I Corinthians 15:35-36

There are a number of principles here that are important to our understanding regarding what we do with our lives. Not everything I'm going to say is contained in these verses, but I think you will recognize the principles.

Brethren, we are the seed the Bible is concerned about. We are even called Abraham's seed. The fruit is the fruit of God's Spirit, and in a larger sense, it is eternally living, resurrected sons of God.

The Bible treats death seriously because first of all, a person must die to sin—be buried in the waters of baptism and rise to newness of life so one can receive the Holy Spirit and the fruit of that Spirit can be produced. Once having received the Holy Spirit, a person must make strenuous efforts to continue to keep the old man dead and yet be alive to righteousness if the fruit is going to be produced.

Second, the person must be planted in death, but what arises depends on what was put into the ground. Remember Jesus' word in John 5:28-29, that the time is coming when all who are in the graves are going to hear God—those who have done good are going to be resurrected to life; those who have done evil to a resurrection of condemnation. Do you see what I mean here? What was put into the ground is going to determine what is going to come out. The seed that is put into the ground (you and me) better be good seed before it goes into the ground. It will be good seed if it has put to death the self and produced the fruit of God's Spirit. Are things beginning to connect? They most certainly are.