Die as a Grain of Wheat

Die as a Grain of Wheat

“So then death is working in us, but life in you.” 2 Cor. 4:12.

It appears as if Paul and the Corinthians were each going their own way, but we realize that this was not the case. He had persuaded them persuade them to go with him on the way of life, even though the progress they made was slow.

Jesus says, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” John 12:24-26.

New wheat will grow up once the grain of wheat is dying. Then the ones who are dying can say to those who are growing up, “So then death is working in us, but life in you.” It is a great joy that life is working so that new grains of wheat can grow up.

It takes time to become a grain of wheat, and then the grain has to mature so it can possess the power of germination. There are many people in whom life is working, but only few in whom death is working.

You can hear from the testimonies that almost everyone is on the way of becoming a grain of wheat. Their testimonies concern themselves. They fight the battles for themselves so they can have it good and be an overcomer. When it succeeds for them and when they praise God, life is working. We all rejoice over the grain of wheat that is growing up. They receive light, and their work succeeds. They are on the way of becoming a co-laborer—a grain of wheat.

However, when you hear a co-laborer testifying, you will never hear anything about his personal difficulties or that this or that has now happened to him. He hears what the Spirit wants to say the church, and his only desire is to serve with that. He does not think of himself. What God has done for him lies in his spirit. No one doubts that he has victory or that he is happy. He does not need to say it but that is the very reason he can say it, in order to praise Jesus’ name in the great congregation.

“For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.” 2 Cor. 13:9. When you are on the way of becoming a mature grain of wheat, you rejoice in the strength God gives to put matters right and to overcome, and your thoughts still revolve around your own person and your own affairs. You become stronger and stronger in Christ. However, now the time has come to rejoice over the fact that the others are strong and that you are weak. This is not a weakness that permits you to sin so that you cannot do God’s work; it is a weakness that causes you to “vanish” before people, a weakness that does not let you appear in their eyes as the hero who performed the great deed, but that the one you have given birth to with pain, whom you exhorted and instructed, appears as the one who performs the heroic deeds. Then you die as a grain of wheat. Only a few people think about the grain that dies; most people admire the ear of wheat that grows up. That can be honored by man, but no one knows how to honor, with his human perception, the grain that dies. Therefore Jesus says, “If anyone serves Me let him follow Me,” that is, into the death of the grain of wheat. In the deepest sense of the word, this is what it means to be Jesus’ servant. He says further, “If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” Only the Father really knows how to honor such people.

Down through the years various leaders have arisen whom God has used for great things, and they have led large movements; but they have not understood what it means to die as a grain of wheat, and when they passed on, they were honored as the founder of the movement and the one whom God used to do great things. Nevertheless, they only had supporters and not followers. They stood there as a tall tree, and when they fell, they left an empty space which no one could fill. They had not become ripe kernels that had the power of germination. The strength and life of the movement and their life died away, and the only thing that is left of what used to be a vibrant and powerful revival is an organization.

This repeats itself to a greater or lesser degree. The root cause of all this is that one seeks the honor of man. Only the Father can honor you if you go into this death of the grain of wheat, but one does not have faith for that.

If you want to be a grain of wheat, a co-laborer, then the old man has to die. But you have to die as a grain of wheat so that you can truly follow Jesus and bear fruit.