The Implanted Word

Inspired by An Examination of Canon Liddon's Bampton Lectures on the Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ © 1872

The metaphor of “the engrafted word” from James 1:21 is lost by contemporary experience. Not so in biblical times or until men left the farms. To engraft horticulturally, is simply to take a shoot, cutting, or small branch from one plant and insert into another plant. The change to the original plant during engrafting is accomplished entirely by the engrafted shoot. Interestingly, the engrafted shoot is then able to bear its own fruit regardless of the fruit-bearing state of the original plant. Modern minds are probably more familiar with engrafted tissue during surgery. This surgical metaphor also illustrates that the healthy change to the original organ during engrafting is accomplished entirely by the engrafted tissue. Thus, when the Word is described as engrafted into our souls, it is the Word alone that accomplishes entirely the change to our hearts by the life-giving quality of this engrafted Word.

When we are in Christ by adoption and He in us by His Spirit, He is Himself engrafted on the old stock of our fallen nature (and we are born-again), giving new life and vitality and enabling the bearing of fruit even though the original man was dead in trespasses and sin. He gives new life to our old, dead natures because He Alone is the Source of Life. Only this implanted Word can save (redeem) our dead souls. All goodness is derived entirely from Him. Oh, thank you Father for the Engrafted Word, Your Son, full of Grace and Truth. No one is more precious now and forever than our loved Jesus, who in the very beginning was the Word.