Seedtime and Harvest - very real whether you believe it or not
Planting Produces Image of Harvest
(Mark 4:26-29) "And He said, so is the kingdom of God, as if a man would cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come". The earth brings forth fruit of herself. The heart of man will bring forth the fruit. It will lead you to the very thing you’re saying or it will lead you to the information you need to be in the right place at the right time for the promise to be manifest in your life. It will lead you to that situation.
It may lead you across five states to cause what you’re saying to come to pass—good, bad, or indifferent. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. An evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
Let me explain why this is a poor analogy and interpretation. When you cast seed, do you know that a plentiful harvest will return? What if the natural conditions are too harsh? What if locust afflict your crop? You cannot harvest if you have planned nothing, but planting does not mean you will be able to harvest.
Here is an example: Proverbs 22:6 instructs parents to “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” A child brought up with godly principles may turn from them when he grows up. He may fall into bad company and be misled (1 Cor 15:33). What IS guaranteed is that God's principles will guard his life. On the flipside, a child not brought up by godly principles will find it difficult to turn to them as he grows older.
In the same way, 'A good man bringing forth good treasure from his heart' is a principle not a promise. A good man can still speak evil words in anger.
James says if you seem to be religious and don’t bridle your tongue, you deceive your own heart and your religion is in vain. What you believe may be in vain unless you keep your mouth in line with it.
James (in 1:26) is simply asking us to put our money where our mouth is. If you say you believe Christ, model Christ in your actions. If we really believe... We will allow & pursue God's transformation in our lives to Christ-likeness. And through His grace we will discover True Religion (Jas 1:27).
My response to Yipeng:
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Ecc 11:4-6
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.
Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
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Sowing leads to harvest. It is a biblical principal that is repeatedly spoken about.
"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22)
When the harvest comes is not up to us to decide but for God to decide. But sowing does lead to harvesting- it is a principal and it will not cease as Gen 8 says. =)
Interestingly, further on in James 3, it is said:
17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).
18And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God's will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].
When you plant you will harvest. But you harvest according to what you plant. If you plant a fig tree, you cannot expect olives. So if you don't harvest what you want, it is not that you sow but don't harvest. You sowed the wrong seeds, harvest the wrong fruits but cannot say the seeds did not sprout, grow and bear fruit.
Some passages that mention seedtime and harvest:- Hosea 10:12
- Proverbs 11:18
- Galatians 6:8
- Hosea 8:7
- Proverbs 22:8
- Luke 6:38
- 2 Cor. 9:6-15
- Genesis 8:22
- Gal. 6: 7
So how can you say "planting does not mean you will be able to harvest"? Planting leads to harvest but if you want to harvest the right fruits, sow the right seeds. That is basically what Scripture states over and over again.
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Yes James is asking us to put our money where our mouth is- but not to work for our grace but to walk out in grace through the actions/reactions we choose in our daily lives.
He is warning us not to be outwardly religious (threskos = outwardly religious.) like the Pharisees but to truly be disciplined by the Grace of our LORD Jesus Christ and speak in alignment to His will and His promises over our lives.
Our aim is not to live to become like Christ. but to live out the grace-filled abundant and victorious life He has given us by choosing to walk in His will for us, by making the right choices over those that do not glorify Him. Why i say we are not to live to become like Christ is because it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. We don't do things to be like Christ. We draw from Christ in us to live out the life that He has won for us on the Cross.
We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. There will be trials in this world but we do not fear because Christ has overcome them for us. Thus, we live from victory, not for victory. =) Amen?
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About James 1:27 --
Through His grace we will discover TRUE "threskia" - original Greek. I find it interesting that it does not just mean religion. It also means WORSHIP.
True Worship involves our being able to give to others of our love, our compassion, our time... to edify them in times of affliction. To help those most likely to be neglected or oppressed (symbolised by mention of widows and fatherless). But we do all of these not to keep with the law, but out from the overflow of grace in our lives ie. We love much because we have been loved much. What is true Christianity stems from the relationship we have with Christ, not merely from observing the ten commandments. =)
When we worship God, it is not just by what we sing, how we pray but how we work out (not work for) our redeeming Grace in Christ Jesus. =)
And thank God for the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ and His mercy that is new every morning. They help us to remain free of the world and its ways. Where we are weak, He is strong... and in Christ we have died to the world to rise again in Him.
I have just written a post on Making the most of God's promises in the Bible. Would certainly appreciate your comments if you have any!
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