The sin of our day and age is not external, such as drunkeness, wantoness and other forms of immorality, for these are but symptoms of a far graver transgression. Our sin is that of hardness of heart, a completely fallow and unproductive ground where the seed of God's Word cannot grow. And do not think that I am just referring to the world and the people who live in darkness (yes, it includes them), but this disease has found its way into the Church, the body of Christ, where now much is barren, and most everywhere you look is dry and sterile.
The parable of the sower and the seed was not solely talking of the saving Word in the heart of sinners. This is never implied! Jesus simply states, "The seed is the Word of God." (Luke 8:11) Therefore all that is sown requires good soil to grow, whether that be the simple truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation or the numerous applications by which the Church must live. For it is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) We cannot live without our hearts being continually good soil.
If farmers neglected their fields mankind would starve to death! Likewise, if people neglect their hearts, they will starve to death in the spirit! The Word of God falling on a hard heart will have little to no effect. So boast not in how much you read or know the Word, but examine your heart and see if you are able to receive the Word and produce a crop with what is sown.
I believe this is the Lord's greatest frustration and grievance of His Spirit. We have no shortage of Bibles and no shortage of the hearing of God's Word. We all know the verses, we've heard the same Scriptures over and over and over again. The real question is: Are we changed by them? Do we allow the seed to grow within us, or is it continually choked by the weeds, and extinguished by the hardened rocks, or eaten up by the birds? Have we the roots to endure the time consuming process of drinking in the water and feeding on the sun, until we produce a crop that demonstrates the power and glory of God in our lives? I'm afraid we no longer know anything of this dimension today.
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22)
I am very tired of Christians hearing something forever but never turning to action. It is not the time to be doing this; the world is in such a condition that they are crying out for a true demonstration of God's love and power. The world is lost, truly lost in a fog and there is no lighthouse for them to turn to. Come Church! Let Christ live in you!
To the unbelieving: "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." (Hebrews 4:7) Believe the good news and be set free from the prison of Satan.
To the Church: "Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD." (Hosea 10:12) Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, that we may bear fruit for a starving world.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Be the first to react on this!
