Three Weeks ago the Lord lead me to write about His “Parable of the Soils” this is the fourth installment on this parable. The first three are:
1. Soils and Hearts – Introduction
2. Can't Hear Won't Hear – the first soil
3. Self-Interest Conversion – the second soil
Today’s installment is on the third type of Soil. The Parable of the Soils can be found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke for this writing I will mainly be referring to the account of Mark 4: 1-20.
Let’s begin with the words of our Lord. “And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop” (Mark 4:7). This is what he spoke to the multitudes (the unbelievers) but when He was alone with His disciples (those who believed) He gave an explanation of the parable. “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19). These people that the Lord speaks of are “The Double Minded”. They hear the gospel of our Lord, they believe that Jesus is the Son of God, believe that He died and rose again but instead of coming to genuine repentance they choose lust instead. They are in our churches, in our Sunday schools, and believe that Jesus is the son of God but choose the world over Him. I have thought about this blog on occasion throughout this week and prayed to my Lord about it and I must confess to you it pains me to write it. Modern evangelicalism says if you believe and say this prayer you are saved. How can you say that, you give a false convert a false since of hope in saying that? You do not see the heart for it is in the heart that true conversion happens so you can’t say that. Allow time for them to come bearing “fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). These people may believe but listen to what James says about that. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble” (James 2:19). You believe, well good for you even the demons believe that but there part is in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
This is the wickedest of the soils, to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God that lived a sinless life, was crucified dead and buried for your sins, then rose from the grave but instead of choosing Him, the author of life you choose the lust of this world. These people are the Judas branch of the church. Jesus called himself “The Bread of Life” (John 6:48) and said “If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). After the Lord preached these words many departed Him then He looked at the twelve He had chosen and said, “Do you also want to go away” (John 6:67)? Peter Said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67) in doing so he confessed Jesus as Lord. Jesus answered and said, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil” (John 6:70)? “He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve” (John 6:71). A devil, Jesus called Judas a devil. Judas lived with them, walked with them, talked with them but in the end he was not of them, he was of the world. Judas chose the lust of this world over the author of life and killed Him and many more do the same. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). Guess what, you don’t get to keep your sins and have Jesus too, you must choose. You must enter the kingdom of God through the narrow gate. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Yes to follow Jesus as Lord is not easy, you must die to self, be born again.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit” (John 3:6). These people are not born again they do not have a new heart they have a fleshy heart a heart full of wickedness. Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Nothing is new with these people; they continue in the same fleshy lust that they had before hearing the gospel of our Lord. They sit in Sunday school or church and hear the words of our Lord and know what sin is. They go home and engage in pornography, lie, steal and cheat to get the things that their hearts selfishly desire, they are in adulterous relationships and in all of these things they will continue unless caught only worldly pain may make them stop. The loss of money or the fear of jail, it sure isn’t the fear of the Lord because they have none. I fear God, and next to God I fear the man who does not fear God. Those who do not fear God will lie to you, steal from you, and if they become angry with you would kill you if they thought that they could get away with it. These same people are in the church raising up their hands, singing praise songs, going to church socials then go home and worship their true God, (themselves). Jesus calls them devils. Do you know what the main difference is between the saved and the unsaved? Repentance! That’s right repentance! The people of the thorny soil say in their hearts I will. Satan said five times when he fell from heaven I will. I could go on with this, there is much to say here but I leave you today with the words of my Lord. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).
Repent from your sins and trust alone in Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ
