Mat 13:18+

billwald said:

Anyone care to resolve the parable of the seeds with the doctrine of election? At least 3 began as "Christians." Is only the last "elect?" If so, then how can anyone know until persecuition comes?

Click to expand...

Funny I just did that on another forum:>)


The scripture


Mat 13:3
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;



Mat 13:4
And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:



Mat 13:5
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:



Mat 13:6
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.



Mat 13:7
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:



Mat 13:8
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.



The seed is the word of God, it is to go forth . It is freely given to all men , the men are given the gospel all have various responses, but there is only one group that it takes root in. That is the soil that has been prepared to receive it ( the "good " ground)

Who has prepared the soil that it took root in?

1Cr 3:5
Who then is Paul, and who [is] Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?



1Cr 3:6
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.


1Cr 3:7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.[/quote]

God prepares that soil by the Holy Spirit

But it is the following verses that make election clear



Mat 13:9
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mat 13:10
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?


Mat 13:11
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12
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.

Mat 13:13
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.



Mat 13:14
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Mat 13:15
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Mat 13:16
But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.


Spiritually dead people can not "hear " spiritual things. The hearing is an act of God .

RN, excelleant work

Here is a devotion I wrote before, I accepted reformed theology--there is nothing calvinistic about it, just good a devotion.


The Seed is the word of God


A farmer went out to sow seed. Some seed fell along the path, but birds quickly ate it up. Other seed fell on thorns/weeds and they choked it up. Also, some seed fell on stony ground, and did not take root. The hot sun scorched it and it withered and died.

Now, the seed is the Word of God planted in the hearts of men and women. Some of the word falls along the path, but evil (birds = evil, Mathew 13.19, Revelation 18.2), snatches it up right away. Moreover, some word lands on a hardened heart, and it does not take root, these people do not take the word of God to heart. So, the winds and floods move in, and erode away the surface along with the word, and their true selves are revealed. Just like the foolish man who built his house on sand (Luke 8.36-49). Even more, some of the word falls into a heart that that worries about the cares of this life and the world, here the Word goes more deeply, but it is choked by too many weeds and too many rock and forget the hope they received. But the when the Word falls on a heart which is kept clean (even rich soil will have rocks), it takes root and produces a crop 10, 20, 50 and 100 fold! These

Now, one man (or woman) plants and another waters, but it is God who makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3.7). Truly, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, without Him, we can produce no fruit. So let us keep our heart fertile, that God’s word may take root and produce a high yield. For what is in the heart of a man (or woman) is what comes out of his/her mouth. God’s “Word is shaper than any 2-edged sword…discerning the heart and soul.” Christ, the embodiment of Truth, knows what is in our hearts (John 14.6). And what comes out of a man’s mouth is what is in his heart (Matthew 15.18). So let us treasure His word in our hearts, that we may please Him and live life to the fullest (Psalm 119.11, John 10.10).




Vol. 2, #1 Jan. 2003 (monthly) (www.freewebs.com/theseed)

billwald said:

>So let us keep our heart fertile, that God’s word may take root and produce a high yield.

Right. The only way one can know that one is elect is by continually producing good works.

Click to expand...

And by producing good works, we can earn our salvation, and boast about it.


Or did you stop to think that the parable has more application than just salvation?