explain this about the parable of the four soils

[Christownsme]

In the parable of the four soils, obviously the first three soils are not ideal for receiving Christ, and no fruit is produced. Only the good soil heart can produce fruit.

When we come to Christ, we come as we are, correct? So how can any of us have the fourth soil good heart to receive Christ correctly and produce fruit? If it's up to us and our heart's soil, none of us would produce fruit. Yet Jesus says only the good soil produces fruit.

So what's going on here?

Do we all start at the first soil, go on to the second soil, then the third, and finally find ourselves the fourth soil, or does this have something to do with John the Baptist's repentance "Make straight the way of the Lord!" which Isaiah prophesied? And if we never prepared our heart by making straight the way of the Lord, we can't find peace and produce fruit because we haven't plowed our heart to make it good soil?

 

[walkinginthelightnow]

another good question is What is Fruit? Is it the fruit of the spirit being produced? Is it winning souls?

There are a lot of questions pertaining that passage

 

[Christownsme]

I imagine Fruit is the fruit of the Spirit, listed in Galations 5:22-23

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control

 

[jbearnolimits]

This must be my favorite parable. I have a study on it here that will answer the question: How To Reach The Lost For Jesus

Basically the harsh land must become the good land. Work must be done to bring it to that place of being good. Take a look, I think you will enjoy what I wrote there.

 

[pescador]

God selects whom he wills. Believers should be more than thankful that they are the fourth type of soil.

 

[gzusfrk]

In the parable of the four soils, obviously the first three soils are not ideal for receiving Christ, and no fruit is produced. Only the good soil heart can produce fruit.

When we come to Christ, we come as we are, correct? So how can any of us have the fourth soil good heart to receive Christ correctly and produce fruit? If it's up to us and our heart's soil, none of us would produce fruit. Yet Jesus says only the good soil produces fruit.

So what's going on here?

Do we all start at the first soil, go on to the second soil, then the third, and finally find ourselves the fourth soil, or does this have something to do with John the Baptist's repentance "Make straight the way of the Lord!" which Isaiah prophesied? And if we never prepared our heart by making straight the way of the Lord, we can't find peace and produce fruit because we haven't plowed our heart to make it good soil?

Being, the Word is alive and going into your heart, from there according to your heart, the Word will grow or die. It has much power I would suggest reading it, much.

 

[TiberiumNos]

In the parable of the four soils, obviously the first three soils are not ideal for receiving Christ, and no fruit is produced. Only the good soil heart can produce fruit.

When we come to Christ, we come as we are, correct? So how can any of us have the fourth soil good heart to receive Christ correctly and produce fruit? If it's up to us and our heart's soil, none of us would produce fruit. Yet Jesus says only the good soil produces fruit.

So what's going on here?

Do we all start at the first soil, go on to the second soil, then the third, and finally find ourselves the fourth soil, or does this have something to do with John the Baptist's repentance "Make straight the way of the Lord!" which Isaiah prophesied? And if we never prepared our heart by making straight the way of the Lord, we can't find peace and produce fruit because we haven't plowed our heart to make it good soil?

I think the good ground are the ones that actually accept Christ with an honest heart and apply what they're taught and told to do. They don't muck around with the act of lies and good-esteem, and are rejected for it! The rest stray from the path in some way, whether for riches or pleasures, or sweet things of the faith, etc. They all get lost in false righteousness!

I find this happens bountifully in the open Christian community. Many like putting on airs of righteousness and talking about God, but do not know or even follow the words of Christ or read the bible! They only wish to be esteemed by men (and FLEE from rebuke)!

They will eat honey and sweet things and get their fingers sticky amongst the gatherings of the church, but they will reject anything bitter! It's exactly why Christ was rejected in his time. Truth is BITTER! (But as long as he isn't around, we can pretend to walk next to him!)

Read, believe, and DO. The bible says it! The rest of us are simply lost!

 

[chapmic]

I imagine Fruit is the fruit of the Spirit, listed in Galations 5:22-23

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control

Yes and fruit also can apply to new believers. Remember the Great Commission, when Christians experience the joy we have in Christ we are supposed to spread the good news to unbelievers because they are the lost sheep that need to come back to the flock. Jesus is kind of like a dandelion, when he died his seeds flew through out the world making new believers that follow Christ. There was one Dandelion but thru death they are now many and the cycle will continue until Jesus returns to Earth.

 

[miamited]

Hi COM,

Of course, there is always the possibility that this parable means just what it says. After all, Jesus did explain it to his disciples.

There are four types of people who will hear the gospel. The first is those who will just immediately write it off as some 'christian' kookiness and go on with their lives just as they always have. The second will hear the gospel and at first consider it to be the truth and the way that they should live their lives, but the when persecution comes, they will will quickly fall away and go back to their original condition. The third is much like the second, except that they are pulled back into the world by the riches and worries of their life. The last is the one who hears the gospel, understands that it is the truth, and chooses to maintain his faith through trials and troubles and ignore the deceit of worries and wealth.

The parable is nothing more than exactly what Jesus explained it to be. It is a simple explanation of the four different ways that the gospel will be received by each and every person who has ever lived upon the earth. They will fit into one of those classifications. Every single person who hears the gospel.

I'm confident that had Jesus intended that this parable have some deeper untapped meaning, he would have told his disciples. Personally, I think we need to be careful about how far we go in trying to assign deeper meaning to so much of the Scriptures. I find it to be really fairly simple and straightforward. In this case, Jesus was explaining to his disciples, and also to us, that we're going to meet four kinds of people as we continue this work that he established for us in spreading the gospel.

