Don’t have time to read a whole e-book? Want to get the key ideas and principles in just a few minutes?  Or perhaps you would like to get a better idea of what an e-book is all about before investing the time to read the whole thing.  If one of these situations applies to you, or you would simply like to enjoy a podcast style discussion of one of our books, we have good news for you.

We are now producing Deep-Dive podcasts for a number of our e-books. These podcasts give a more in-depth look at a book’s central ideas than a simple blurb can do, and are stimulating ways to  engage with the book’s content and message. We now have the first podcasts available – providing short but meaningful looks at e-books we are sure you will enjoy. Listen to the podcasts on our sister-site, here, and check back often as we will be adding new podcasts each week.

A BRIGHTER LIGHT:
SEVEN SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP YOUR CHRISTIAN LIGHT SHINE
By R. Herbert

Letting our “light” shine is a basic Christian responsibility, and this short book examines seven simple ways in which we can avoid short-circuiting the light God desires to show through us, and more effectively let that light shine. These principles can help us better reflect God’s nature, better do his work, and better fulfill his desire in our lives. Download a free copy of this new book directly – without registration or email address – from our sister site, here.

The Bible speaks about both the “gifts” and “fruit” of the Holy Spirit. Are these the same things?  And if not, what is the difference – and should we be striving to develop one more than the other?

There can be some overlap between what the Bible says regarding gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit – both ultimately come to us through the Spirit of God – but there are also differences between the two.  At the most basic level, gifts of the Spirit are given to us; fruit of the Spirit is developed in us over time – it is the result of the Spirit working in our lives. Put another way, God gives gifts, but he grows fruit in our lives.  It is important that we understand other differences, also.

Gifts of the Spirit

The Scriptures speak of a number of gifts of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 12:4).  For example, Romans 12:6-8 lists the gifts of prophesy, serving, teaching, encouragement, giving, leading, and showing mercy. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, on the other hand, mentions wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in different languages, and the interpretation of languages.  As you can see, apart from the mention of prophecy, these two lists are quite different.  So we have to put many scriptures together to find all the gifts the Bible enumerates, and even the combined lists are doubtless not complete regarding all the possible gifts God can give.

Overall, however, it is clear that the gifts of the Spirit are outward flowing to accomplish the work of God.  They often represent skills or aptitudes that we are given in order to better serve.   As such, no one receives all the gifts of the Spirit, and no single gift is given to all God’s people (1 Corinthians 12:28-29).  But every Christian is given at least one gift either at conversion (Ephesians 3:7-8) or as the need arises.  Each one of us is given the gift of an aptitude or skill, and it is our responsibility to identify that gift and to put it to work to help others (1 Peter 4:10).  Some gifts may seem more impressive than others, but every gift is important and necessary in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:21-23).

But just because these gifts are given through the Spirit of God does not mean we have no part in developing and using them. Take the gift of knowledge, for example. God does not simply pour facts into our minds.  He blesses us with an aptitude for learning and understanding things and perhaps also in being able to memorize facts and to see their significance.  In any case, we must work in order to use the gifts we are given.  And we must always remember that unless we use our gifts and use them in love and not for self-aggrandizement, they are rendered useless (1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Corinthians 13:1).

Fruit of the Spirit

When we turn to the Bible’s words on the fruit of the Spirit we find very different things.  The fullest list is in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, where we find: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”  (Galatians 5:22-23).  These qualities are clearly different from those the Bible calls the gifts of the Spirit. Although they all have outward manifestations, they are attributes that signify inner changes in our very nature.  For example, we can increase in the gift of knowledge, yet our behavior may not change; but we cannot truly increase in the fruit of love or patience without our behavior being affected.  In fact, the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 is in direct contrast to the acts of carnal human nature listed in the preceding verses in Galatians 5:19-21.

Although Paul mentions nine specific qualities, he speaks of the singular “fruit” of the Spirit rather than the plural “fruits” – indicating that the various qualities are perhaps all aspects of the central quality of love. But whether this is the case or not, we need to develop as many of the aspects as possible in order to produce spiritual fruit in every part of our lives: “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). 

While we are individually limited to which gifts of the Spirit we receive, we can develop all of the fruit of the Spirit and we should strive to develop it all as much as possible.  Jesus himself referred to this in saying “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8).

