wield authority for God. He must be "in the image of God." The man who is to rule the earth for God must be a man after God's "likeness"—that is, like God—so that when you have seen this man who is in dominion, you have, as it were, seen God Himself. The man who is to govern the earth for God is not merely one who wields authority; he is one who wields authority as God's representative. That is a tremendous thing. That is a transcendent thing and it demands a transcendent life for its accomplishment. A supernatural task requires a supernatural life. It is necessary for us to grasp this point—that if man is to represent God and to exercise dominion for God on the earth, then man must possess a supernatural life. He cannot possibly bear so lofty a responsibility in the strength of his own natural life. If he is to wield divine authority and be a divine representative, he must possess the divine life.
Therefore, as soon as Genesis 1 has presented a man in the divine likeness and in the exercise of divine authority, Genesis 2 presents the tree of life. God was indicating that He would have man partake of the tree of life so that he might possess the divine life and thereby be enabled to fulfill the responsibilities of his ministry. If only the uncreated life of God could enter a human creature, then that human creature would be able to represent the Lord of creation, and that human creature would be able to rule the earth on behalf of the Lord of creation.
Do you see that at the very outset the Bible has linked authority and life? And at the end of the Bible these two are still linked. In the final two chapters of Revelation you see life issuing from the throne—and the throne represents authority (Rev. 22:1-2). This matter of authority is entirely a matter of life. If you have the life, you have the authority. "Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5). If we are to have part in the kingdom we must be born anew. We must become possessors of a life other than the life we have by nature. To use the Old Testament illustration, the Adam of Genesis 1 with his earthly life must receive the heavenly life of Genesis 2. Oh, do not think that we must be born again because we have sinned. We must be born again because we need to possess a life which we do not possess by natural birth. Of course sinners need to be born again, but if man had not fallen, the new birth would still be necessary. Our Lord told Nicodemus he needed to receive the life of God so that he might become a partaker in the kingdom of God. Do you see that here again life and the kingdom are linked together?
You may say: "Oh, it's all very good, but it's all beyond me! I truly want to submit to the authority of God, but I simply can't! I'm too weak." Yes, we are all too weak, for we are all children of Adam; we are all children of dust; we are all very earthy. And earthen things are so fragile. A little knock and they go to pieces. That is what we are like. And we are not just feeble creatures; we are fallen creatures. We are rebels by nature. We have no strength when it comes to submitting to God, but we have lots of strength when it comes to rebelling against Him. We have to confess that our natural life is a rebellious life, and it cannot possibly submit to God. The life we have by our natural birth is totally incapable of yielding to His authority. Our natural life is incapable, totally incapable, of coming under the government of God. When the disciples heard the Lord speaking about the kingdom, they heaved a sigh and said, "Who can?" And the Lord answered, "With men this is impossible."