BEARING FRUIT

BEARING FRUIT

The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.  And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.  And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.  And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,  but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.  But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 21 —Mark 4:14-20

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance —Matthew 3:8

They should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. —Acts 26:20

            As you sow God’s Word among people there will be different responses.  Do not be surprised about this.  There are those who Satan immediately takes away the Word that was sown in them so the Word has no effect in their lives.  There is no fruit.  Then there are those where the Word is sown and they are like rocky ground.  Immediately they receive the Word with joy, but when they have tribulation and persecution because of that same Word, they fall away because they have no root.  There is no fruit.  The Word falls also among thorns and these are those who are unfruitful as well because they are focused on the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.  There is no fruit. 

            The only people that bear fruit, and that of varying amounts— thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold, are those people that are good soil people.  They bear fruit because the HEAR the Word of God and ACCEPT the Word of God.  All the others heard as well, but they did not receive the Word into their lives (Matthew 7:24-29).

            Those who bear fruit truly prove that they have repented.  This fruit in their lives comes from the Holy Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22-23) using the Word of God (Romans 10:17; I Peter 2:2; II Timothy 3:16) as a person abides in the Son of God (John 15:1-26).  Does this describe you?

Dear Father may I bear much fruit and so bring glory to Your Name.  May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son.