So we can summarize by saying that the gifts of the Spirit primarily involve what we do, while the fruit of the Spirit involves what we are. There is certainly overlap in some areas – gifts can appear to change us inwardly and fruit is manifested in our outward behavior.  But the differences teach us important lessons. We must not neglect to nurture and develop fruit in our lives just because it is clear that we have been given gifts and we are busy utilizing them. 

In the same way it is imperative that we do not concentrate entirely on developing fruits in our own lives while neglecting to use the gifts we may have been given to serve others.   In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul says that we should “earnestly desire the best gifts…” (1 Corinthians 12:31), yet he also stresses that the gifts are nothing without the fruit underlying them (1 Corinthians 13).  Jesus also reminds us (John 13:35) that men would recognize us as his disciples not by our gifts – but by our fruit.  

Every year countless people make “New Year’s resolutions” – setting goals ranging from cleaning out closets to getting more exercise.  Many people make resolutions regarding character issues, too –  resolving to stop doing things they wish to stop, or to do better at things they want to do.

Many Christians also make resolutions, of course, and like other people they find varying degrees of success in reaching the goals for which they aim.  But some think that making resolutions is not a biblically sound idea for Christians as they feel God has already given us his “resolutions” in the form of biblical admonitions and commands and we should just concentrate on trying to follow them.  Others feel that making resolutions encourages us to focus on our own human ability to accomplish spiritual goals.
 
But the Bible shows a number of God’s servants making resolutions –  ranging from Daniel resolving not to partake of the food and wine of the Babylonian palace (Daniel 1:8) in the Old Testament, to Paul resolving to go through Macedonia and Greece to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21) in the New Testament.

In fact, making resolutions can be an extremely important aspect of biblical living. Consider an example of this in the Book of Malachi:  “If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me” (Malachi 2:2).

In cases like this the Bible shows we need to resolve to follow God’s will whenever we come to see it in a given circumstance.  Also, each and every time we make a mistake and repent of doing something we have come to see is wrong, we need to be making firm resolutions to overcome the problem in the future. This kind of resolution does not in any way lessen our understanding of our need for God’s help, and the same is true of many New Year’s resolutions that involve spiritual issues.

Now, it’s clear that the Bible does not mention resolutions in the context of a new year, but new beginnings are psychologically among the best times to make resolutions and are among the times when they are most likely to succeed.  The great Christian writer G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) doubtless understood this when he wrote: “Unless a … man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.” Chesterton’s point is a good one –  humanly we often need the impetus of some event to resolve to do better in our lives – and the New Year provides just such an occasion with a “new beginning” to work from.

The main problem with resolutions, of course, is that so many of them do not last long enough. Humanly we so often begin with great dedication only to “lose steam” as we go along.  But as Christians that is exactly where we can ask for God’s help to continue to apply and to keep our resolutions. In fact, that is exactly what we find in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church: “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:11 ESV).

Notice that Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would help them fulfill every "resolve" or resolution for good. It’s a prayer we can pray for ourselves as we go into this coming year – and one that we can pray for each other, too. ​

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8 ESV).

This passage in Galatians is a classic example of biblical verses that we may diligently highlight in our study, but they then take on a life of their own and we tend to read and remember them out of their actual context.  As a result, we may miss their real meaning and the message they have for us.

In the case of Galatians 6:7-8 it is easy to see these verses as purely a comparison and contrast between “sinful living” and “spiritual living.”  Viewed this way, Paul’s stress on sowing and reaping seems like a simple exposition on the end results of the lifestyle of a sinful person who reaps the fruits of his or her wrongful actions as opposed to the results of righteous living.  The verses have been quoted in this way in many sermons – sometimes with colorful examples such as hypothetical  individuals who sinfully “sowed their wild oats then prayed for a crop failure,” as opposed to individuals who were blessed for righteous living.
​
But that is not really the contrast Paul is making in this passage.  The previous verse begins the thought by saying “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches” (vs. 6).  This thought sets the stage for what Paul says in verses 7-8, and those verses are followed in turn by the conclusion of the thought:  “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (vss. 9-10).

We can see that these verses are not different thoughts because Paul continues the analogy of sowing and reaping throughout the whole passage of Galatians 6:6-10.  And when we take the whole passage in its context, we realize that Paul is not contrasting sinful living with spiritual living so much as he is contrasting selfish living with a life of unselfish giving.

