Salvation Summaries

Galatians 5:22-24 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Do you know what the first job was that God assigned to man? Farming (or gardening). In Genesis, God told Adam and Eve to cultivate the soil in the Garden of Eden, and then to tend and watch over it (Gen 2:5, 15).

Cultivate, according to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, means “to prepare for crops.” And tend means to “take care of, watch and guard.” By cultivating and tending to the soil, Adam and Eve would produce ample food (fruit and vegetables) to nourish and sustain them. After meeting this need, they could then “be fruitful and multiply.”

Fast forward to the New Testament, and we learn that Jesus also wants people to produce a crop, which the Bible refers to as grain or fruit, but not for our physical nourishment. Rather, the grain and fruit are metaphors that pertain to our character, and how we treat other people.

To produce grain or fruit, we must cultivate our “soil.” But what is our soil, and how do we do this? Jesus’ Parable of the Sower tell us.

Parable of the Sower

The Parable of the Sower, found in Matthew, Mark and Luke, reveals four types of soil: hard, rocky and shallow, weedy and fertile. Each soil is a metaphor for the condition of one’s heart. More specifically, it refers to one’s receptivity and response to the gospel message of salvation (which is the seed).

Hard soil. Seed cannot produce fruit if it simply lands on hard soil. For the soil to be in a position to produce fruit, one must first break up the hard ground so that seed can be planted and take root.

We break hard ground by being receptive to hearing the gospel message of salvation, and then understanding it in order to believe (or not believe) what it says (and requires) (Mt 13:19; Luke 8:12).

If a person is not receptive to hearing the gospel message, they will have a hard heart, and this will be revealed by their lack of fruit. Satan does all he can to prevent a person from hearing this message, for he does not want anyone to be saved.

Rocky and Shallow soil. Even after hard ground is broken up, a plant will wilt and die if it is in rocky and shallow soil where its roots are not deep, and exposed to excessive or prolonged heat. To prevent this from happening, one must remove the rocks from the soil, and regularly water it to keep it moist.

A person with rocky and shallow soil is receptive to the gospel message of salvation, but allows personal problems and persecution to eventually erode their belief in the gospel and fall away. Without deep roots that can access life sustaining water under prolonged heat, they are unable to persevere under extreme trials. This type of person has a superficial faith rather than a saving faith.

I have heard stories of some atheists who grew up going to church or believing in Jesus (not saving belief), but when a close relative – such as a mother or sister – died from cancer and their prayers were not answered to save that person from death, they changed their mind to no longer believe.

The antidote for this would seem to be regular Bible reading and prayer time (this would be the regular watering for the plant), and developing convictions in what one believes, which also would require a study of the Word via church attendance and/or personal study.

Weedy soil. But even after we’ve broken up the ground, removed the rocks and watered the soil, weeds will inevitably surface over time, and these will need to be removed to prevent them from crowding out what we planted.

A person with weedy soil allows worldliness – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life – to choke out their faith. Pleasing self becomes more important than pleasing God. This person may look like a Christian, but they lack the fruit Jesus speaks of. They are like an apple tree that is planted in your back yard, but never produces apples. This type of person has superficial rather than saving faith because no fruit is produced.

The antidote for this would appear to be the same as that for rocky and shallow soil – regular Bible reading and prayer, and developing convictions in what one believes.

Fertile soil. If we cultivate soil by breaking it up, removing the rocks, regularly watering it and removing weeds, the soil will be fertile enough to produce fruit, and possibly an abundance of it. (Mt 13:23).

A person has fertile soil when they hear, understand and accept the gospel message of salvation; do not allow worldliness, personal problems or persecution to destroy their faith; and regularly read their Bible, pray and develop conviction in what they believe. This person has saving rather than superficial faith, and produces the type of fruit that Jesus wants them to produce.

Fruit and its Importance

What is the fruit that the Bible refers to?

Per Galatians 5:22-24, it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Why is it important that we bear fruit?

Reason 1. As Christians, it is our responsibility to bear fruit.

• John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit– fruit that will last.
• Romans 7:4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

Reason 2. Bearing fruit proves that you are a believer.  If you are not bearing fruit, then you need to reevaluate whether you have genuinely been saved. 

• Matthew 3:10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
• Matthew 7:18-20   ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
• John 15:8   This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Conclusion

Jesus wants you to bear fruit, and to do this you must have fertile soil. Cultivating and tending to your soil takes time and effort, and will require regular Bible study, prayer and conviction in what you believe. Bearing fruit is your responsibility as a Christian, and proves whether you have superficial faith or genuine/saving faith. It is something we need to take seriously. Proverbs tells us – or better warns us – that we are to “guard our heart” for it determines the course of our life. How much fruit are you bearing?