Yesterday as I was meditating on a quote from John Newton I was really troubled by one passage. The quote is; “I am not what I want to be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what one day I will be, but I am not what I was. By the grace of God I am what I am.” The part that really troubled me was “I am not what I was.” Many times in my walk with Christ I don’t see the fruit, I just don’t see the difference from what I was. My confession is sometimes just that; a confession, and not a living vital growing relationship with my Heavenly Father through His Son by the Holy Spirit. This morning as I was reading the latest issue of “Tabletalk” from Ligonier Ministries (RC Sproul) the theme was the parable of the sower. I believe God showed me some glorious truths that helped me and I hope it will help you.
“Behold a sower went forth to sow…” Notice who the sower is, “The Son of Man”, our Lord Jesus Christ. The seed is the word of God. The soil is our heart.
Matthew 13:23 says that “…he that receiveth seed into the good ground”, so is the ground of a mans heart good outside the work of Christ? Is there any good in man outside of Christ? Can a man make the soil of his heart right, or is the soil of His heart inherently good? Who’s the gardener? Who tills the soil? Who makes the soil good?
“…he heareth the word and understandeth it,” Can there be any understanding without the enlightenment which the Holy Spirit brings? Is the Holy Spirit given prior to conversion, prior to the soil being made good? Are we born with this ability to understand?
“…which also beareth fruit,” Is there any saving fruit that is not a product of the work of the Holy Spirit? Fruit generated by mans efforts is called what?
…this work does produce enduring fruit, and that is the warning of this parable.
I am not responsible for the fruit, I am only responsible for staying in the vine and this is my prayer. He will produce the fruit if I am His, and this fruit will endure.
Test yourself to see whether you are in the faith. To God alone be the glory for the Sower, seed, soil, and fruit!