Parables, Trials and Salvation

Hebrews 12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Sure....Let me start by going back to the Book of John where Jesus discusses "pruning". John 15 is an interesting chapter and I believe this chapter have strong ties to Romans 12:1-2 and Hebrews 12. "The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a child." (Hebrews 12:6). Are we allowing God's will in pruning us so we will bear more fruit? As a Christian, we still can have sinful desires, foolish desires, proud desires and at the same time, have godly desires. Our human heart is very selfish. Our heart is the source of our emotions, thoughts and motives. Our heart is the place of conscience. Our heart is the part of our being where we desire, deliberate, and decide. Our self-interest motives conduct even though it is part of our fallen nature, the cross is a symbol of the selfless, others-centered life of Christ. Without sufferings (disciplines), pride will always gets in the way of God's glory. We suffer to keep down pride (2 Cor. 12:7). Suffering (discipline) is a Process “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, proven character; and . . .” (Rom. 5:3-4). “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam. 1:3-4).

Learning from great faiths in the Bible, I saw that circumstances did not control them; it is their reaction to circumstances that determined what kind of people they were and most importantly, how faithful they were. They UNDERSTOOD God's grace. They made decisions they felt it is God's will however, circumstances made them change directions. Many people forget and often try to do their own ways circumstances happens that they never stop and think. Their human minds often see doors closing when ignoring another door opening. This is the concept of Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

HOWEVER, we must remember the true meaning of salvation and God's promise of eternal security.

Parable of the Sower
There are 4 Parables of the Sower.

Three parables of people who made a profession of faith but then fell away and only the last parable Jesus gave is of real saving faith:

Matthew 13
The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.

3Then He (Jesus) told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.

4As he was scattering the seed,

#1
some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. (If a farmer threw the seed and some of it went beyond the furrow only to land on that hard surface, it would never grow. It could not penetrate the ground. This illustrate that people will hear the gospel and think nothing of it).

#2
5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. (The rocky ground in this parable represents the people who will reject the gospel. Also Luke explains that the seed that landed upon the stony soil "lacked moisture" (Luke 8:6). There wasn't any root to capture the moisture. This means people who will initially receive the gospel, but thorns or the sun will cause them to fall away.)

#3
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. (After the seeds are sown and they begin to germinate, weeds also begin to grow from the fibrous weed roots hidden in the ground. The weeds then choke the life out of the grain.)

#4
8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear." (Some people will initially receive the gospel, and ultimately bring forth fruit.)

The parable shows how people will respond to the gospel of God's GRACE. All the soils are basically the same--the only difference is whether the
1. dirt is hard,
2. has rock underneath it,
3. has weeds in it, or
4. is good. The issue is not the soil; rather, it is the condition of the soil.

That means that all people could receive the seed. All soil could receive the seed if it was broken up and cleaned of weeds. So, the key to the parable is that the response a person has to the gospel depends upon the condition of that person's heart (only if they really understood what GRACE really means).

Jesus explains further:
18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

The condition of the heart determines how receptive a person is to the gospel. John 4:36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Our hearts are like a garden and must be kept free from weeds and insects. To expect the fruits and flowers bloom in an untended heart is to misunderstand completely the processes of Grace and God's will. 2 Timothy 3:10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance.

In my OWN life, I have learned TRUE happiness with the help from the Holy Spirit. To forget my own will because God's will is BETTER. I realized that when I allow Him, my life is more peaceful and more enjoyable. I noticed that. Even though God will not take away my problems but He always been there for me when I am facing problems. I am still having problems but very very peaceful because of God's GRACE. When we most aware of our problems, we are more inclined to collapse into God's strength and experience His amazing grace. "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9).