That is why the thought begins in verse 6 with Paul talking about those who are taught sharing “all good things” with those who teach.  His overall thought, expanded in verses 7-8, is that if we do not share and serve outwardly, we serve only ourselves – we “sow to the flesh.” It is only as we share with and serve others (vss. 9-10) that we “sow to the Spirit” and will eventually reap a reward.

In fact, the only other two places Paul uses the analogy of sowing and reaping in his epistles regarding our behavior are in his letters to the Corinthian Church, and they make exactly the same point:  “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?” (1 Corinthians 9:11) and “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

In all three instances – in 1 and 2 Corinthians and in Galatians 6 – Paul uses the analogy of sowing and reaping to affirm that the seed we sow determines the harvest we receive. Certainly the Bible uses the broader application of the idea of sowing and reaping:  “The one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18b), and “whoever sows injustice reaps calamity” (Proverbs 22:8a); but Paul’s use of the sowing and reaping analogy is clearly a specific one dealing with unselfish and generous giving and living.
 
Such good deeds may have been neglected by the congregations in Galatia as they were caught up in a number of divisions and errors that were consuming their attention and energy. These errors are the focus of most of what Paul discusses in his letter to the Galatians, but we must not miss his point that such doctrinal and moral issues and concerns must not preclude our doing good in the life to which we have been called.  Paul’s point is not just regarding the responsibilities of life – that we reap what we sow; but also the opportunities of life – that if we want to reap, we must sow.

​The Book of Jeremiah has a reputation for prophecies of gloom, but its sobering messages are offset with equally positive words which we should not overlook.  We find an interesting example of this fact in the prophet’s simile of two trees.  In Jeremiah 17 he draws a vivid picture of the difference between lack of trust and trust in God – using two symbolic trees as examples.  
 
He begins with these words:  “This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5). Then, Jeremiah makes his first analogy:
 
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
    in a salt land where no one lives (Jeremiah 17:6).
 
The prophet compares the one who turns away from trusting God to a stunted shrub – not a full grown tree, but a “bush in the wastelands” that can never flourish in its harsh environment.  Notice that Jeremiah points to four reasons this “tree” will not grow: it is in infertile soil (“wasteland”), it suffers from a lack of water (“parched places”), it suffers temperature extremes (“of the desert”) and its growth is stunted by salinity (“a salt land”).  This picture accurately portrays factors that limit plant growth.  We are told in the NIV that this tree will not see “prosperity;” but the Hebrew word tov means “good” of any kind, and most English versions translate it that way.
 
Jeremiah then makes a contrast with this tree when he says “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him” (Jeremiah 17:7):
 
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit  (Jeremiah 17:8).
 
This tree, Jeremiah tells us by means of multiple Hebrew idioms, is “planted by the water”(an idiom for nourishment), spreads its “roots” (an idiom for family members or descendants), and does not fear when heat comes (an idiom for persecution or affliction).  Its leaves are always green (an idiom for health), it has no worries in “drought” (an idiom for times of need), and it never fails to produce fruit (an idiom for both descendants and also for good success in life).  What a difference trust makes!

Jeremiah’s two trees represent simple analogies, but ones based on profound truths.  The prophet does not compare righteousness and unrighteousness, good and evil, or make any such broad general comparisons.  Instead, he focuses purely on the matter of trust and tells us that the life that does not include trust in God will always be limited and will not flourish or grow.  By contrast, Jeremiah says, the one who learns to trust God will survive problems and will flourish and grow abundantly.

But Jeremiah’s two trees also are a symbolic study in spiritual contrast, just like the two trees Genesis tells us grew in the Garden of Eden.  The two trees teach us that spiritually, we only grow to the extent that we learn to trust God.  It is a simple point, but one worthy of serious thought.  As Christians intent on spiritual transformation, we tend to look to spiritual exercises such as prayer and study as our primary means of growth.  But Jeremiah reminds us that spiritual growth is not just based on activities such as these, but also on actively and continually increasing our trust and faith in the One who grants growth.

That is a lesson that we see much more fully developed in the New Testament teaching of growing in and through faith, but it is one that Jeremiah makes vividly clear in his simple comparison of the two trees.  And we should remember that Jeremiah knew a good deal about faith. He is to be included among the shining examples of faith who suffered “chains and imprisonment” (Hebrews 11:36 and Jeremiah 37:15-16) mentioned in the great “Faith Hall of Fame” chapter of Hebrews 11.

