The seed produces after its kind. In the beginning, God established this unalterable law (Gen. 1:12). Apple seeds will only produce apple trees with apples. Grape seeds yield grapevines with grapes. An apple seed does not and cannot make a grapevine with grapes. Likewise, it is impossible for an apple tree to come from grape seed.
This same principle is true in the spiritual realm. The Spirit said, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Gal. 6:7-8). You reap what you sow — always.
When Jesus explained the parable of the sower, He said, “The seed is the word of God” (Lk. 8:11). When the seed fell on good ground, it yielded fruit (Lk. 8:15). The fruit was a direct result of the seed, the word of God. It produced nothing more and nothing less.
We see a real-life example of this working in the book of Acts. The gospel was preached, people were saved, and fruit was brought forth to the glory of God (Acts 2:38-41; 8:12; etc.). When the seed was sown in good and honest hearts, people became Christians (Acts 11:26; cf. 26:28). These Christians became know collectively as the “church of God” or “church of Christ” (Acts 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 18:2; Rom. 16:16).
The gospel seed produced one kind of fruit, Christians belonging to the body of Christ. It did not yield a diverse crop of Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Episcopalians, Catholics, Adventists, etc. The New Testament never tells us of one of these being the result of planting the word of God. So, how did all of these come about? A different seed. A Methodist is made because one is taught and accepts something other than the gospel. The same is true for all other denominations. The fruit tells you what kind of seed was sown. The pure, unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ can only produce one kind of fruit, a Christian. It must be crossed with something else to get something else.
If you are a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc., you are not a Christian. However, you can become one by allowing the word of God to be sown in your heart. All you need do is believe in Jesus as the Christ, confess Him before men, repent of your sins, and be baptized to have your sins washed away (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:38). When you do this, you will bear fruit to God; fruit as He intends it to be, nothing more, nothing less.
Steven F. Deaton
