Bible League: Living His Word "As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one 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."— Matthew 13:23 ESV According to Jesus, there are four kinds of people. The four kinds are differentiated one from another according to the response they have to the Gospel of the kingdom (see Matthew 13:18-22). The first kind is the one that hears the Gospel but does not understand it because, "the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart." The second kind hears the Gospel and receives it with joy, "yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away." The third kind hears the Gospel, but "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." The fourth kind is the kind in our verse for today. It is the "one 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." Obviously, it is the fourth kind that is the good kind. What is it that separates the fourth kind from the other three? According to Jesus, it is because the fourth kind is "good soil." That is, the fourth kind receives the Gospel, what Jesus likened to "seed," to bear the "fruit" of the Gospel. The other kinds do not have this ability. They are not good soil. The first kind can't even receive the Gospel. The second and third can receive it, but it never really takes root in them. Only the fourth kind receives it and produces fruit. What makes someone good soil? It is certainly not something inherently good within the person. The Bible clearly teaches that no one is righteous in and of themselves (Romans 3:10). What makes someone into good soil is a gift of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8). God gives someone the ability to receive the Gospel and the ability to bear the fruit of the Gospel. Believers must never boast about the fact that they've accepted the Gospel and bear its fruit. That's why Jesus said, "without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Praise God for His steadfast love to His chosen people. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingDaniel 7, 8 Daniel 7 -- Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts, the Ancient of Days, the Son of Man NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Daniel 8 -- Daniel's Vision of the Ram and Goat NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 John 5 1 John 5 -- He Who Has the Son Has the Life; Final Remarks NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.Insight We should not be attached to this world, because all that we are and have here is temporary. Only our relationship with God and our service to him will last. Challenge Don't store up your treasures here; store them in heaven. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Corinthians 15:48 As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.The head and members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron and part of clay. Christ's mystical body is no absurd combination of opposites; the members were mortal, and therefore Jesus died; the glorified head is immortal, and therefore the body is immortal too, for thus the record stands, "Because I live, ye shall live also." As is our loving Head, such is the body, and every member in particular. A chosen Head and chosen members; an accepted Head, and accepted members; a living Head, and living members. If the head be pure gold, all the parts of the body are of pure gold also. Thus is there a double union of nature as a basis for the closest communion. Pause here, devout reader, and see if thou canst without ecstatic amazement, contemplate the infinite condescension of the Son of God in thus exalting thy wretchedness into blessed union with his glory. Thou art so mean that in remembrance of thy mortality, thou mayest say to corruption, "Thou art my father," and to the worm, "Thou art my sister;" and yet in Christ thou art so honored that thou canst say to the Almighty, "Abba, Father," and to the Incarnate God, "Thou art my brother and my husband." Surely if relationships to ancient and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we have whereof to glory over the heads of them all. Let the poorest and most despised believer lay hold upon this privilege; let not a senseless indolence make him negligent to trace his pedigree, and let him suffer no foolish attachment to present vanities to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion of this glorious, this heavenly honor of union with Christ. Daily Light on the Daily Path Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, John 3:27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. Jeremiah 32:39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. James 1:16-18 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. • Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. • In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Isaiah 26:12 LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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