Ironic as it might seem, the further we progress along the way to which we are called as Christians, the more it seems we see the failings and errors  of our own nature.   That can be discouraging at times, but when it happens we need to remember something. 

The Bible gives us two stories that speak to this situation, though we might not realize it unless we give the matter some thought. The first story, in the Old Testament, relates to a vision of the prophet Isaiah:

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple… “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:1,5).

Isaiah’s very clear reaction on seeing God in this vision was one of understanding his own spiritual inadequacy and “uncleanness.”   Now compare this story with another in the New Testament  – how Jesus revealed his divine power to Peter and the men fishing with him:

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret … he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”….   When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break …. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  (Luke 5:1-8).

Although these two stories may seem very different on the surface, Peter’s reaction to seeing even a small glimpse of Jesus’ divinity was not unlike the effect of the vision of Isaiah – it was a realization of his own unworthiness and sinful nature.   Admittedly, these events occurred at the beginning of the careers of the two servants of God, but the principle remains the same – the more we come to understand of God, the more we are conscious of our own failings. 

It was many years after the conversion of the apostle Paul that he wrote: “What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:24), and “… I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle…” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Yet Paul continued this same thought to the Corinthian Christians: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect” (vs. 10).  Despite his painful awareness of his own failings – after many years  of God working with him – Paul could still say near the end of his life: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).  Both statements were true! Just like the rest of us, Paul doubtless realized his own spiritual failings all the more as the years progressed, yet he knew that God was changing him and completing a purpose in his life.  

To use a simple analogy, before conversion we live in spiritual darkness – like living in a dark room – and cannot see any of the “stains” and “black marks” of sin that cover us.  As we are converted and move  toward the “light” (remember, God is spiritual light), the more we begin to see those black marks on ourselves – and the brighter the light becomes, the more we see even the smallest stains.

It is a  simple truth of the Christian life that the more we grow and come to see God, the less we like what we see of ourselves. Yet this can be encouraging – looked at the other way around, the less we like what we see of ourselves the more we are probably seeing of God and moving closer to him! 

This is not the same as living our lives in a despondent spiritual attitude that focuses on how unworthy we are.  It is just an honest realization of our own spiritual inadequacy and a heightened awareness of ways in which we do fail – sometimes in small things that we would never have noticed earlier in our Christian lives. 
 
Perhaps we can say that our occasional discouragement with our own failings can be turned around.  The more we see the failings of our own nature, the more we can be encouraged that we are doubtless moving closer to God who is enabling us to see those things.  We can rejoice that just as we see ourselves more clearly as we move closer to God, he can continue the process of helping us to see him and making us more like him. 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water,     that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV).

A plant can only grow upward to the extent that its roots grow downward and are established. To a large extent, as Jesus showed in his parable of the sower and the seed, that will depend on the quality of soil the seeds are placed in (Matthew 13:3-8). If the soil is too rocky (vs. 5-6) or already covered with competing weeds (vs. 7), the seed won’t be able to take root or survive.  But even in good soil (vs. 8), plant growth (“a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” vs.8b) depends on how far the roots can extend.  That  isn’t referring to  the “hard ground” that seeds cannot take root in at all, but to situations where plants get started, and then run into layers of rock or hard clay. If the roots cannot spread far and wide in every direction, the plant will inevitably be stunted in its growth.

Remembering these basic facts of plant growth help us to better understand the words of the apostle Paul:  “… I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:17-18).

Paul tells us two things here – first of all, what the good “ground” is in which we must be planted. Paul says we have to be rooted in love, but it is clear from what he goes on to say that it is not our own love. The love is instead “the love of Christ” (vs. 18).  Understanding this is a fundamental part of understanding Christian growth.  If we try to grow in the ground of our own human love we will find it is shallow soil indeed. Instead, Paul shows it is the love that God gives that provides deep enough “ground” for real spiritual growth.  How deep is that?  Paul tells us clearly in saying that we need to grasp “how wide and long and high and deep” God’s love is.  In other words, Paul makes it clear that the extent of that ground in which we are to grow – the space in which our “roots” can expand – is virtually infinite.

It’s a principle that Paul stressed more than once. We see it again in his letter to the Colossians:  “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”  (Colossians 2:6-7).   Here, we see not only the same analogy of Christian growth like a rooted and growing tree, but also Paul’s stress on the fact that it is as we live our lives in Christ that the rooting and growth occurs.

