"Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."
(Matthew 13: 3-9)
(Matthew 13: 3-9)
Hello, Mrs. Kurtz.
I was wondering how you know if someone is a Christian? It seems as though some people in my life have a strange relationship with Christianity, which concerns me. I know Christians who are close family/friends of mine, and I'm scared of them not being saved. I know that there is no one way to tell, but I'm just curious what you think.
Dear friend,
This is a valid question and concern, and it's worth studying and discussing. How can we tell if those around us are saved or lost? (I think we'll have to study this over the course of a few blogs.)
Let's look first at the parable of the sower, displayed above Matthew 13, but also found in Mark 4 and Luke 8. Jesus gives the parable and also explains it. It is worth the time to do a side-by-side comparison of the parable and the explanation.
As much as we can, we must strive to be a witness to those around us, regardless of our certainty (or uncertainty) of their salvation. What do people see in us? What do our words tell them about our viewpoints and attitudes? How do our actions reflect what we believe? Based on our lives, would people be certain of our salvation? Let us seek for every opportunity to be a continual witness for the Lord by our words, our actions, our habits, and our attitudes!
Heavenly Father, We want our friends and family to be saved! Our hearts grieve and worry, and so we bring them to You. Thank You, Father, for loving them even more that we do, and for providing redemption for all who will believe. We ask that You draw them to Yourself. We offer ourselves to You--use us, we ask.
I was wondering how you know if someone is a Christian? It seems as though some people in my life have a strange relationship with Christianity, which concerns me. I know Christians who are close family/friends of mine, and I'm scared of them not being saved. I know that there is no one way to tell, but I'm just curious what you think.
Dear friend,
This is a valid question and concern, and it's worth studying and discussing. How can we tell if those around us are saved or lost? (I think we'll have to study this over the course of a few blogs.)
Let's look first at the parable of the sower, displayed above Matthew 13, but also found in Mark 4 and Luke 8. Jesus gives the parable and also explains it. It is worth the time to do a side-by-side comparison of the parable and the explanation.
- What do all the seeds have in common?
- What are the different outcomes of the seeds, and why?
- What is one identifying characteristic of a believer?
As much as we can, we must strive to be a witness to those around us, regardless of our certainty (or uncertainty) of their salvation. What do people see in us? What do our words tell them about our viewpoints and attitudes? How do our actions reflect what we believe? Based on our lives, would people be certain of our salvation? Let us seek for every opportunity to be a continual witness for the Lord by our words, our actions, our habits, and our attitudes!
Heavenly Father, We want our friends and family to be saved! Our hearts grieve and worry, and so we bring them to You. Thank You, Father, for loving them even more that we do, and for providing redemption for all who will believe. We ask that You draw them to Yourself. We offer ourselves to You--use us, we ask.
No comments:
Post a Comment