Monday, 10 August 2020 John 12: 20-50
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” -John 12:24-25
In one of His discourses with His disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ describes the principles of a fruitful Christian life. He does this in a simple way by relating to a grain of wheat that ultimately produces much fruit after falling to the ground and dying. Jesus says that unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it cannot bear much fruit. If it remains in the ear of the wheat it abides alone.
Christ now compares human life to the seed of the wheat grain that holds the wheat germ that germinates. The layers in the seed can be compared to the sinful nature living in a person—the Natural man and Carnal man as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14, that need to die before the spiritual man can be fully alive.
A fruitful Christian life requires two actions:
Falling
Before dying the seed has to fall to the ground. Here, ‘falling’ denotes humbling oneself. So we should humble ourselves in order to receive grace for a fruitful Christian life. (James 4:6: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.") One must choose to lose the old self, the seed which he was made of; it might be his position or haughty attitude brought on by high qualification, successful job, scriptural knowledge and excellence, etc. The seed should fall down and die. In Matthew 16:24: ‘Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”’ The principle is that one should deny his own self by crucifying the carnal desires—a dying to the self, in order to keep his eternal life. Jesus did not mean for us to run away from this world, but to live in this world without being tainted by it, such as not letting the world rule you with its carnal desires.
Choosing
Moses when he came of age, chose by faith to refuse being called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, instead preferred to suffer affliction with people of God (Hebrews 11:24,25). There are choices a Christian makes when He has decided to follow Christ and live for Him. There are times he/she must choose to die to certain things that Christ is exalted in his/her life.
Just as the seed should fall down, die and be buried, we must be buried so that no one can see our self but Christ (John 3:30: He must increase, but I must decrease.") Allow His will to be done not our will as Jesus did when He completely submitted His own life to do the will of God (Luke 22:42... Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.") Jesus was the perfect example of that seed which fell from “high” and died so that abundant fruit was produced. May it be our aim to follow in His steps. The life of Jesus should be evident in our dying body as described by Apostle Paul in 2Corinthians 4:7-12
Hindrances to dying:
The desire for the pleasures of this life
The desire for respect and self-glorification
The desire for authority
John 15:7 instructs us to abide in Christ which means abiding in His words which will make us to bear much fruit!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to die to my self that I may live for You and bear fruit in Christ. Amen.
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