It’s interesting to compare these words of Paul with the earlier words of the prophet Jeremiah, quoted above – which were doubtless based on the words of David in Psalm 1:3.  All three biblical writers use the same analogy of the rooted tree, but all use it differently. David speaks of being rooted in the law of God (Psalm 1:3), Jeremiah speaks of being rooted in trust or faith in God (Jeremiah 17:7), and Paul speaks of being rooted in the love of Christ.  All are true, yet perhaps we also see a clear growth of understanding based on progressive revelation.  We might say that all three “grounds” provide deep soil for spiritual rooting and growth, but the best ground for the deepest growth is, of course, in God’s love.

Scripture: Psalm 37:3-6 –  "Trust in the Lord and do good;  dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Take delight in the Lord,  and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun."

Something to think about:  These verses from Psalm 37 are far more profound than they might seem at a quick glance.  When we read them carefully, we see they stress an increasing dedication to God and its increasing benefits.  The verses tell us that if we "trust" and "do good" – have basic faith and works – we will have our physical needs met.  They then show that if we go further and "delight" in God, He will meet our emotional needs – the "desires of our hearts."  Finally, if we totally commit ourselves to God and His way, He will fulfill our ultimate spiritual goals and aspirations – "your righteous reward."   It's worth asking: where in this progression of increasing dedication and increasing blessings are we? 

For the ancient Romans, being “two faced” was not a negative thing suggesting hypocrisy as in our culture. The pagan Romans had their two-faced god Janus who presided over beginnings and transitions, endings and time. Janus was particularly associated with beginnings such as the new year (though there is indication the month of January was not named after him, as popularly believed, but rather after the goddess Juno).  

Janus’ two faces looked back and forward – both over what had happened in the past as well as toward what lay ahead.  It seems that there is something in human nature that tends to do this – to look back whenever we seriously look forward. 

After all, what we will be and do is so often the product of what we have been and have done. 
Yet this is the very attitude that the apostle Paul argues against in telling us “ … I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of [salvation]. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13).  There is physical evidence that this is a good idea. Despite the fact that many regard New Year’s as a time of celebration and partying, it is also, tragically, a time of many suicides each year.  The reason for a great many of those suicides – where it is known – is usually not because of fear of the future, but because of discouragement and sorrow over the past.

There is certainly nothing wrong with remembering lessons learned in the past and in reminiscing on times with loved ones and good things such as blessings we have received. However, both the Bible and modern psychology make it clear that there is nothing to be gained by staring at the negatives of our past, and this is especially true at this time of year.  Focusing two ways – looking as much backward as forward – is just another way of being “double minded,” which we know the Bible also tells us not to be (James 1:8).

We know the old clichés: “Focusing on the past is like driving your car with your eyes on the rearview mirror,” “If the past calls, don’t answer – it has nothing new to say,” and so on, but they really are true. While Christians, hopefully, are not at as high a risk of situational depression as many less fortunate individuals, remembering the problems of our past – all the way up to yesterday – can distract us from where we should be going.  Those old Janus statues illustrate this. The face that looks back cannot see the future, and the face that looks forward cannot see the past. It’s a useful analogy to remember as we go into each new year and every new day.

Most new Christians soon come to the understanding that we are saved by faith – that our own best efforts can never “earn” God’s forgiveness and acceptance, and that it is through faith that we receive the gift of salvation. But is that all there is to the Christian life? Once we are “saved,” are we in a kind of spiritual holding pattern till we are eventually rewarded according to our faith?  

Our new article, “How We Are Judged: Building on the Foundation of Faith,” uploaded today, shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Since the time of the Reformation, many theologians have stressed the concept of sola fide, or “faith only,”  but today, leading biblical scholars and teachers from many branches of Christianity (N.T. Wright and John Piper to mention only two) recognize that the Bible shows something more is involved.  We are certainly saved by faith, but something else is the basis of our eventual judgement and reward, something connected to our faith, but distinct from it. This is an understanding every Christian needs – read the article here.

How do we grow our faith?   Think about plant biology:  how does a tree grow – from its roots or its branches?  The answer to that question is, of course, both. If you cut off a tree’s roots it can’t grow, but if you cut off its branches it won’t grow either.  A healthy tree usually has just as large a root system as it does a branching system above ground, and the success of the two are connected (Job 18:16).  The branches won’t grow upward more than the roots can grow down (Mark 4:5-6) and vice versa.