Now, you wrote: When we come to Christ, we come as we are, correct? So how can any of us have the fourth soil good heart to receive Christ correctly and produce fruit? If it's up to us and our heart's soil, none of us would produce fruit. Yet Jesus says only the good soil produces fruit.

Here you are making an assumption on 'facts' not in evidence. Because we come to Jesus as we are does not assume that our hearts are not fertile soil to grow faith. The fact that we come to Jesus at all would indicate that we are desiring to be transformed. The question Jesus answers in this parable is that of all the hearts in the world that have ever existed, some are cold and set and there will be no changing them. But others are open to change, open to the truth, but whether they will persevere in the faith depends on how deep they are willing to establish these truths and how much they will allow these truths to change them.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[Christownsme]

Hi COM,

Of course, there is always the possibility that this parable means just what it says. After all, Jesus did explain it to his disciples.

There are four types of people who will hear the gospel. The first is those who will just immediately write it off as some 'christian' kookiness and go on with their lives just as they always have. The second will hear the gospel and at first consider it to be the truth and the way that they should live their lives, but the when persecution comes, they will will quickly fall away and go back to their original condition. The third is much like the second, except that they are pulled back into the world by the riches and worries of their life. The last is the one who hears the gospel, understands that it is the truth, and chooses to maintain his faith through trials and troubles and ignore the deceit of worries and wealth.

The parable is nothing more than exactly what Jesus explained it to be. It is a simple explanation of the four different ways that the gospel will be received by each and every person who has ever lived upon the earth. They will fit into one of those classifications. Every single person who hears the gospel.

I'm confident that had Jesus intended that this parable have some deeper untapped meaning, he would have told his disciples. Personally, I think we need to be careful about how far we go in trying to assign deeper meaning to so much of the Scriptures. I find it to be really fairly simple and straightforward. In this case, Jesus was explaining to his disciples, and also to us, that we're going to meet four kinds of people as we continue this work that he established for us in spreading the gospel.

Now, you wrote: When we come to Christ, we come as we are, correct? So how can any of us have the fourth soil good heart to receive Christ correctly and produce fruit? If it's up to us and our heart's soil, none of us would produce fruit. Yet Jesus says only the good soil produces fruit.

Here you are making an assumption on 'facts' not in evidence. Because we come to Jesus as we are does not assume that our hearts are not fertile soil to grow faith. The fact that we come to Jesus at all would indicate that we are desiring to be transformed. The question Jesus answers in this parable is that of all the hearts in the world that have ever existed, some are cold and set and there will be no changing them. But others are open to change, open to the truth, but whether they will persevere in the faith depends on how deep they are willing to establish these truths and how much they will allow these truths to change them.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

Good explanation of my question!

 

[dragongunner]

Just after I gave my life to Christ many yrs. ago I questioned this "soil" thing with the Lord. I was afraid what would happen if I was the 2nd or 3rd soil...what good would it do to keep serving Him, for he knows all things and would know which one I was. I know I was very immature and just a growing baby, but was very concerned and kept asking Him in prayer.....He answered me in that small still voice that I had come to know...."You decide what soil you are." Seems so simple now, 4 kinds of soils, we get to choose....its on us what we do and who we "want" to become....some don't want it ever, some enjoy it but choose to leave, others choose to stop and not grow anymore, choosing other things, and some choose to grow and bloom.....he who endures until the end.

 

[OldStudent]

There is much to be discovered when the context of this parable is broadened. From (Matthew) chapter 12 we learn Jesus was having a bad day. After being roughed up He finds Himself being pushed out into a lake and He begins to unload. He starts off complaining about people like packed soil. What He had been working with was not just packed – it was aggressive like crushed rock. While He was at it He commented on people who were like the shallow and overgrown zones of a garden. But then He goes hopeful in telling of yield from good soil – receptive hearts.

This next story tells of mischief in the good soil.

Then come stories of different ways people of “good soil” come to grow there.

Then He pulls it all together telling of fishermen casting their nets and bringing all kinds of things to shore where there is a sorting of what comes in. The Gospel is cast into the general population and all kinds of stuff is revealed.

It is also to be noted that these stories have something to say about the “kingdom of heaven.” It is open to all. Some don’t respond or stay with it. The kingdom of heaven is revealed and made accessible in many ways.

Bring to mind the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus (John 3).

It is also fascinating to look that weird transaction with the church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-21). Jesus tells them in no uncertain terms these are disgusting folks. They are miserable, poor, blind, naked. Yet He asks them to “buy.” When one is disgusting and destitute why buy and buy with what? Then He places one of the most wonderful invitations ever recorded. He loves. He corrects. He invites to delightful repast and fellowship. He provides it all. We have to hear, recognize, respond, accept.

The wonderful point He is making is that our hearts can be converted to good soil. That conversion comes through a variety of paths - some look for it, some discover it, some are dragged into it, some are tossed into it, the invitation comes in ways appropriate to each mind.

 

[walkinginthelightnow]

Just after I gave my life to Christ many yrs. ago I questioned this "soil" thing with the Lord. I was afraid what would happen if I was the 2nd or 3rd soil...what good would it do to keep serving Him, for he knows all things and would know which one I was. I know I was very immature and just a growing baby, but was very concerned and kept asking Him in prayer.....He answered me in that small still voice that I had come to know...."You decide what soil you are." Seems so simple now, 4 kinds of soils, we get to choose....its on us what we do and who we "want" to become....some don't want it ever, some enjoy it but choose to leave, others choose to stop and not grow anymore, choosing other things, and some choose to grow and bloom.....he who endures until the end.

That's pretty amazing. I wonder if that's God's universal answer for those who struggle with same question.