The Sower, the Seed & the Ground
Matthew 13:3-9 - And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, [1] let him hear.”
Thinking through the effectual call that is an inward working of the Holy Spirit and the general call that goes out to all through the preaching of the Gospel. The seed is the Word of God which is preached by the sower of the seed. The sower proclaims the Gospel to everyone, scattering the seed to all without discrimination. Because the seed is not scarce, the sower need not sow sparingly but bountifully. The Word of God is plentiful, for Christ's sacrifice is big enough to cover the sins of all men for all time, though few are chosen. The sower does not withhold seed fearing he will run out. The seed is like the flour in the widow's jar that was never consumed so long as she obeyed the Lord through the word of Elijah. And like her, there is no need for us to ration it, to sparingly sow it, to proclaim the truth of Christ's active righteous obedience freely imputed to those who believe, Christ's passive obedience through His death, effectively canceling the debt for sin, and Christ's glorious resurrection ensuring glorification with Him. This seed is bountiful, for Christ is infinite in value.
The ground is the state of the soul that receives the seed, and it is not dependent on the sower. Surely our prayers are powerful and effective, but this ultimately is in the Lord's hands. Some seed falls on corrupt, depraved ground. Other seed falls on regenerate soil. It is the Holy Spirit who works effectually to prepare the ground of His choosing for the seed that will fall upon it. But the seed will never be sown without return. God's word does not return void (reference).
So, the seed is essential. The general call is absolutely essential, for though the soil is inwardly prepared by God's Spirit, there will be no produce apart from the sowing of seeds. This means by which God effectually calls His elect is through the general call planted into their already tilled hearts.
My duty as a Christian is to sow seed bountifully, to plant by proclamation and prayer. God determines, and has determined from the foundation of the world, which ground will be good soil, which ground will be rocky, which ground will bring up thorns and which seeds will be stolen away by the birds of the air. Our duty is not to calculate these possibilities, but to prayerfully scatter freely and bountifully, leaving the condition of the ground up to God.
1/25/07
Thinking through the effectual call that is an inward working of the Holy Spirit and the general call that goes out to all through the preaching of the Gospel. The seed is the Word of God which is preached by the sower of the seed. The sower proclaims the Gospel to everyone, scattering the seed to all without discrimination. Because the seed is not scarce, the sower need not sow sparingly but bountifully. The Word of God is plentiful, for Christ's sacrifice is big enough to cover the sins of all men for all time, though few are chosen. The sower does not withhold seed fearing he will run out. The seed is like the flour in the widow's jar that was never consumed so long as she obeyed the Lord through the word of Elijah. And like her, there is no need for us to ration it, to sparingly sow it, to proclaim the truth of Christ's active righteous obedience freely imputed to those who believe, Christ's passive obedience through His death, effectively canceling the debt for sin, and Christ's glorious resurrection ensuring glorification with Him. This seed is bountiful, for Christ is infinite in value.
The ground is the state of the soul that receives the seed, and it is not dependent on the sower. Surely our prayers are powerful and effective, but this ultimately is in the Lord's hands. Some seed falls on corrupt, depraved ground. Other seed falls on regenerate soil. It is the Holy Spirit who works effectually to prepare the ground of His choosing for the seed that will fall upon it. But the seed will never be sown without return. God's word does not return void (reference).
So, the seed is essential. The general call is absolutely essential, for though the soil is inwardly prepared by God's Spirit, there will be no produce apart from the sowing of seeds. This means by which God effectually calls His elect is through the general call planted into their already tilled hearts.
My duty as a Christian is to sow seed bountifully, to plant by proclamation and prayer. God determines, and has determined from the foundation of the world, which ground will be good soil, which ground will be rocky, which ground will bring up thorns and which seeds will be stolen away by the birds of the air. Our duty is not to calculate these possibilities, but to prayerfully scatter freely and bountifully, leaving the condition of the ground up to God.
1/25/07
posted by Ron | 9:55 PM
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