Friday morning focus.

And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. 

(Luke 8:4-15 ESV)

I've been meditating a lot on this parable and its explanation this week. My conclusion is that only those in the good soil are actually saved... so many times in Western Christianity we try and make it 'easier' for us to say we are true Christians.  However in every case other than the good soil the plant dies.  Tie it with other parables like the Sheep and Goats (Matt 25) and you see that producing fruit is a natural bi-product of true Christianity. If you are being 'choked' by the world, or you're on rocky ground this morning, honestly check your commitment to loving Jesus.  Are you just pretending, giving him lip service to appease those around you?  

Are you saying you're a Christian because you don't want to be punished for you sin? Or because you want to be freed from your sin?  So many people just don't want the punishment, but still want to control what they do, and be allowed to sin.  Jesus said turn from your sin, and do it no more.  Jesus' offer is better.  It's the good soil.  We just have to make sure that our lives are responding to his love, not a presumed get out of jail free card (cause it's not).