Parable of the sower (note the
seed is the word of God) Luke 8 |
Seed 1 – fell along the path, got trampled, and birds ate it. (v.5) Equivalent -some “hear” the Word but the devil takes it from their hearts. thus they never believe and are never saved |
Seed 2 - fell on rock, sprung up but withered because they had no moisture. Equivalent-some “receive” the word with joy but they have no “root”. They believe for a while but in time of testing, they fall away. |
Seed 3 - fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked the plants. Equivalent- some ”hear “but as they go on their way, they are choked by life’s worries, riches And pleasures and they don’t mature. |
Seed 4- fell on good soil and yielded a crop, a hundred times what was sown Equivalent - some hear the Word and retain it because they have a good and noble heart By persevering, they produce a crop. |
Paul said, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is
Lord,’ and believe it in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will
be saved. (Romans 10:9). Faith alone will not get a person into heaven. The
Muslims and Jews believe in the same God as Abraham but Salvation can only come
through Jesus because it was only through His sacrifice that our sins can be
forgiven.
When you believe, you may not feel different right
away….believing in your heart is that element of ‘faith’ that Satan wants to
steal away before even you get started. After being saved doesn’t mean all your
struggles will disappear. In fact, anyone who is accepted by God undergoes some
type of ‘testing’ or ‘discipline’ because that’s how God ‘trains us’ as a
father should. (Heb. 12:5-11). Yet, God will not let a person be tempted more
than he can bear and He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under
it.(1cor 10:13).
Jesus commanded, “Repent you, and believe the Gospel” (Mark1:15); but
what exactly are we to believe? Some people proclaim a “gospel of grace”, still
others believe the “gospel of miracles” the “gospel of foods” or of “healing”
or of “faith”.
This is the true gospel, “…that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the
third day according to the scriptures…”(1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
I (Paul) am astonished that you (the Galatians) are so
quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning
to a different Gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people
are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach other than the one we
preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so
now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you
accepted, let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:6-9). A little later,
Paul stressed his hope that the “truth of the gospel might continue with you” (2:5).
So there is one true gospel-with all others FALSE.