Humans have probably understood this basic fact about plants since the Stone Age, and it’s the basis of a simple analogy that the apostle Paul used in his writings:

 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,  and overflowing with thankfulness”  (Colossians 2:6-7).

Paul tells us here that we should be rooted down on the one hand and built up on the other.  It’s a building analogy – of having a foundation and a superstructure, but it’s also an analogy of a tree taking root down and growing upward.  Paul uses the same combined imagery of planting and building in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and  Ephesians 3:18, but whichever analogy we use, it is clear that Paul means that being rooted  and strengthened in faith are one and the same thing, just as being built up and overflowing with thanks are also the same. 

Paul utilizes the same technique for a slightly different point in the Book of Ephesians:

“... I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:16-18).

Here, in Ephesians, the analogy is one of being rooted in love, and grasping the love of Christ.  The more we understand the love of Christ, the deeper we too become grounded in love. In Colossians Paul tells us the same about faith – the more we overflow or grow upward in thanksgiving the more we become rooted downward in faith. The two are connected and cannot be viewed apart.

So how do we grow our faith; how does it become ever more deeply rooted? There may be a number of ways such as studying the lives of people of faith.*  Paul shows us that one answer is certainly through thanksgiving. The more we recognize what God is doing in and through us and others, the more we appreciate and are thankful for that, then the more we will grow in the gift of faith.  

*See also the "Growing in Faith" and "Faith Hall of Fame" sections of our Articles pages.

If it were not for the Tenth Commandment, it is likely that most of us would never hear or use the word “covet.” It’s certainly not common in modern English.  But as it is, the word is one every Christian knows.  We know covet means “desire.”  It sounds like a King James Version word, and it is: “Thou shalt not covet…” (Exodus 20:17 KJV) is how many of us met it.  But even though the word “desire” is a readily available synonym, the word covet is still used in most modern translations of the Tenth Commandment (see NIV, ESV, NKJV, etc.), so the word's image as representing something bad persists. 

But coveting isn’t all bad. There is a good side to coveting that we should not forget. Look at these two examples:   Psalm 19:7-10 - where the Law of the Lord is to be coveted, and Psalm 68:16 – where God Himself covets us to dwell with Him.   In the original Hebrew, exactly the same word, chamad, is used in these instances as in the command “you shall not covet,” so what’s the difference?   In reality, the biblical use of the word “covet,” just like “desire,” can be good or bad depending on context. In the Ten Commandments we are given examples of specific things that we should not covet or desire – our neighbor’s wife, house or, in fact, “anything that is his.”   So biblically, it’s not wrong to covet or desire a wife, or a house, or anything else – just so long as it does not already belong to someone else, and that it doesn’t become an obsession, of course, which would break the first commandment.

In the New Testament the Greek word epithumia has the same dual usage of a right and a wrong desiring of things.  Luke 22:15 tells us that  Jesus desired or  coveted to eat the Passover with His disciples, and 1 Timothy 3:1 tells us if a man covets after the office of a bishop, he covets or desires a good work.

So the Bible certainly gives plenty of examples where coveting things wrongly led to very bad consequences. But it also gives a great many examples where coveting things is fine.  In fact, the positive use of the word is more common in the Bible, and that’s an understanding we can apply to ourselves. Both the Hebrew and the Greek words carry some extra weight that “desire” doesn’t always have. We  can desire food when it’s meal time, for example, but “desire” (just like the word “want”) doesn’t always convey deep desire – that we really want something badly. That’s more the aspect covered in the word “covet.”

This context can help us to see the real significance in 1 Corinthians 12:31 where the apostle Paul commands us to “covet earnestly the best spiritual gifts” (KJV – most modern translations say “desire”). He outlines what those gifts are in 1 Corinthians 13, but Paul isn’t just reminding us that those gifts of God’s Spirit are things we should find appealing – he is saying they are things we should want badly!  God doesn't want us to mildly desire the things He offers, but to deeply, passionately and actively want them. 

So, remember, there are some things we should not covet – but there are others we should, and we have a direct command regarding those good things, one that we need to be applying in our lives on a daily basis: “You shall covet!”

“A weed is just a plant in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Whoever wrote that didn’t have a garden.  After spending way too much of my day wrestling with crabgrass, dandelions and other assorted  non-cultivars today, I almost titled this post “Weeds are Sins.”  That may seem extreme, but after several hours of weeding I might be able to make a case for it. 

