Luke
8:4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
8:5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
8:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
8:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
8:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
This parable describes 4 stages or conditions in a Christian's life. A condensed Pilgrims Progress so to speak. We go through these stages and the Lord works with us until we reach the final stage and bear fruit. I can see all these stages in my life when I look back now. Can't you? That does not mean I ever lost my salvation then got it back. Not possible.
When I moved away from home as a young man I sometimes went 6 months before calling or visiting home. I was busy. Then it struck me I should call or visit. During the time I had forgotten my family I did not stop being my father's son. So it is with the Lord. Our bond to Jesus in the Spirit is irrevocable. We are His slaves, Jesus owns us! "I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you" When we are not thinking of Him He is still thinking of us. He does not forsake us. Salvation is an event but it is also a process. He's not finished with us yet. He IS the author and finisher of our faith!!
That is the meaning of GRACE. Saved by GRACE through faith.
You would have us living under a law of condemnation! But we are set free from the curse of the law!! Romans 8:1-3
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death, 3 For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh
He condemned sin in the flesh so He would not have to condemn us! Can you see that we walk under this new covenant free from the condemnation incurred by our sin! We sin but we are not condemned for it. We are freed!
That does not give us freedom to willfully sin, because the Lord disciplines every son whom He receives. Hebrews 12:6-17 on discipline.
But we are under GRACE!! Not a law as you are preaching. You are preaching another Gospel and I reject it. |
