“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
(Matthew 13:18-23 KJV)
This is Jesus explaining the parable of the Sower of Seed to His disciples and to us today as well. What is the topic? Jesus said ‘The Word Of The Kingdom’. This is the word and knowledge of the Kingdom Of God and it is what the Gospel is all about. But there are only TWO groups in this parable; the believer and the unbeliever. An important point to grasp.
What Is The Kingdom Of God?
This phrase, ‘Kingdom Of God’ is mentioned many times in the New Testament Gospels. A search of the New Testament King James Version of the Bible shows this phrase 70 times. The number 70 is an interesting number in the Bible. We see this in Daniel’s prophecy of 70 weeks, which is God’s timetable of human history and it is all about ‘completion of righteousness’.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24 KJV)
It is also very interesting that Jesus spoke 70 parables as we read in the New Testament. We see also that Jesus sent out 70 disciples to preach the Gospel as read in Luke,
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” (Luke 10:1 KJV)
Isn’t it interesting that when this phrase ‘Kingdom of God’ is used in Scripture, that the number 70 is related to it and which is seemingly having a meaning of the completion of God’s righteousness upon the believing? This is just one of so many amazing things of the Bible. It is not only words of truth. Every single word, number and name has significant meaning and it is all so amazing that it is an enormous testament that the Holy Bible is the true word of the one true God of the entire universe.
The Kingdom Of God Has Two Distinct Parts:
1. The Invisible Kingdom
The Invisible Kingdom consists of every single person who comes to belief in Christ for righteousness, who have been born again from above, in the Spirit. It is the body of believers who are members of this Kingdom, which Christ as the head (Colossians 2).
2. The 1000 Year Kingdom Age On Earth
The 1000 Year Kingdom Age On Earth that is to come after the Tribulation period. This is the Kingdom on Earth where Jesus will be ruling and reigning on Earth. The restoration of the world to the way it was before the fall of Adam and Eve. Everything we now see in today’s world system will be flipped 180 degrees to a Godly standard. We are right now living in the Biblical time known as ‘The Last Days’ and ‘End Times’. Our current dispensation we live in is the Dispensation of Grace which many call ‘The Church Age’. The Church Age is a time from the cross to the Harpazo Rapture and it will end once the last person that decides to accept salvation believes and then the Rapture happens (Romans 11:25-27). Then the next dispensation begins, The Kingdom of God Age, which is soon upon us, as is the Harpazo Rapture, the seven year Tribulation period and the Second Coming Return Of Christ to set His foot on the Earth and setup His 1000 year Earthly Kingdom.
The parable of the Sower sowing seeds is all about this Kingdom Of God. In specific it is about the ‘–word of–‘ the Kingdom Of God. God is letting the world know His plans so that we can each decide to continue living in pride and self-righteousness or to be humble and believe the Gospel. The Sin Of Pride is what started this whole mess we are in when Lucifer, who was closest to God’s Throne, had pride in his heart and wanted to be as God.
In Matthew 13 Jesus is expounding what He has been telling the Jews and the Pharisee leaders all along; that HE IS the foretold Messiah, the Son Of God, who has come at the appointed time (Daniel 9:26). From that time that Jesus spoke this parable and right up until today, the decision to accept this in belief or reject this, is what each person must face and decide upon. It is the most important decision for every person on the planet and it has our individual eternal destiny at stake.
SIDE NOTE: If you have not yet made a decision for Christ and need to know what that is all about, Click Here for a 10 minute read and then return to this article.
We see in this parable of the Sower that:
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- The FIELD is the world full of people.
- The SOWER is God.
- The SEED is the Word Of The Kingdom Of God
God wants every person to become a child of God in His Kingdom. This is the heart of the Father (2 Peter 3:9). We are all a creation of God and He created us with a FREE WILL to chose God or reject God. God is an eternal Spiritual being not confined to time and space. In fact, God CREATED the time and space that we live within. In simple terms, Jesus explained this in this way,
“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:2-3, 5-7 KJV)
All human beings were born with a ‘dead Spirit’ since the fall of Adam and Eve who committed the first sin as humans. This sin disease has been passed down through procreation ever since. In the book of Romans, the word SIN is a NOUN, it is a thing, it is this THING in us called sin; not a verb action word. Paul called this ‘The Spirit of Adam’ and a believer’s ‘Old Man’. Through belief on Christ we can be born again, ‘in the Spirit of God’.
