Bearing fruit from the beginning, God continues to plant seeds: Soil, seeds, fruit, more fruit: a seed must first die to make more seeds
We have heard that our salvation is precious, that it is by God’s righteousness that we are saved and ourselves made righteous; that we have been given everything we need to live a life of godliness - that is to see God and come to know him - and as we hold Him in awe (Prov), to grow in wisdom, and, not merely knowledge, but the knowledge of God, and receiving from Him the wisdom of God (Romans 11:) - Jesus, in essence, the tree of life, from whom we gain eternal life (Gen 2:9; 3:22; Pr 11:30; Ro 6:23; 2Ti 1:10; Jude 1:21; Re 2:7; 22:2,19); that God is generous in His creating and making, His abundant and lush provision for life and intended protection from death, that Hod’s work is not static, but made to, intended to multiply, and bear fruit - and that fruit is both for life (ongoing provision for life) and manner of life (righteousness, character - the fruit of the Spirit the nature of Christ. Gal 5:22-23)
All of this - given by grace! (2Peter 1:3)
A planting - God has bearing fruit from the beginning…
Replenishing, re-working the Garden…
Jesus is the first seed, the first fruit, we then are the fruit of that seed, now ourselves, being that same seed Jesus spreads throughout the world…
Gen 1:11-12, 29-30 vegetation throughout the earth for sustenance
Gen 2:8-10 God planted a Garden for our delight
Gen 2:15 God placed us in the Garden to work, to be nourished, to enjoy and delight
Gen 1:28 God gave man dominion over, to rule and care for with God over all that had been made
As God caused vegetation to grow on the earth and planted a garden in the fertile soil of the Garden, so He has planted the seed of the Kingdom in the fertile soil of the hearts of men and women to bear the seed of life, the seeds of life. Jesus began the new planting, when he declared...
John 12:23-26
24Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
That bringing back is a continued planting of seeds...
Planting seeds, the Garden of God’s delight - the Church, us, me and you
Matt 13:1-11, 18-23
John 10:17-18 “17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Matt 9:38 Work the harvest - join Him in the garden, His planting (John 4:36)
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
That we would bear much fruit - first of righteousness, then of the seeds of righteousness planted
Matt 28 all authority has been given to me, you, go!
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
His precious planting is now the church, drawn out of the world grafted into the “cultivated” (Rom 11) olive tree - planted, the vineyard, God’s planting, to bear fruit, the seeds of Jesus’ righteousness and life and love, mercy and grace - the gospel - the good news of eternal life in Him.
He has bid us to remain here, to work with Him, to join him in the cultivating, the planting, and the reaping. To, as Jesus died and was buried, die to our self and live in and to, Jesus, and His mission.
Matthew 16:24-26
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Mark 8:34-35
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Luke 14:25-27
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Romans 6:4-8
4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, and that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Galatians 2:20; 5:24
20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me… 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
