“Hear ye therefore the parable of the Sower.” Matthew 13:18
The parable of the Sower can explain the causes that hinders a believer’s growth. We are to grow into the image of Christ, for Christ is the incorruptible seed. The seed is grown into four different kinds of soil. The seed is the word of the gospel of Christ. This is the seed of faith. Faith in Jesus Christ who is the head of the church. This is the lively hope of an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that faded not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
1 Peter 1:3-5
We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, yet at times, we would with draw from the seed of faith to go a different way. The way of self is a person who has a strong will that professes to be a believer but has not fully surrendered their will to God. Many do not have the ear to fully listen to the truth about who Jesus is. Jesus spoke in parables because of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven [see Matthew 13:11]. Jesus said the “people’s heart is become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing,” [Matthew 13:15].
Has your heart become insensitive and your ears dull of hearing? Let us look at the four soils where the seed was planted. The first seed is on the wayside which has no root at all. It has no root because the wicked one has taken it away. This seed is the root of bitterness, criticism, doubt and unbelief. The second seed is sown in stony ground. This is a person who is moved by strong appeal and at first receives the message of the word with joy but falls away because of fear. They have not counted the cost of the gospel of Christ. They could not withstand tribulation and persecution.
The third seed is sown in thorny ground. This seed takes root but does not grow up to bear fruit. The thorns have sprung up around the plant and has overshadowed them. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches have choked them from bearing fruit. The lust for other things has choked the word from bearing good fruit [see Mark 4:19]. The fourth seed is grown in good ground. This seed has roots and has grown up to bear good fruits in different amounts. Some bear 100-fold, while others bear 60 and 30-fold. This seed hears and understands the word of God.
It is said that a lack of cultivation is the cause of many believers to not grow up and bear good fruit. Lack of knowledge of the word of God has led to a lack of growth. Cultivation means to till and fertilize the land. The soil needs to be prepared by breaking up the hardness of the soil and feeding it with fertilizer to soften the soil for the seed. Remember, Jesus said that the heart has become gross. In otherwards the heart is dull or insensitive to know and understand the word of God, therefore it needs to be tilled and fertilized.
The importance of the Holy Spirit to come and soften the hearts of men and women is vital in receiving the word of God. We must pray for the Spirit to move upon our dull hearts to hear the truth of the word of God. If you find yourself in one of the three grounds that do not grow, repent and pray to be delivered from that ground of soil and come into the new ground and become a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Believe in the incorruptible seed, which is Jesus who will take care of you, for He is the good shepherd that gave His life for the sheep [see John 10:11]. Surrender your will to Him and He will make sure to take care of all your needs. Stay the course in faith and you will bear fruit. Remember the three soils where there is no fruit and pray that your heart and ear do not become dull of hearing.
All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
2 Timothy 3:12
Is it possible to live a godly life? Some may question the possibility of living a godly life. I can remember people saying that it is impossible to live a godly life in the world we live in today. This was back in the 70’s when the question was raised about godly living. Yet, when the power of God moved upon people it brought change and some knew the importance of godly living and discipleship. Weekly groups were the outcome for discipleship teaching in learning to live a godly life. I remember the Navigators for Christ, which is an interdenominationalChristian ministry. Navigators for Christ went into colleges across the U.S. to help young Christians in discipleship. I attended a weekly group that met at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. A godly life is pursuing a life of holiness and obedience to the Lord. Is it hard to live a godly life? Some would say yes. The truth is, it is hard if you are trying to live a godly life in the flesh instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to come and do the change within your heart. And what about suffering persecution for Christ. Have we witnessed persecution in the world we live in today? The answer is yes.
Dicipleship must allow time for meditation on the word as well as prayer time for the Holy Spirit to enlighten those who are seeking that closer walk with God. We must seek God through the Spirit since God is a Spirit [John 4:24]. Revelation is through the Spirit of God, and this is knowing and understanding what the will of God is.
God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. “
1 Corinthians 2:10
The apostle Paul goes on to explain in 1st Corinthians chapter two that we receive the Spirit of God through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches us the truth of God through spiritual revelation to where we are able to compare spiritual things with spiritual [1 Corinthians 2:13]. The more you take time to read the word and pray for wisdom in understanding it, the more you will gain knowledge and know what the will of God is. The Spirit of God will reveal where your own heart stands. Will you be ready to submit your will to God and allow His Spirit to change your heart? Godly living is surrendering your will to the will of God. Have you read Andrew Murray’s book titled “Absolute Surrender” written in 1897? I have the audio book and I listen to it often to remind me that this is a requirement to daily living in His Love. Click the link to the site to download and read. Daily surrendering is the key to living a godly life.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world
Titus 2:11-12
The godly life is one who denies worldly lust and one who lives soberly in this present world. That is moderation or self-restraint living allowing the Spirit of God to light our path as we walk in the Spirit of Christ.
Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in its lusts, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
Romans 6:12-13.
We must not yield to unrighteousness and sin. Paul tells us in Romans chapter six that we do not serve sin and that we are no longer slaves to sin. If we are dead with Christ, we are free from the power of sin. As Christ lived unto God, so do we. The Spirit delivers us from the old nature of sin. Thus, we have Paul statement in Romans, “for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death,” [Romans 8:2]. We must be grounded and rooted in the word of God in order to be free from the law of sin and death. Our life is in Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith. It is those who are led by the Spirit of God that has become heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. We are now the people of God who has obtained mercy. Our behavior should reveal Christ character in doing good works to the glory of God.
One of the signs of evil is when evil men and seducers become worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived [see 2 Timothy 3:13]. These are men who abuse their authority to gain their own reality of rulership. They take no thought about the welfare of others, and they themselves are being deceived. They are not subject to the law of God since they are carnal minded. They are offended and accurse those who do not follow their pacific will. This is the reason that those who follow Christ will have persecution from those who do not follow Christ. Persecution can also come from those who are professing Christians but are not grounded or rooted in the word of God.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Mark 4:16-17
Are you grounded and rooted in the doctrine of Christ where faith is based upon Christ sacrifice for your sins? Do not allow other things to choke out the word of God. Do not become offended by the word of God which is able to perfect us into the love of God. The word of God is the incorruptible seed that bears fruit as long as we do not choke it out. Remember that Jesus said that it is Satan that comes to take the word away after it was sown in the heart [Mark 4:15]. Yet, Jesus tells us to have ears to hear and to take heed how we hear.
Take heed what ye hear; with what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you; and unto you; and unto to you that hear shall more be given.”
Mark 4:24
Hearing the word is how you personally will measure it. It is what you will choose to believe in how it will be measured to you. How much of the light of God’s word will you allow into your life? Will you stay the course? For some it is a great sacrifice because being a follower for Christ means losing ties from their own natural families. That loss is real, and many do not understand the pain that an individual suffers from separation of family, but Christ can identify with your pain. You may be detached from your own mother, father, brother, or sister but you have been grafted into the family of God. Sometimes you may find yourself isolated from those who do not follow Christ. This is a form of persecution. Any hostile feelings, attitudes, words and actions against an individual because they believe in Christ is a form of persecution. I personally went through this myself and it was Christ love for me that won me over to becoming a Christian. I was ignorant about who Jesus was, but I found the reality of that love and made the choice to follow Jesus. I have no regrets where Christ is concerned. I pray that you too, will choose to live a godly life in Christ Jesus despite the persecution you may receive. We can say along with Paul, ” I endured: but out of all the persecutions, the Lord delivered me,” [2 Timothy 3:11]. He will deliver you too. . .so, stay the course to live a godly life.