Jesus continues in John 3 to explain how a person can be born again in the Spirit and it is not about our being a good person or doing good works to be righteous.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world THROUGH HIM might be saved. He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned already, because he hath NOT BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18 KJV)
This is how a person becomes a child of God and God becomes our Father. It is how a person is Born in the Spirit. It is only by trusting and believing in Christ and His once for all blood atoning sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 10:10) having paid for all the sin of THE WHOLE WORLD, all of it (1 John 2:2). This is how to become a member of the family of God and how a person gains the inheritance of the Kingdom Of God. The knowledge of the Gospel that saves ‘whosoever will believe’ is the SEED in the Sower of Seed parable by Jesus.
A person only becomes a family member of God if they choose to believe on Christ for righteousness which is the central theme of the entire Holy Scriptures; both Old and New testaments all point to Jesus, The Messiah, The Christ. Belief on Christ is the only way any person can be redeemed in the Spirit.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 KJV)
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 KJV)
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26 KJV)
Four Things Happen When God Sows His Seed Of The Word Of The Kingdom Of God
1. Those that have, or will, receive the seed by the wayside.
These are people for whatever reason have heard the Gospel truth of God’s grace but the devil comes and snatches away the words of what they heard or read about The Kingdom Of God. Jesus is telling us that not everyone who hears the truth of the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of our salvation will believe it.
Remember Jesus also said this,
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, AND MANY there be which go in thereat:” (Matthew 7:13 KJV)
What is the straight gate? It is belief on Christ alone for righteousness and salvation as you just read above from John 14. So what is the WIDE WAY? Do you know that Biblical Christianity is the only teaching salvation by grace and not by works that we do? Every other religion from Hinduism to Islam teach ‘good works required’ to be justified by their god. There are also many FALSE religious organizations calling themselves ‘christian’ and even using ‘the name of Jesus Christ’, that teach works are required and that is NOT Biblical salvation, nor the Gospel. Jesus warned sternly about believing it is our works that will save us in Matthew 7:21-23 and that ‘many wonderful works’ and ‘using the name of Jesus’ will not save ANYONE! On their judgment day before Christ they will hear the scariest words of all in shock,
“…And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23 KJV)
This ‘depart from me’ is eternal separation from God in condemnation. They thought they were ‘good enough’ people to make it into Heaven. They thought they had ‘more good works than bad works’ and would make it to Heaven. They thought they were close to Jesus because they used His name in these good works even, yet they were never ready for Heaven because one must be born again in the Spirit to be part of God’s family; and that is NOT about good works but belief on what Christ did for us on the cross. The simplicity of the Gospel is mind boggling to many people. Many are okay if you mention ‘God’, but if you mention ‘Jesus’ they get offended. Why? Because to come to salvation through Christ one has to admit they are a dreadful sinner. Please, please, please do not be like that in pride and boasting. Instead, RUN TO Jesus, the Christ and receive full mercy and eternal salvation!
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Cor. 15:1-4 KJV)
In Galatians Paul taught that anyone teaching works of the Law for salvation are to be accursed! Apostle Paul wrote these verses as well,
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should BOAST.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
Here we se that salvation is belief on Christ alone as GIFT. A gift is never worked for, otherwise it is EARNED. A gift is either accepted or rejected and that is all. Paul even goes so far to say that believing our good works have ANYTHING to do with being redeemed and born again in the Spirit is all PRIDE and BOASTING.
And look at this passage by Apostle Paul,
“Christ is become of NO EFFECT UNTO YOU, whosoever of you are justified BY THE LAW; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness BY FAITH.” (Galatians 5:4-5 KJV)
Following our good works of the Law and Ten Commandments is ‘of no effect unto us’?! Yes, that is correct! Our works do not save us at all. What does saves us? What does MAKE US righteous and a member of God’s family in the Spirit? God’s GRACE through our faith (which in Greek is defined as BELIEF) in Christ.
2. He with no root in themselves.
These are people who at first hear about Jesus and are joyful about it but they never came to a real deep belief. They believed the Gospel intellectually but not real belief. They know and receive the knowledge of the Gospel in their minds but they never had a real deep heart felt belief. And when troubles enter their life they gave up thinking it is all just not enough truth to have a real heart felt belief on Christ. These are people who believe that Jesus was ‘a great teacher of life’ and ‘a prophet come from God’ as Nicodemus did coming to Jesus for help in understanding what His message was about in John 3. Without true belief, the spirit is still The Spirit of Adam, dead in transgressions and sins. Still not part of the family of God by Spiritual rebirth through belief on Christ.
