"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." [Rom 10:17]
When Jesus told a parable about how “a sower went forth to sow [seed],” He explained that the seed was “the word of the kingdom,” that is, “the word of God.” [Mt 13:3, 19, Lk 8:11] God’s word is the seed which we, alongside Him, sow into our own hearts and the hearts of others, and which produces good fruit. And as Paul tells us, any increase is of God: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” [1 Cor 3:6] Though we sow, it is the goodness and strength of God’s word itself, which produces something good. The results are not from our own diligent efforts or goodness, but from the innate power of The Lord and His word. As The LORD says in Isaiah, showing how that He takes responsibility for the effectiveness of His word in the heart of those who believe:
“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” [Isa 55:10-11]
God’s word does not return void, but The Word itself bears power and effectiveness to accomplish what The Lord desires. Again, we see in Hebrews how that God’s word is, “living, and productive.” [Heb 4:12] But although God’s word is powerful and living and though it never returns void, but God sees to it Himself that it bears something useful, yet the hearer still has responsibility. Our encouragement for today lies in the way seed interacts with soil and its environment, in how God’s word interacts with each unique person.
Remember how Jesus spoke of the good soil in His parable: “but other [seed] fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.” [Mt 13:8] The good soil, when it receives the seed of God’s word, produces fruit: the word in that person’s life becomes flesh as it were. It does not just remain in the mind as information, but comes out in the body through loving action. Jesus explains, “but that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” [Lk 8:15]
Think now of the different seeds and soils represented in the world. There are some hard soils, some soft; there are some with more clay, and some with more sand. And same still with seeds: there are some harder, some softer; there are some hardier, some weaker; there are some which prefer wet conditions, and others dry. There are also different environments: tropical, mountainous, deciduous, wetlands, etc. When we are sowing the seed of God’s word into another person’s heart, there are many seeds to choose from and there are many environments. The environment/soil is the person and their heart. There are some men who are hardened off more than others; there are some yet, which though they are not so hard, yet the environment they are presently found in is quite harsh and unforgiving, like the tundra or mountain. But further still, there are soils and environments tropical, and which readily receive many seeds and bear good fruit easily. But what does this teach us?
There are seeds which may be planted and will grow well in the mountain, there are others which fare better in the tropics. There are some seeds which can bear sand, and others which can bear clay. Not all seeds are alike, but in order to produce the best fruit, and perhaps fruit at all, they must be planted in the proper conditions. Likewise it is with God’s word. There are people who require a sterner word; there are people who require a more gracious word. There are some who need most to hear of God’s mercy and love, while others His patience and father-like tenderness. There are some men who will be saved when they hear of God’s everlasting love; there are others, who may be more pressed unto salvation upon hearing of His power and authority. Herein we see our verse for today: “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
The Greek word for “word” is rhema. It is one of two words used in the New Testament for word, the other being “logos.” Rhema specifically means spoken or living word. To explain, the entirety of God’s word, logos, is likened to a pool of water, while rhema is a cup drawn from the pool. Logos is the entire book, rhema is an extracted passage. When The Lord tells us that faith comes by the rhema of God, it shows us that faith comes best when we receive a living word from God: a word spoken in due season, uniquely to that person.
There is a similar concept spoken elsewhere in the Bible. Jude writes, “and of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…” [Jude 1:22-23] Every person’s soil and environment is different; thus, a different seed from God’s word is needed. We can try a cookie-cutter approach, sowing the same seed in all environments, but we shall find that it will not grow the same everywhere, or even at all. Thus, when sowing God’s word into others’ lives, we must look to God for direction, for wisdom, so that we might treat each person as an individual, sowing the seed which will bear the best fruit in their life.