And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.
--Parallel verses:
II Timothy 2:20-22
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. FLEE the evil desires of youth and PURSUE righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
To produce good fruit we must purify our hearts. John the Baptist said it well here: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, saying, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.’” (Matthew 3:7-8) In order for us sinners to produce good fruit we must first repent.
This goes far beyond merely saying, “I sorry.” It involves a turning from sin to God. And asking for his help to set up guardrails and good disciplines to live by that bring us closer to him. This could look like reserving time to spend with God in prayer and reading the Bible every morning, or fellowshipping with other Christ-followers in a prayer group or Bible study.
What we produce in life matters. Some go around producing worldly things only. They place their names on a building or a highway, but refuse to invest in and obey God when it comes to serving him and his people.
We are encouraged here to FLEE from evil and PURSUE, grasp, and cling to what is righteous, loving, peaceable, and faithful. This is the way to multiply our spiritual harvest of souls for the kingdom of God. He has planned out all of our good works in advance. We just have to stay close to him and open our eyes. The good works are waiting for us to act on!
I think one of the biggest challenges in keeping our soil fertile is apathy, or laziness. Spiritually, I find, many are satisfied with “good enough” and not greatness. They don’t seek perfection, they just aim too low.
God wants to purify and perfect our hearts to be vessels of holiness for his use. We must aim for perfection.
Lord, thank you for this challenge to have a soft heart and fertile soil when it comes to receiving your truth and salvation. Keep me humble and ready to act on your will.