This is why if you hear a preacher or Bible teacher telling you that once you are saved, God will make your life perfectly happy and content, that you should take a pause because Jesus never promised a trouble free life for believers!
“In the world YE SHALL HAVE tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 KJV)
Just one look at what happen to the Disciples of Christ in the early church testifies this is false. They were martyred for their faith. Killed by the sword, eaten by lions, burned at the stake and worse. Apostle Peter was crucified on an upside down cross. Yet they stayed the course in their belief in persecution. Peter also denied knowing Jesus three times when confronted with persecution, but he still believed in his heart and was eternally saved.
3. The Unfruitful.
Jesus said these are those that hear the words of salvation but the worries an deceitfulness of riches choke it and they are ‘unfruitful’. They are too worldly focused instead of being Kingdom focused as people who are born again and as people looking toward the Kingdom Of God to come; saved people who “…are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16 KJV).
Using the word ‘unfruitful’ is a tell tale because salvation is never by our works but only by belief and trust in Christ’s work on the cross and His rising from the dead. Every person who is not saved is unfruitful though because they do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and God working through their lives in righteousness. I believe these are the people who receive the knowledge of truth and have believed it and are eternally saved, yet their lives are not bearing fruit for God and His Kingdom. They are not helping others in love nor helping others as a witness to come to the knowledge of the truth as Jesus instructed believers to do.
As the half brother of Jesus wrote in James 2,
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26 KJV)
A dead body is pretty much useless to do anything. A dead corpse cannot speak nor move nor write. It is DEAD just as believing and not having works for the Kingdom is DEAD and useless. That is what James meant when he wrote ‘faith without works is dead’. It is not about salvation but how we should be living after we become saved. They have a faith that is without works, a DEAD faith that is, as James wrote, ‘not profitable’ nor fruitful. It is not about salvation but a ‘dead faith’ that is useless for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus told believers to,
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15 KJV)
This does not mean every person is to become a preacher or pastor of a church. Yet, as saved believers by the grace of God in great love for us Jesus die on that cross and paid our debt of sins. Should we not in great gratefulness let others know the good news of the Gospel? God could have taken believers off the planet immediately following our belief on Christ but Jesus prayed that the Father would not do that in John 17. Jesus wanted believers to be part of His plan of getting the knowledge of the truth of salvation by grace through Christ crucified. It amazes me that God even wants to use me, how about you? Yet, that is His plan!
“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” (John 17:15-17 KJV)
And when Apostle Paul wrote about The Judgement Seat Of Christ For Believers there will be some that have no good works to receive a reward, yet they are eternally saved and already in their raptured and glorified bodies. Speaking about saved believers in Christ Paul wrote,
“If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:15 KJV)
4. Crop Producers For The Harvest Of God’s Kingdom.
This are what believers should be striving to achieve in our Earthly lives. These are those who heard the Gospel and have accepted the Gospel of Salvation through belief on Christ and not by good works.They are born again in The Spirit of God and in great gratitude became learners, and disciples. They have as Paul taught been renewing their mind by God’s Word. They are not focused on this Earthly life as their focus. They know the truth of God’s word and the Kingdom Of God. They listened to Apostle Paul to be “not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. This is where a believer need to seek to become in this world!
As we replace wrong thoughts and beliefs in our mind by God’s Word and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), we are actually displacing The Fleshly thoughts and beliefs. The Flesh is where the devil tries to tempt us and if we replace these sin bent beliefs, left from our now DEAD spirit of Adam that always wanted to sin, we will make better decisions which turn into good works outwardly in love towards others.
This is exactly what Paul mean in Ephesians 2 where he states that our works have nothing to do with how we are justified and saved in righteousness but it is from our new Spirit if God, created in Christ, that good works will flow outward into our lives. Not self righteous forced good works for salvation, but good works of God through us.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS –UNTO– GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)
Paul did not write ‘good works FOR salvation’ right? NO, he wrote ‘UNTO GOOD WORKS’. It is all about being born again in the Spirit and now the Holy Spirit resides within a believer and that works outwardly into good works in love for others. It is all about Christ in us and us in Christ, being one with God in the Spirit (John 17:21-26, Colossians 2, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Ephesians. 1:13-14, Romans 6, John 15). We should have great gratitude for what God has done and for His amazing grace provided to us.
