Bible Reading: Exodus 5; Job 22; Luke 8; 1 Corinthians 9
Luke 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
This statement comes at the end of a parable that Jesus told. The parable of the sower is an important parable that helps us to understand how people are affected differently by the word of God when they encounter it. Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Jesus says the sower's seed fell on four different kinds of soil. Each of the different kinds of soil describes the heart of the hearer. Some have hard hearts that are like the way side of the road and the seed is picked up quickly by Satan and the person has no benefit. Some have no depth of soil and the seed grows on a hard rock and soon the temptation comes and even though it seemed that there was growth, it is gone. In some lives the soil is so crowded with cares, riches and pleasures of this life that the seed is choked out by thorns. Then Jesus gives us the good soil:
Luke 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.
Were the stony ground and thorny ground hearers really saved? Jesus answers this for us in verse 18. Whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. Here is the key word – seemeth. If you saw the stony ground hearer right after the revival meeting he would seem to have trusted in Christ. If you saw the thorny ground hearer right after the day of his "conversion" he would seem to be saved. But time will tell. Since both of these had apparent growth that then withered either because of temptation or competition with the world, we know that the growth was not genuine. No, they were not saved one day and lost the next. They were never genuinely saved.
Jesus tells us that the good ground hearer is one who hears with a good and honest heart and keeps the word. This one brings forth fruit with patience. Over the course of time, the genuineness of real conversion is seen by a continual growth and fruit-bearing. For this reason, Jesus tells us that we must take heed how we hear. There is nothing wrong with the Word. There is something wrong with our hearts. What condition is your heart in? Is it plowed ground, ready to receive the Word of God and see a good standing crop that bears fruit? Or is the hard pan so shallow that nothing can grow?
If you have, you will receive more. If you seem to have even that will be taken away because it is not genuine.
In Christ,
Rody
