WE are in Chapter 14 of Principles of Spiritual Growth, The Process of Discipleship. I ended last time commenting that I often tell my students at CCA “Gardens just don’t happen.” It is a comment that surfaces during Character Trait training, explaining how even God after the initial days of creation went back and “planted a garden,” cultivating, preparing, arranging, and planting what was necessary for the care of the first family. I explain the necessity to care for and tend the garden, least it fall into disarray and disorder. In other words, “gardens just don’t happen,” and if they are not properly planned, planted, and cared for, the space allotted for them, especially since the fall, will become a weed infested, barren, eye sore, just an ugly landfill.
OF course, this is metaphor (and yes, the students know what a metaphor is) for life in general, the Christian life specifically. And our author is using this metaphor just as our Lord does to describe the necessity and process of discipleship. Consistent with scripture and our confessions dealing with sanctification, the practical out-working of discipleship, does not just happen. (WLC Q75, 77, & 78)
LET us see how this metaphor works itself out in today’s consideration.
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas. 1:2
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Chapter 14—Process of Discipleship – Part-2
….Many want to do God’s work but are unable, because of the ‘flesh’ in their lives.”
Our Father understands all this, and it is He who takes the initiative in the matter. He drops the seed of dissatisfaction into our hearts; He begins to show us that there is far more to this Christian life than just being saved and active for Him. And it is necessary for Him to engineer our exchange from carnal kernel Christians to fruitful fellowshipping disciples. From an infinite number of ways, He chooses the most effective for each individual’s transition. And in the hand of the Husbandman, there is no fear, but freedom.
“We often come across Christians who are bright and clever, and strong and righteous; in fact, a little too bright, and a little too clever—there seems so much of self in their strength, and their righteousness is severe and critical. They have everything to make them saints, except … crucifixion, which would mold them into a supernatural tenderness and limitless charity for others. But if they are of the real elect, God has a winepress prepared for them, through which they will some day pass, which will turn the metallic hardness of their nature into gentle love, which Christ always brings forth at the last of the feast.”
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field… He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:24, 37, 38). The Lord of the harvest plants, or buries, Christians as seeds in a field, which is the world.
Through the Husbandman’s patient and loving cultivation the grain of wheat high up on the stalk begins to fear being garnered alone and hungers to bring forth “much fruit” (John 12:24). Here is God’s motivation for discipleship: that filial heart-hunger for fruit bearing. The believer finally pleads to be made fruitful at any cost, and then he hears the Lord say, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (v. 24). “Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). In loving response to this hunger, the Holy Spirit silently and gently begins to loosen the grain from its comfortable bindings and supports in the ear. “When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come” (4:29). As a result, sooner or later the grain of wheat finds itself, not high up on the stalk, but dropped to the earth, into the cold and strange darkness. And still worse, the earth smears and injures that nice, shiny golden coat. Worst of all, the coat begins to disintegrate and fall to pieces. All that is not Christ, no matter how nice in appearance and profession, is revealed for what it is—just self.
There is a further stripping, right down to the germ of life, right on down until there is nothing left but Christ, who is our life. …to be continued
