October 6, 2025 - Believer or Unbeliever?

MATTHEW 13:10-23

LUKE 8:9-18

MARK 4:21-29

MATTHEW 13:24-30

MARK 4:30-34

MATTHEW 13:31-52

MARK 4:35-41

MATTHEW 8:23-27

LUKE 8:22-25

Chronological Bible Readings

Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

My heart is struggling because someone that I love looks like the person whose seed was sown among thorns. He received the message and at first there was evidence of faith, but he never gave up on the cares, opinions and distractions of the world. There has been no growth or fruit. In fact sometimes it feels like he is dismissive and even negative thinking toward those who speak strongly and boldly of their faith. I don't think he would say that he does that but he does. If you ask him if he is a Chrisitan, he will say yes. As a mature Christian when we see someone who professes Jesus as savior who is not living a life in Christ then we should encourage them to read, study, pray and fellowship that that they would grow in faith. A newborn Christian will receive that with trust and joy because of the Spirit of God inside them. But if the word has been choked out by thorns, they will not receive that encouragement with joy. They may even get defensive. This is evidence that their faith was based on head knowledge but did not make it to their heart and the thorns have choked out their faith before there was a change of heart and the Spirit is not in them. In James 2 he talks about how even demons believe in God. And when Jesus was casting out demons in Mark 3:11 they called Him the Son of God. Knowledge of who Jesus is, is not enough. Receiving that truth in your heart and trusting your life to Him is what saves. That is where the fruit comes from. I don't want this to be the truth because I want to believe he is saved simply by the profession of his faith but the more I read and study the harder it is to believe that. There will be fruit in the life of someone who is saved. It will be good fruit that produce a crop a hundred times over. It will not be a one-time thing. It will not be temporary. They will continue to produce fruit. Jesus said in John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

Matthew 13:28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

We also read today that there will be weeds (unbelievers) in the church of God. People who look a lot like a Chrisitan, but they are not, and we can't tell the difference. This also supports that a simple profession of faith is not enough you must believe in your heart. Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

So, again we see the need for heart faith.

Jesus says not to remove the unbelievers because you might remove some believers without realizing it because let's face it only God knows who is and is not a believer. Which also means that I could be totally wrong, and he may be saved, and I just don't know what his fruit is. Only Jesus knows an only Jesus can reach him if he is not. Being in the church surrounded by mature believers God is working and until Jesus returns there is a chance that the head knowledge gets into the heart and there will be rejoicing in heaven as the weeds are transformed into wheat.

2Chorinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!