“…How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6: 2-14 KJV)
I Thought This Parable Was About A person’s Works?
The eternal security of the believer is a foundational truth of Christ Himself (John 3:18, John 6:37-40) and Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:13-14). Once a person believes in Christ for righteousness, they are sealed and eternally saved and preserved by God in salvation from the moment of BELIEF ON CHRIST. The belief must be a real heart felt belief though; not just intellectual in the mind.
The first two who heard the seed of God’s Kingdom have not yet made a decision to believe the Gospel. They HEARD THE GOSPEL but in the end decided to not believe for the reasons Jesus gave when he explained the parable to the disciples.
Jesus was telling the Jews and Pharisee leaders that the truth is, Jesus is the fortold Messiah (as He proclaimed to the Jews and Pharisee leaders) who has come to pay for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Yet, some believe that one must –PERSEVERE in faith– in order to keep and have everlasting life, but that is not truth, and also not the truth in the Parable of the Four Soils.
The root, our Spirit, our core being, must be born again by BELIEF in Christ (John 3).
Some take this parable and make salvation about works but that is false. The seed is the Gospel. In context, the Pharisees and the other Jews that Jesus just spoke with had heard Jesus’ words of life (The Gospel of Salvation and the fact that HE IS Messiah), yet will not believe. Jesus describes this to the disciples when they asked Him privately why He is speaking in parables and not straight words.
“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (Matthew 13:12 KJV)
To those who believe, more truth will be given but to those who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, what knowledge they heard will be taken away even more. Jesus knew their hearts. Self righteousness is a strong thing in a person and it hardens hearts against God! We must have The Spirit of God, not the old Spirit of Adam. Because regarding our fruit, only those with Christ living in them, and they in Christ, can be fruitful at all.
” I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME, YE CAN DO NOTHING.” (John 15:5 KJV)
Salvation is by BELIEF ON CHRIST ALONE as the foretold Messiah, The Christ, the one who was foretold to come at the appointed time (Daniel 9:26) to be the once for all final blood atonement sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10) for the sin of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Our works have NOTHING to do with being saved nor to keep ourselves saved. The belief has to be real and that is the point.
The Sower of seed parable is about the time when a person hears the true Gospel and how the devil tries to take the truth away from them BEFORE they decide to believe or not. Yes, saved people have had their Spirit REBORN. Our old spirit of Adam (a sin nature) DIED WITH CHRIST on that cross (Romans 6, Colossians 2) and we received a NEW CREATURE called The Spirit Of God. It is, RIGHT NOW, the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST and that is not something we work for, it was given to us by God through imputation by the operation of God (2 Cor. 5:17-21, Colossians 2:12). And having been recreated, IN CHRIST in our new born again Spirit, this works outwardly to mind renewing and good works.
Yet, look at the thief on the cross, all he did was BELIEVE JESUS IS who He said He is; God in the Flesh, the Messiah, which the Jews were looking for. He had no time to see his outward fruit change did he? He is in Heaven and saved eternally right? Just keep that truth in mind when reading the Parable of the Sower Sowing Seed.
The change of mind (repenting after salvation,Romans 12, John 17:17) found in the fourth group hearing the Word of the Kingdom, takes time and the amount of time is different for every individual that is saved and born again in the Spirit. And so, fruit bearing is evidence of faith OVER TIME, but we should never judge anyone by their fruit bearing, not necessarily ourselves either.
After all, God works on us inwardly in mind renewing at different paces. It is not our forced works, some 30, some 60 and some 100. It is the amount of knowledge and mind renewing that determines the amount of good works and that comes from God inwardly moving outwardly into our lives in love for others.
Apostle Paul tells us that, for eternally saved believers in Christ,
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
This is when we can see how much we really have changed by God’s indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God. This is our sanctification (John 17:17).
A believer SHOULD see more and more of these things as our mind is renewed to match up with who God has now MADE US, which is the very righteousness of God, in Christ.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might BE MADE the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21 KJV)
That is GOD MAKES US RIGHTEOUS the moment we believe on Christ. Fruit bearing SHOULD follow. Why? Because we have been changed in our core being by belief on Christ. But NEVER JUDGE A PERSON regarding their salvation by their outward works. Saul (persecutor and murderer of Christians) became Apostle Paul (who wrote 2/3 of the New Testament and who GOD SENT to preach the Gospel of Grace to the gentiles). NOW THERE IS A CHANGE OF MIND!
But this transformation in our outward living takes time for each person.
