You’re dirt.  The question is:  which kind?

I’d like you to do something.  2 Corinthians 13:5 says “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”  I’d like to ask you to do just that.  Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith.  I’m not asking you to do this alone.  I’ll help – along with another passage of scripture.  But to be fair, I should warn you….this might hurt a little.  Or a lot.

Jesus taught about people that have heard the Gospel and how they respond to it.  This teaching can be found in Matthew (chapter 13), Mark (chapter 4), and Luke (chapter 8).  As recounted in Mark 4, verse 13 says “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?’” As you may know, Jesus used parables a lot and the secret to understanding them, Jesus says, is in understanding this one.  But not only can we learn from this parable how others respond to the Gospel, you can, if you will be honest with yourself, use it to see how you have responded to the Gospel and to see whether you are in the faith.

The parable, as recounted in Matthew 13:3-9, reads as follows:

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

The disciples didn’t know what to make of this; they missed His point and did not or could not understand what Jesus was trying to get across to them.  So He explained the parable to them in verses 18-23:

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

So which are you?  If you have not heard the Gospel, please click here.  If you have and you have rejected it, then you are like the path – hard, beaten down, and trod upon.  I would plead with you – soften your heart to the saving grace and loving kindness of Jesus Christ.  Repent of your sins and put your faith in Him.

Have you at one point responded to The Good News in some way, such as perhaps you walked to the front of the church and/or signed a commitment card, but shortly after quit going to church and stopped reading your Bible (if you ever even started)?  If this is you, then you are like the rocky ground springing up and then withering away.  Or perhaps you openly call yourself a Christian, but don’t go to church unless it’s Christmas or Easter, you don’t read your Bible, and unless you tell someone you are a Christian nobody would ever know?  If this is you, then you are like the thorny ground allowing the world to rule you instead of the Lord.  Both of these types of false converts can occur for a number of reasons, but usually they happen due to a lack of repentance and responding to the Gospel with your head instead of your heart.  Focus on your sins, let them drive you to your knees, and just when you cannot bear looking at yourself in front of a holy, almighty God, look up and see your Jesus on the cross paying your penalty for you.  Then turn to Him out of gratitude and thankfulness for His amazing love and He promises you He will never lose you.

Are you a regular church attender, reading your Bible regularly if not daily?  Do you participate in programs and activities in the community?  Are you a Christian?  Are you sure?  Are you sowing seeds?  Have you produced a crop?  If not, don’t do so out of guilt or obligation nor for pride or reward.  The crop these motives will produce will be burned up.  Instead, do so in response to what has been done for you by Christ on the cross.

Time – to measure or record the speed, duration, or rate of (dictionary.com)

Chance – a possibility or probability of anything happening (dictionary.com)

Time and chance – both being simply a means to measure something and neither, in and of themselves, containing any power or control.

Time is nothing more than a measuring stick.  Chance is nothing more than a measuring stick.

Time = 0.  Chance = 0

0+0 = 0

Evolution = time and chance