Soil and Fruit Production

At the end of an exhausting week, I’m ready for some good news. God knows — so He blesses me with today’s Scripture and devotional thoughts.

“And (Jesus) told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’” (Matthew 13:3–8)

While I’ve interpreted this parable to show the difference between saved and unsaved people, a recent sermon applied all of it to believers. We have been saved to produce fruit, but do not always do it . . .

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)

In the parable of the sower, the path is a place of much traffic. The soil is hard so when the Word of God lands on it, instead of putting down roots and growing it becomes easy pickings for the enemy. He snatches it away, along with its implications and power. If I’m like that path, I’m too busy and perhaps too down-trodden for God’s message to sink in. I’m not going to water or nourish it either. That Word just lands and leaves.

The rocky ground isn’t much different. It has been stirred up a bit but is shallow and without nourishment. The seed, again the Word of God, is heard and welcomed but without meditation and application, it withers in the heat of life. That message was welcomed but not rooted.

Jesus later explains that the thorns represent soil full of weeds — the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. He doesn’t explain more, but I know some of those cares. Mine include ego stuff like the desire to succeed, to finish projects, to make my mark in the world, to have people like me, to be well-thought of, and so on. Some of that might even look like fruit, but it is rooted among the weeds and so often motivated by fleshy and selfish desires, not the Holy Spirit of God. Whatever I produce, if Christ is not at the bottom of it, it is a weed, useless for growing eternal fruit. Knowing the difference requires diligence. It also requires getting rid of the weeds.

Fortner does a good job of describing good soil. It is tender, broken and contrite before God. The Lord comes first and His Word is too precious to let it merely lie there without pondering it, repenting of the sin and weeds it exposes, and allowing God to plow up whatever hinders its growth and fruit production.

Thankfully that production is not up to me; the Holy Spirit produces it. I need to be aware of the condition of my heart before God, yet I cannot make the fruit, I can only ‘bring it forth’ as the Spirit works in my life.

Some would list this fruit as attitudes of the heart from Galatians 5:22-23. These are both an inner and visible witness to His presence. Without these, I know there is a problem with the soil of my heart:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

However, there is another witness, the words of my mouth. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”

I can seem loving and cheerful without God. I can show patience and kindness and the other virtues listed in at least a resemblance to spiritual fruit, but if I am not offering praise to God that acknowledges what He is doing in my life, then it is time to invited the Fruit Inspector to examine the soil and do some plowing.

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Jesus, thank You that you saved me and make it possible that I can bring forth fruit that You produce. When it is not there, or when I try to substitute the fake stuff that looks like fruit but does not nourish hungry souls, bring on the plow and whatever else is needed to get rid of my hardness, rocks and weeds. Thank You for being so plain about what is needed to be all You want me to be.

Being pruned

A great variety of images have been used to describe the Christian experience. One of them relates to how God deals with sin by comparing it to pruning a tree.

At first, He uses an axe and lobs off the big and important sins, those that are totally interfering with the growth and fruitfulness of the tree. The tree responds with vigor and is quite happy to be rid of those branches.

Next, God uses a smaller tool, a pruning knife, to cut away the less obvious sins, still a hindrance to grown and productivity, yet not quite as easy to give up.

At last, He begins snipping away with a razor blade, taking away those sins that others may not notice and the tree wasn’t particularly aware of, but deeper in nature that could grow and become dangerous to the tree’s health. These are often the root of the more obvious problems.

This image or illustration helps me to better understand these words of Jesus from His sermon in Matthew . . .

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” (Matthew 5:27–30)

Jesus is saying that the inner attitude of a person’s heart is just as sinful as the actual action because the action flows out of the attitude. It could be lust for a person, but it could also be greed for money, personal ambition, a deep desire for fame, and a host of other things that many Christians never do, but the desire to do them occupies their minds and shows up in one form or another. It is these attitudes that He will prune with a knife or a razor. In these verses He is warning those who face the choice of walking with Him what they must be willing to throw away such pollution. It is better to enter the Christian life maimed than resist His power to save us from our sin.

Chambers says that the followers of Jesus experience different things that are not necessarily sin, but He may cut some of those out of our lives too. That is, someone else might be able to write a novel, but I am not allowed that activity, not because it is sinful in itself, but the pruning has revealed a sinful motivation of some sort and the writing would mess up my walk with Jesus.

Also, if I am going to walk with Jesus, I cannot start my day with my agenda. The desire to rule my own time has been pruned more than once because it tends to pop up like sucker root. Watching some television shows interfere with my Christian life. Reading some books does the same. They must be lopped off and discarded.

My Christian life began with being maimed. As Chamber says, I started my walk with Christ sensing the many things that I dare not do, even though my friends thought God is a killjoy and His restrictions are “no fun at all.” They didn’t realize it is “better to enter into life maimed” and be lovely in God’s sight than to be lovely in man’s sight and crippled in God’s view.

I realize that after many years of His pruning, this tree is not at all the same as in those early days. I’ve certainly lost some of that ‘freshly pruned’ look of a tree that has been radically chopped up. The healthy branches have sprouted and flourished. Others don’t see the sin that is so obvious to me.

