WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT? THE BATTLE OVER THE WORD OF GOD

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?

THE BATTLE OVER THE WORD OF GOD

Jesus said His family are those who hear the Word of God and do it. So, it should be no surprise that there is a battle over the Word of God. This battle is the theme of the parable of the sower, which is the Lord’s most important parable. Jesus said:

Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? Mk 4:13

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Lk 8:11

Why is the sower parable of utmost importance? When understood by God’s teaching not man’s, it reveals what life is all about — a battle over His Name, “THE WORD OF GOD.”

By Spirit and throughout Scripture, God calls people to Himself. Yet, people turn to men and their religions and churches instead. As a result, such people continue as merely babes of the world, who do not begin God’s growth process. This is seed sown by the way side.

WAY SIDE

way side … fowls of the air came and devoured Mk 4:4; Mt 13:4
parables … not understand Lk 8:10; Mt 13:13
lest they … return,* and I should heal them Mt 13:15 *repent; change your attitude toward God
does not understand … evil one … snatches away* Mt 13:19; Mk 4:15 *plucks Word out of heart
so that they may not believe and be saved Lk 8:12

If, however, someone does receive God’s call and believes Him, His process can begin. But that doesn’t mean His process will continue. People can choose to turn from God or not complete His process. These are seeds sown upon stony places and among thorns.

STONY

stony … not much earth … no deepness of earth Mt 13:5 earth = Son
sun … scorched … no root … lacked moisture … withered away Mt 13:6 root = Father; moisture = HS
hears the word … with joy Mt 13:20
when affliction or persecution arises because of the word … he falls away Mt 13:21
they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away Lk 8:13

THORNS

thorns … choked Mt 13:7
hears the word Mt 13:22
the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word … unfruitful Mt 13:22
cares and riches and pleasures of this life … no fruit Lk 8:14; Mk 4:19

God alone is good. If someone perseveres with God through His process, they will believe, understand, and speak and do His Word in truth — bear fruit. This is seed sown on the good ground.

GOOD

good ground … fruit Mt 13:8
know … mysteries Mt 13:11
hears the word … understands Mt 13:23
bear fruit with perseverance Lk 8:15
it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved Mt 10:22

Do you understand the picture? Way side are people involved in men’s churches and religions, who don’t even start God’s process; they listen to man and reject God’s call. Stony and thorns are non-completion of God’s process. These three categories match up with the three lusts of 1John 2:16…

boastful pride of life [way side] — church people think they’re saved; men have told them so

lust of the flesh [stony] — flesh can’t handle persecution and affliction over the Word

lust of the eyes [thorns] — no fruit because choose to go for what you see in the world instead

You may want to examine these Scriptures and see how they fit together to give a true picture of God’s process and the battle:

God’s growth process — 1Jn 2:12-14
Three-lusts battle — 1Jn 2:15-17
Parable of the sower — Mt 13:3-23; Mk 4:2-20; Lk 8:4-15