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[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1<\/strong> page.]<\/span><\/p>\n In the process of warning about the grave dangers of listening to false prophets, Jesus said, \u201cBy their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?\u201d (Mat. 7:15\u201316). Jesus made a spiritual application of this general, axiomatic principle, which has been in effect from the creation: Each form of life reproduces after its own kind and only<\/strong> after its own kind (Gen. 1:11\u201312).<\/span><\/p>\n The apostle Paul stated it succinctly: \u201cFor whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap\u201d (Gal. 6:7), again applying the principle to a spiritual issue. Just as briars do not produce grapes, nor thistles figs, monkeys do not come from snake \u201cseeds,\u201d and men do not come from monkey \u201cseeds.\u201d God placed the power of life in the seed of each kind and species.<\/span><\/p>\n As plant, animal, and human seeds reproduce only after their respective kinds, so do \u201cseeds\u201d in religion. Jesus identified the \u201cseed\u201d of His kingdom, the church, as \u201cthe word of God\u201d (Luke 8:11). This seed (variously called in the New Testament, \u201cthe faith,\u201d \u201cthe truth,\u201d \u201cthe doctrine of Christ,\u201d \u201cthe law of Christ,\u201d et al.) is a spiritual DNA that contains the power to reproduce the spiritual life and the characteristics that reside in it\u2014and only<\/strong> those same spiritual traits.<\/span><\/p>\n Each religious institution and system of men has its own \u201cseed\u201d of doctrine\u2014its own DNA. These seeds contain the distinctive qualities peculiar to their respective systems, which will reproduce only after their own kind. The Law-of-Moses \u201cseed\u201d produces only Judaism, never Islam or Confucianism. The Koran \u201cseed\u201d produces only Muslims, never Buddhists or Jews. Hindu \u201cseeds\u201d cannot produce Christians. Surely, the foregoing statements are so obvious and axiomatic as to be incontrovertible.<\/span><\/p>\n Likewise, it is not possible for one to become a Christian by obeying the Law of Moses. It is part of the Bible and points toward the Christ and Christianity in hundreds of prophecies and types, but its \u201cseed\u201d is distinct from the New Testament. It prophesies a new covenant (Jer. 31:31\u201334). Only the New Testament \u201cseed\u201d produces Christians\u2014and that is all<\/strong> it produces.<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cseed principle\u201d explains the innumerable divisions in \u201cChristendom.\u201d Baptist \u201cseed\u201d does not produce Roman Catholics or Episcopalians. Presbyterian \u201cseed\u201d does not produce Nazarenes, Methodists, Pentecostals, or Unitarians.<\/span><\/p>\n Should we be surprised at the relentless emphasis in the Word of God on keeping the \u201cseed\u201d (i.e., doctrine) pure (e.g., John 14:15; Gal. 1:6\u20139; 2 Tim. 2:2; 4:1\u20134; Rev. 22:18\u201319)?<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong> I wrote this article for and it appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, <\/em>Denton, TX, May 2, 2014.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution: <\/strong>From TheScripturecache.com<\/em>, owned and administered by Dub McClish.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 2[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 1 page.] In the process of warning about the grave dangers of listening to false prophets, Jesus said, \u201cBy their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or…<\/p>\n