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| Fruity or Fruitful? |
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.jpg) Christians know what the fruit of the Spirit is, but how do we grow that fruit? Paul taught the Galatians what the fruit is in Galatians 5:22-23, but Jesus taught us how it develops, in the right soil (Matthew 13:8, 23).
Professional gardeners often tell us to be aware of soil quality if we want our plants to perform well. The same is true of our spiritual environment. What is the best growing environment for a Christian? Jesus said that it is hearing and understanding God's word. Church attendance, Christian music, worship experiences and preaching can be meaningless and unproductive if they do not immerse us in the nurturing soil of God's word.
So, what then is the word of God? Is it just a quote of something God said; is it the Bible; is it the Gospel; is it inspired preaching about Christ? The Bible uses the phrase "word of God" in all these ways. So they are all the word of God. We need to hear and understand the word from God and also the word inspired by God. We find that in the Bible, in the Gospel and in Christ-centered preaching.
Jesus said that we need two things to grow, to hear the word of God and to understand it. How can we produce spiritual fruit if we are not hearing and understanding the word of God? We have two sources that can help us understand the word: the Holy Spirit and Spirit-led experts in the word. Paul explained to the Galatians what the fruit of the Spirit is. Jesus explained how that fruit is produced. When we hear and understand the word of God, then we expect to see real spiritual fruit in our lives.
Reading the word at home alone is certainly a good practice, but that is not what Jesus taught here. Notice that Jesus did not just teach about the person who "reads" the word, but who "hears the word." We hear the word at a church that preaches the word. If we have ever wondered why we ought to attend church services, then this is a strong reason. The implication is that bearing spiritual fruit and regular attendance at a church where the word is preached go hand-in-hand. 13:8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
13:23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." |
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| To add a comment to "Fruity or Fruitful?" |
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| June 19, 2008 |
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Good food for thought Grant, thank you.
While you got me thinking.......if The Word of God is the Seed,(according to your above references) and I agree understanding the word is as equally important as the word itself, ......than the soil that you referred to......is it also the word of God?
Seeing how Adam was created from the dust of the earth, I thought the soil was referring to
our minds and hearts, that would give a growing place for the Word of God, the seed.
How do we prepare our minds, and hearts, to be good soil ? |
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| June 19, 2008 |
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Hmmm! I take it to mean that we are the seed, and the word is the soil. Anyhoo... |
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| June 20, 2008 |
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OK, you had to send me diggin "in the soil" of God's word,but that's a good thing!
It depends on which parable in Matt. you are looking at, if we are seeds, or soil, is the best I've found so far. 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
A example of the "word" being seed, and a example of one of the heart conditions found in this parable.
13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one];
The parable of the wheat and the tares, have the children of God as the seed, and the world is the soil.
I did not realize untill now the difference between the seed of the first parable, and the second!
Thanks again Grant, you got me thinkin, and diggin, in God's word. :-) |
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| June 20, 2008 |
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| You're right Tom. We need to read something in context. We cannot take something from another context and claim to "interpret" the meaning totally out of context. |
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| June 21, 2008 |
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| I correct myself Tom. Verse 19 says that the seed is what was sown in our hearts, so it is not us, but presumably the message of the Gospel. Blessings! |
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