ICS Daily Devotions
How To Produce Grain
John 12:24 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.
The agricultural metaphor in this Scripture serves to emphasize the paradoxical spiritual principle that life comes out of death — that a grain will remain alone unless it falls into the ground and dies. Unless Jesus laid down His life and died on our behalf, was buried and rose again, mankind’s sin problem would still be unresolved. Jesus was intentional in laying down His life, so that through His act of obedience, all the families of the earth can be blessed.
By His death, Jesus has also multiplied after Himself because we are all His disciples now. Jesus’ death enabled us to continue living, though physically we will die. His mission on earth was to die on our behalf so that we may live.
There will be no fruitful life without death. Of itself, a seed is weak and useless, but when it is planted, it “dies” and becomes fruitful. However, the only way it can achieve its goal is by being planted in the first place. God’s children are like seeds — small and insignificant — but they have God’s life in them! Nonetheless, that life can never be fulfilled unless we yield ourselves to God and permit Him to “plant us.” We must die to self so that we may live unto God.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Living for Christ requires dying daily to self — a thousand deaths if necessary — so that the work of the flesh does not take dominance in our lives. If we do not consider ourselves dead to self, or crucified with Christ, then we will not live a consecrated life to God. Let’s ask ourselves “Is Jesus truly the Lord of my life?”. If He is, we will not make decisions without first consulting Him because He has bought us with His precious blood. We belong to Him and He is the owner of our lives.
Therefore, let’s choose to be like that seed which dies, because only then will it produce much grain!
Sermon Series: A Fruitful Life For Christ