I also realize that my life is changed because of His wisdom in knowing what to cut and curb and what to leave and nourish. This is the “abundant life” that He promised, and that He has a plan for me that still takes faith to believe will eventually happen:

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Most of the pruning is painful and yet I’ve learned to welcome it, even realize that it is exciting. God’s promises and skill plus the faith He gives makes it reasonable to let Him whack away, even at the branches that I once thought should be allowed to remain. 

A bag with holes

Haggai 1:1–2:23, Acts 20:1–38, Job 28:1–11

Those of us who are easily distracted find this quality is a big hindrance to spiritual growth. I’ve gone through testing periods, tough events, failures, and a few successes. In all of that, keeping my eyes on Jesus and my heart tuned into His voice is a huge challenge. Walking in His will should be a straight line, but I often feel like an inebriated sot that cannot walk, never mind walk straight.

Distraction was a problem for the Jews too. God brought them back from exile in Babylon. They were to rebuild the temple, and they started well. But they were side-tracked. Haggai the prophet told the high priest: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord . . . .  Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1:1–6)

They were distracted by rebuilding their material, physical lives. God said, “You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?  . . . . Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” (Haggai 1:9–11)

I can relate to this. Whenever I’ve felt knocked down and disciplined by God, it seems much easier to do my own thing than try to bring my spiritual life back into order. I know that the discipline is designed to teach me to NOT attempt this on my own, but even relying on God seems too difficult. I wonder if the Jews felt this way too. Rebuilding their temple (mine is my body where He dwells) seemed too much of a challenge even though the prophet told them, “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:9)

But God also said, “I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me.” (Haggai 2:17) This is an explanation for my struggles. When I rebuild, it cannot be without total dependence on God. Yet I have learned that when I am totally relying on Him, I feel weak and helpless. I don’t like that feeling. Doing something that I CAN do is tempting — but sadly, my efforts are fruitless without His blessing.

Job seems to speak in a riddle when he said, “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine. Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore. Man puts an end to darkness and searches out to the farthest limit the ore in gloom and deep darkness.” (Job 28:1–3)

However, it seems to me he is referring to the tendency of humanity to try and find the most precious things by ourselves. I want the good, will dig deep for it, but unless God is given lordship of my life, all of that is a waste of time, a bag with holes.

This does not mean that relying on God will make success come easy. Paul did not experience a care-free life as he served God in submissive obedience. He describes some of it:

“I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me . . . . I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again . . . . I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (Acts 20:22–32)

Other passages tell of beatings, imprisonments, and a host of other trials that Paul experienced, but he refused to be distracted. He knew what God wanted.

How did he avoid the distractions? In the above passage he also said: “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God . . . I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God . . . . And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Paul set his goal, stuck to it, and relied on God for the results. This is what God wants for me too. My problem is throwing away that bag with all those holes.

This is where I live

A dear pastor used to give each member of his congregation a verse for the year. After he died, and we were living in another city, I was thinking about him and the idea of a focus verse, missing both of them. That very day, a dear friend emailed me. She was thinking that I needed a verse for the year and sent me one!

Since then, I’ve asked God for an annual focus verse. This year, He gave me one from John’s gospel: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)

Jesus is talking about His focus for my life as His child. He selected me to produce fruit, those qualities that only the Holy Spirit can bring forth in me. Tied to this, He also promises that as I obey Him, not only will this fruit have an enduring quality, but whatever I ask God in the name of Jesus, He will give it to me.

As amazing as that is, even as I read it, I must think about the context. The process of producing Holy Spirit characteristics (like love, peace, joy, goodness, etc.) is not something I can do, nor can those qualities be imitated. Some may try to fake them, but by their biblical definitions, they cannot be faked either. The only way I can be the fruit-bearer God asks for in verse 16 is by obeying the verses that come before it.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:5–11)

Abiding in Jesus could be compared to living in a place. For instance, at the moment I am in a condo in Florida. This is my abiding place, but as soon as I step out the door, I am no longer abiding here. My earthly home is far from this place and when I’m there, it could be said that I am abiding there. Yet I can leave that place too, obviously. So what does it mean to abide in Jesus and stay there?

As this entire chapter says, to abide in Him is vital for fruit bearing and He explains how to do that in the above passage. Verses 9-10 say, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

Abiding is doing what He says. To move away from that, to step out the door so to speak, is disobedience. Each time I do something that He forbids, or that is a fleshy, sinful and selfish action, I’ve stopped abiding. It might be an obvious thing like gossip or mistreating someone. It can also be hidden, like envy or anger or feeling sorry for myself, even though these eventually show up in words and actions.

The main thing is that unless I abide, I miss out on bearing fruit, having my prayers answered, glorifying God, experiencing full joy and fitting in with the plan of God. He is telling me these things for His glory, but also for my benefit. Abiding in Jesus is a good thing, a blessed way to live. These verses are not only precious but practical.

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Jesus, I am thankful that in You, I have all that I need. Not only that, when I abide in You, You can use me to bless others and glorify You. Today will bring temptations to move away, to do my own thing, to be selfish. Keep me continually reminded that You are the vine and apart from You, anything I do has no eternal value and is worthless in this life also.