The Subject of Faith: Part 3 (Producing Faith to Produce Results

The familiar saying is that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results". There are multitudes of entrepreneurial millionaires and multimillionaires who started businesses that failed, so they started another business, or changed something in the product or promotion, that launched their next venture to success. There are also the stories of Colonel Sanders who was turned down 1009 times before someone agreed to sell his famous chicken! Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before perfecting the light bulb, but kept trying until he got it right. One of his famous quotes is that "genius [success] is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration". The point is to keep pursuing and practicing to perfect and produce the desired results.

Sower and the Seed (Faith Results)

Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; and Luke 8:4-15 all speak of the parable of the "Sower and the Seed" and give an analysis of four types of soil and the results or effects that are produced. The scripture states that the "sower sows the word" (Mk.4:14) and that "The seed is the word of God" (Lk.8:11). The constant in these parallel parables is that the seed and the sower don't change, but the condition of the soil is the variable that determines what type of results are produced. It is quite evident that the seed has the power to produce, but it needs receptive soil to produce those desirable results.

Soil Conditions and Results

Condition One: Wayside (well worn, hard, compacted, road or pathway)...this person doesn't understand [(syniemi), 4920, to put things together] (Matt.13:4,19).

Result:

The Evil One [(poneros), 4190, continuous labor with no results, illness and disease] comes and "catches away" [(harpazo), 726, to seize and carry off by force], what was sown in their hearts. (Matt.1319).

Satan [(satanas), 4567, adversary in war, battle, or in court], comes immediately, and lifts up and out of [(airo), 142], the heart, what was sown (Mk.4:15).

The Devil [(diabolos), 1228, to throw between two persons or groups (ie., to divide)] takes away [(airo), 142] out of [(apo), 575], their hearts, because if he doesn't, they will have faith [(pisteuo), 4100], and be saved [(sozo), 4982, delivered, rescued, safe and sound from all destruction]. [The emphasis again is that FAITH comes by the WORD of God].

What is dominate in this first result, is that the Evil One, Satan, the Devil, is terrified for the seed [the word of faith], to take root and produce, and so, immediately, with violent force, tears the word up and out of the heart of the individual person who can't put everything together to understand what is being declared, because if they understand, they will believe [have faith] and be saved (Lk.8:12).

Condition Two: They have no root, or deeper foundation; superficial; no depth of understanding or something solid. Perhaps they respond too soon, excited about the message without fully embracing the commitment and consequences of the relationship.

Result:

Tribulation [(thlipsis),2347, internal pressure] and Persecution [(diogmos), 1375, external conflict, pressure, attacks], occur and immediately [(euthys), 2117], this individual is not only offended, or recoils, but they tend to lash out and find fault [(skandalizo), 4624], in the very Word they had received with joy and embraced, because of the discomfort and pressure it has caused them! (Matt.13:20-21; Mk.4:16-17). The word (skandalizo) seems to carry this idea of attacking the very thing that perhaps brought them joy, or pleasure, because now there is a price to pay, a cost, or discomfort in embracing the Word of God, because, quite obviously, there is hostility between the kingdom of God and darkness.

It's interesting that both Matthew and Mark emphasize the external pressure of the sun's scorching heat (Matt.13:6; Mk.4:6), but Luke says "it lacked moisture" (Lk.8:6), which focuses more on the internal pressure or inability to survive.

Luke says that for a time they do believe [(pisteuo), 4100], but when their faith is tested [(peirasmos), 3986], there is not enough internal stability to hang on to what they initially embraced with joy (Lk.8:13).

Condition 3: These persons receive the word, but the cares or distractions [(merimna), 3308] of this life and the deceitfulness [giving the allure and promise of one thing but producing something else] of riches (Matt.13:22; Mk.4:19) and the lusts [(epithymia), 1939, strong desire for anything, and not necessarily bad] of other things (Mk.4:19) and pleasures [(hedone), 2237, parallel to strong desire but emphasizing more what satisfies the flesh] (Lk.8:14) all choke the word out of a person's life. It is interesting that Luke summarizes the 3 areas as cares, riches, and pleasures of this life. It would seem that these people are too occupied with everything in this world to give proper attention and focus to the word of God.

Result:

The word is choked [(sympnigo), 4846] out of their life, where the word choked is only used 5 times in the NT, and 4 of those times are in these parallel passages (Matt.13:22; Mk.4:7,19; Lk.8:14) where it literally means "to strangle, or take away the oxygen, to suffocate". The scripture says that the word "becomes unfruitful" (Matt.13:22; Mk.4:19), in their lives, meaning that it did have the capacity to produce, but there was no room for it to grow, being crowded out by everything else that occupied the time and attention in their lives. Luke 8:14 says they bring no fruit to perfection [(telesphoreo), 5052], which is only used here in the NT and is used historically of pregnant women and animals bringing their young to maturity; meaning the word is never allowed to produce the mature results, from the seed that has been sown, that would automatically occur, if the word was allowed to grow and develop unhindered.

Condition 4: The good soil are those who have an honest and good heart, which seems to characterize the genuine desire to know the truth and align their life according to that truth. The other condition that is apparent is that they keep [(katecho), 2722] the Word that was sown in their heart, where the visual imagery is that of a person steering a ship in a specific direction, and not altering or deviating from that course, but holding fast to the intended goal and destination. This is obviously a reflection of the characterization of having an "honest and good heart"; sincerely wanting the truth in their lives.

Result: The Word becomes fruitful in their lives, or produces the desired result of the seed that is sown. However, the fruitfulness is qualified by the fact that the people produce this fruit through or by patience [(hypomone), 5281], which is more aptly translated "endurance". This word has a very appropriate visual imagery in Hebrews 12:1, where the scripture speaks of laying aside every weight, and running the race with "endurance". Similarly to "keeping" the Word in their heart, this imagery of running a race consistently, with laser focus on the finish line; not quitting until the end is achieved, is the quality that ensures that the desired result will be achieved.

Observations:

(1). What is interesting about those that allow the seed to produce fruit in their lives is that both Matthew and Mark speak of a harvest of 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown. The Greek imagery contains the idea that this fruitfulness is not a one time event, but like perennials, the seed of God's word continues to constantly produce "bringing forth fruit in you, since the day you heard" (Col.1:6). The effects or results of the Word are on-going continuously in the lives of those that have faith.

(2). It is simplistic to assume that these 4 types of soil conditions are a template for a percentage of consistent results where each type of soil would represent 25% of potential productivity, but rather, if the conditions are met, positive results can always be produced 100% of the time in the hearts and lives of people.

(3). It would seem obvious that for optimum results for the seed to take root and grow, there would need to be optimum soil conditions to produce that desired effect.

a) People would need to understand what is being spoken so the enemy cannot rip the truth from their hearts.

b) People would need to be encouraged in what they have received, but to continue to develop their faith by constantly hearing the word spoken, until the seed starts to take root, before they attempt to act on something where they are not fully knowledgeable of what they have received.

c) People need to choose to focus on the Word of God and limit or shut out the multitude of other distractions that are stealing their time and attention from fully embracing the truth of God's word and having faith.

Summary:

Faith is a result of words from God that contain faith in God; faith in the supernatural. They are words of faith, and they produce faith in people which produces supernatural results, for everyone who, in an honest and good heart, holds fast to those words and continues in the course direction of the Word to achieve those desired results; continuing to run the race to the finish line.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours