Living in the Image of God M04S21
Christ teaching leads to understanding that the purpose of the word of God is to guide people through living and interacting with others in accordance with God’s purpose revealed through his word. That is, to guide people through Living in the Image of God. People that receive Christ teaching and apply the message in their living are followers of Christ (i.e., Christians). The others either fail to receive his teaching or receive but fail to apply the message in their living. Those are not followers of Christ, even if they invoke his name frequently. Thus, a Christian is a person that has received Christ teaching (the word of God) and applies the message in his or her living.
This bible study discusses Christ teaching to understand the contrast between followers of Christ (i.e., Christians) and non-followers, based on a person receiving Christ teaching and applying the message in their living. His teaching defines a binary categorization of people. One category consists of those that receive his message and practice what he says: “As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like” [Luke 6:47]. The other category consists of people that either fail to receive Christ message or receive but fail to practice what he says [Luke 6:46]: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” The second category are not followers of Christ, even if they invoke his name frequently.
This study marks the end of our 2023 program year. We thank you for sharing with us this year and look forward to beginning our 2024 program during the second week of February.
This understanding of the contrast between followers of Christ and non-followers is based on Christ teaching on three occasions. First, in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, he draws a contrast between people that receive his teaching and practice what he says and those that fail to receive his teaching or receive but fail to practice what he says. People that receive Christ teaching and apply the message in their living are like the wise builder that builds on firm foundation. In contrast, the others (people that fail to receive his teaching or receive but fail to apply the message in their living) are like the foolish builder that builds directly on the ground without foundation.
Second, in the Parable of the Sower, Christ likens people to productive seeds or non-productive seeds: using an analogy to a farmer that sows seeds by broadcast. Productive seeds represent people that receive Christ teaching and apply the message in their living. In contrast, non-productive seeds represent people that fail to receive his teaching or receive but fail to apply the message in their living. In the parable, non-productive seeds consist of seeds that fail to germinate, germinate but fail to establish root, or germinate and are well-rooted but fail to grow to maturity; because of environmental disruption.
Third, Christ uses the analogy of a tree and its fruit to characterize his followers and non-followers based on their impact on others. Good fruit comes from good tree, representing positive impact from Christ followers. In contrast, bad fruit comes from bad tree.
Christ teaching on these three occasions leads to understanding that a Christian (i.e., follower of Christ) is a person that has received Christ teaching (the word of God) and applies the message in his or her living. The others are non-followers of Christ. They either fail to receive his teaching or receive but fail to apply the message in their living. Receiving Christ teaching is an important step to becoming a Christian, but what makes a person Christian is living according to Christ message, that is, Living in the Image of God.
Parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders
In the Parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders, Christ uses the analogy of the wise builder to describe people that receive his message and practice what he says. Such people develop a lasting relationship with God. He likens them to the wise builder that builds on a firm foundation [Luke 6:47–48]: “As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” People that receive Christ teaching (the word of God) and apply the message in their living are followers of Christ. Their interactions with others follow the principles of Living in the Image of God.
In contrast, he uses the analogy of the foolish builder to describe people that do not practice his teaching. They either fail to receive his message, or they receive but do not practice what he says [Luke 6:46]: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” He likens them to the foolish builder that builds directly on the ground without a foundation [Luke 6:49]: “But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.
The analogy of the wise builder represents followers of Christ, whereas the foolish builder represents non-followers. Christ provides a more-detailed description of both categories in the Parable of the Sower.
Parable of the Sower
Similar to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, the Parable of the Sower describes two categories of human response to Christ teaching. One category describes people that fail to receive his teaching or receive but fail to apply the message in their living. They are represented in the parable as non-productive seeds. The other category describes people that receive his teaching and apply the message in their living. They are represented in the parable as productive seeds.
Non-Productive Seeds in the Parable of the Sower
One category of human response described in the parable consists of people that hear Christ teaching but do not practice what he says, because of personal habit or environmental influence. This category is represented by seeds that fail to germinate, germinate but fail to establish root, or germinate and are well-rooted but fail to grow to maturity; because of environmental disruption.
The parable uses the analogy of a farmer that sows seeds by broadcast [Matthew 13:4–7]: “As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.”
The seeds in this category are non-productive. They represent people that hear Christ teaching but do not practice what he says, because of disruption due to personal habit or environmental influence.
Productive Seeds in Parable of the Sower
The other category of human response described in the Parable of the Sower is represented by seeds that fell on good soil. Such seeds produce several times what was sown. They are the productive seeds: “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” [Matthew 13:8]. In the parable, productive seeds represent people that assimilate Christ teaching and apply the message in their living.
Productive seeds in the parable represent people that understand the word of God, assimilate the message, and apply the message in their living. They share the message with others through words and deed, and they bear fruits through their living and sharing. Their impact on others bears witness that they are followers of Christ.
They are like a good tree that bears good fruits [Luke 6:43-44]: “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.” People that hear Christ teaching and apply the message in their living are recognized through their positive impact [Luke 6:45]: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Enemy Disruption in Parable of the Sower
Christ uses the Parable of the Sower to describe three ways the enemy could disrupt a person from practicing Christ teaching. The first form of enemy disruption consists of the disruption of understanding or assimilation. This form of disruption occurs to people that are exposed to Christ message but do not understand because of inadequate attention, or people that understand but soon forget. In the parable, this form of enemy disruption is represented by seeds that fail to germinate: “As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up” [Matthew 13:4].
The second form of enemy disruption consists of the disruption of spiritual connection. This form of disruption occurs to people that understand and assimilate Christ teaching but fail to do any more with the message. The message does not grow in them and is soon forgotten. In the parable, this form of enemy disruption is represented by seeds that germinate but fail to establish lasting root; that is, the seeds that fell on thin soil over rock [Matthew 13:5–6]: “Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”
The third form of enemy disruption consists of disruption due to other persistent environmental influence. This form of disruption occurs to people that understand, assimilate, and begin to grow with the message; but are not able to withstand one or more kinds of environmental influence. In the parable, this form of enemy disruption is represented by seeds that germinate and are well-rooted, but fail to grow to maturity due to environmental constraint; that is, the seeds that fell among thorns: “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” [Matthew 13:7].
Summary of What We Learned
Christ teaching leads to understanding that the purpose of the word of God is to guide people through living and interacting with others in accordance with God’s purpose revealed through his word. That is, to guide people through Living in the Image of God.
People that receive Christ teaching and apply the message in their living are followers of Christ (i.e., Christians). The others either fail to receive his teaching or receive but fail to apply the message in their living. Those are not followers of Christ, even if they invoke his name frequently.
Thus, a Christian is a person that has received Christ teaching (the word of God) and applies the message in his or her living.