THE BIBLE AS SEED
The Lord Jesus, while explaining the parable of the Sower, described the Word as the seed. This is found in Mark 4 verses 3 to 20. In this parable, the Saviour also referred to the human heart as the soil on which the seed of the Word is sown. He further talked about the four types of soil that usually receive the Word. The Lord Himself, being the Sower, has always ensured that the Word, which is the seed, is sown far and wide. The Almighty God is indeed a most consistent and tireless Sower. He constantly speaks to the human heart. His is the gentle voice that consistently rings out saying, ''My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways.'' Proverbs 23 verse 26. It is believed that everyone from every nation has heard or will soon hear the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. This tantamounts to sowing the seed of the Word.
In the physical realm, when a farmer sows or plants a seed or seeds, it is usually in the expectation that, with time, the seeds will germinate and grow into a plant or a tree. Such a plant or tree is expected to bring forth fruits after its own kind. However, it is also well known that even in the physical, certain conditions must be met before the seed could germinate, grow and bring forth fruits. Firstly, the soil must have been cleared of any weed or bush so that it is totally free and ready to receive the seed. This connotes that the soil must be agreeable. Secondly, the seed must actually have been planted, that is, it must have been buried deep inside the soil.
The same principle applies when it comes to the spiritual seed, which the Word is. Before the seed could germinate, the human heart must have been made ready to receive it. This is where faith in the Word and faith for the Word come in. After receiving the Word, the hearer must embrace it, understand it and be willing to act on it. It is only then that the Word, as seed, can bear fruits that are godly. The initial fruits that the Word, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will bear in the life of the hearer are repentance and the new birth. The other fruit that the Word, also with the help of the Holy Spirit, is expected to produce in the life of the hearer, after repentance and new birth, according to St. Paul in Galatians 5 verses 22 and 23, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. It is amazing that all these nine godly qualities combined are referred to in the singular as the fruit of the Spirit. This means that a Christian cannot have one and not have the others.
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