At the very least, we can say weeds are connected to sin - as the Book of Genesis clearly shows.   When Adam failed his first job as a gardener and ate from the wrong plant in the Garden of Eden, he was told clearly:  “Cursed is the ground because of you…It will produce thorns and thistles for you” (Genesis 3:17-18). 

Since then, weeds have been with us and we humans have found little good to say about them.  Do you remember what the final words of Job were as he ended his defense as recorded in the Book of Job? He expressed his frustration and misery with the most discouraging words he could think of (and he thought of quite a few): “… let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley” (Job 31:39-40). Then there is Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds found in Matthew 13, of course.  It was a parable that he doubtless knew would make a point in a hand-powered farm-to-fork agrarian society.

But why do I think weeds are like sin? Well, back to my garden.  If your yard is anything like mine, you know weeding takes a lot of time.  I  frequently put down weed killer (don’t worry, I buy the earth-friendly kind), but the weeds still show up.   They not only show up, but they seem to always find the hardest places to dig them out of.  And if I don’t dig them out, they not only thrive, they multiply (ever wonder why weeds seem to produce so many more offspring than the plants you want?), and as they multiply they spread – even (and I must say this quietly) into my neighbor’s yard.

The parallels with sin are all too obvious.  Even with frequent use of God’s sin-weed killer, the Bible, sins still show up – often in the most unexpected areas of life.  And you know what happens if we don’t dig them out  as soon as we become aware of them.  Neither the “I’ll get the weeds next week” or the “I’ll quit this sin soon” plans ever seem to work out very well. 

What’s the answer?  There doesn’t seem to be an easy one in both cases.  Pulling out weeds and tearing out sins are both exhausting work. They both seem to be never ending jobs.  But you know what?  When I see how much better things really are with the latest outgrowths of crabgrass, envy, dandelions, gossip, and other weeds and sins gone, I realize it really is worth the constant effort.

That way, we can get back to the job of growing the good plants – the faith and good works that God wants to see in our lives – as Isaiah says: “For as the earth brings forth her bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth...” (Isaiah 61:11).

After all, that’s what the gardens, and people, of God are supposed to be like: “Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters” (Numbers 24:6) - and as you see, there is no mention of weeds.

The letters of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonian church – a strong church that Paul had planted and nurtured – are, in effect, spiritual report cards. The context is clear; Paul is writing to his best students – these are a teacher’s letters to those who have done best in class. Just how good were they? Paul tells us in congratulating them:

“And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:7).

But Paul doesn’t stop with congratulations – in fact, he only begins there. Having complimented the Thessalonians on their spirituality, notice how he continues:  “…brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

The Thessalonians clearly received a grade of  “A” in pleasing God, but Paul urges them to do more – and he doesn’t stop with the first subject:  “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for … you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9).   Another “A” – another still not good enough.  Paul proceeds in the same way through all the subjects in which the Thessalonians had excelled:  “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Paul’s second report card to the Thessalonians is not much different:  “… brothers and sisters … your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3);  “… brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

The pattern is clear. Even though they were his best students, the apostle repeatedly urges the Thessalonian believers, strong as they were, to do more and more – never to stop doing more and more.

Humanly, it’s natural to want to rest a little after our battles, savor our victories, enjoy the report card and take a break before hitting the next semester. But Paul knew that the more we do with God’s help, the more we become capable of doing. God doesn’t want us to serve and help in any way other than to the fullest extent of His help. He also doesn’t want to  reward us minimally, but to the fullest extent possible. That’s why Paul urges us repeatedly, if we are doing what we should, that is well and good! Now do more and more!

In addition to the series of articles  beginning soon on the Family of Faith (see the previous post), we are also starting a series on "Growing in Faith"  which will provide guidance and perspective for spiritual growth.   We begin this new series today with a great little article by Terrell Perkins on "How We Play The Game."   Be sure to read this first piece in the new series - it gives a memorable perspective on the importance of our character development.

Have you ever thought how great it would be to be like Paul or Peter, James or John in terms of the faith of those early apostles?  These were individuals who accomplished amazing things in God’s service and whose lives radiated fullness of faith.  The faith of these early Christians led them through great trials and even enabled them to face certain death with confidence. 

