“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
— John 12:24
To Timothy, my genuine child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
— First Timothy 1:2
Paul called Timothy his “genuine child” (1 Tim. 1:2) and “beloved child” (2 Tim. 1:2). Timothy was Paul’s son. Paul wasn’t afraid that Timothy would write back, “What are you talking about? You’re not my father!” Paul could say it very naturally, because Timothy was his genuine child in the Lord.
We must realize that bearing fruit is equal to begetting children. The Lord was this way. When the Lord expected to bear fruit, what did it mean to Him? The book of Hebrews declares, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given to Me” (Heb. 2:13b). Eventually we are all the Lord’s fruit, because we are all His children.
Adapted from the online series, Serving the Lord as a Seed, Message two, page 4.
Tomorrow: “Bearing Fruit and Begetting Children (2)”