But for those of us who may feel like  “Johnny- or Susan-come-lately,”  living in an age far removed from those days of Christian beginnings, it seems hard sometimes to imagine ourselves as having the same potential as those early heroes of the faith.  We know that Christ gave the parable of the harvesters (Matthew 20:1-16) showing that those who enter the work “late in the day” are equally due reward, but can those of us living in later ages, “late in the day” as it were, ever really have the kind of faith we see in Hebrews 11, the “Faith Hall of Fame” chapter, for example?

The answer is actually a resounding Yes!  We have it on no less authority than the apostle Peter that we are, in fact, on equal footing with the New Testament disciples.  How can this be?  Notice what Peter wrote at the very beginning of his second letter:

 “Simon Peter, a servant  and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ”  (2 Peter 1:1 ESV).

This verse is not quite as clear in the NIV and most earlier versions, but the expression translated “equal standing” in the ESV, Holman  and other newer translations is isotimos from isos  or “equal” plus time the  “price,” “value” or “merit” of something. The expression is used only this once in the New Testament,  but its meaning  is clearly something of equal value or honor – something regarded as equal to something else of the same kind.  The expression was used in ancient Greek to speak of foreigners or outsiders who were given citizenship equal to that of native-born individuals.

Now this does not necessarily mean that we presently have the same amount of faith as Peter and the other apostles, but that our faith is of equal value – equally usable and of equal potential.  Peter tells us that we have the same source of equal faith that he and all the early Christians had – God Himself.   If there was ever a verse showing that faith is a gift of God for which we are all equally eligible, this is it.  Peter clearly puts you and me on the same page as himself – it’s not just that we share the same faith in terms of our beliefs, it is that we can have faith of equal standing and potential  through God’s help.  That is an empowering and tremendously encouraging understanding if we can come to grasp it and  live by it.  The only real question is, how much do we want to realize our full potential of faith?

“… Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

Mustard plants are widespread throughout the world, often being cultivated to use as a spice, so the analogy Christ used was readily understandable to His hearers. So how small are the seeds?  The mustard plant mentioned in the New Testament is probably the white mustard (Sinapis hirta) which bears quite small seeds usually about 1 to 3 mm (1/8 inch) in diameter.   

The size of the mustard seed is often a subject of comment by sceptics because of Christ’s words recorded in Mark: “[The Kingdom of God] is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade” (Mark 4:31-32).   Some have been quick to point out, relative to the statement “which is the smallest of all seeds on earth,” that many plants have much smaller seeds. The seeds of some orchids, for example, are not much bigger than sand particles. But Christ’s words specify seeds which are “planted” – “garden plants” – so it is clear He was talking of plants commonly cultivated at that time.  Additionally, the Greek simply states that they are the smallest seeds “on the ground” (meaning in the garden rather than on the surface of the whole earth), so there is no real problem here.

More important is the way Jesus uses the tiny mustard seed in a number of parables and sayings (Matthew 13:31–32, Matthew 17:20–21, Mark 4:30–32, Luke 13:18–19, Luke 17:6): both as a simile for the Kingdom of God that starts small, but grows great, and also in statements that if we have a mustard seed amount of faith we can accomplish great things.  The two statements are perhaps related, because the instances where Jesus used the Kingdom parables of the mustard seed which is small but grows great are recorded as being given before the comments on the mustard seed representing a small amount of faith that can do great works.  So it is likely that the “tiny mustard seed that grows” background was clear to the disciples, and that the reference to the amount of faith like a mustard seed was understood as faith that starts small but grows great.   In fact, in Matthew 17:20, while NIV says “faith as small as a mustard seed,” the Greek is literally “faith like a mustard seed” (so it can mean like a mustard seed in its growth) and is so translated by KJV, ESV, NKJV, RSV, and most other versions.

This understanding fits much better with the fact that Jesus often chastised the disciples as being of “little faith” when they failed spiritually (for example, Matthew 8:26).  This shows that a small amount of faith is not all that is necessary to accomplish great things.  It is more likely then, that Jesus' parable of the mustard seed of faith relates not to its initial size, but rather to what can be accomplished if our faith grows, as the tiny mustard seed does, to a great size.

In either case, whether Christ meant we need a very small amount of faith, or a faith that starts small and becomes great, the message contained in the analogy He used remains the same – with believing faith we can accomplish great things.  And as we "grow" our faith, we will be able to accomplish yet more!