To be blessed or unblessed is all about what kind of soil your heart is. Jesus told a parable about a sower who sowed seed and there were four types of soil, Mathew 13. Three of the four types can be found in most churches.
What Parables Are
A parable is an earthly example that presents a heavenly concept, for the ways of God are beyond our comprehension, Isaiah 55:8,9, Job 37:5. This parable shows why there are those who are blessed and those who remain unblessed.
Jesus said it has been granted that to some the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed, Matthew 13:11. He went on to say ‘For whoever has to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him’, Matthew 13:12.
Jesus spoke about the four types of soil that describe the hearts of mankind. There are those who are blessed, those who sit in the middle and those who remain unblessed. It is not our place to judge another person’s heart, but you will find these four types of people wherever the gospel is preached.
Closed Mind
There are people who have a closed mind and frequently have brilliant IQs. They prefer to think of themselves as gods in their own right and don’t need this God who is presented to them. These people believe they know what is best for them.
In the bleak period of the Judges it was written, ‘Everyone did what was right in his own eyes’, Judges 21:25. This was the temptation in the Garden of Eden. ‘You will be like God’, Genesis 3:5. Ever since that time, unregenerate man has desired to be a god in his own right.
The gospel is preached but the heart is so hard the ‘birds’, demonic forces, quickly snatch the seed away. There is no chance for the gospel to take root. They refuse to hear the Word of God, like the Pharisees who resented, abused and crucified the Messiah. It is no wonder that God keeps His great truths hidden from these hard-hearted people.
God’s mercy is on everyone, Matthew 5:45, but those with a closed mind remain unblessed. To them the gospel is an abomination and they actively dislike Christians, eager to put them down at every opportunity.
Stony Ground
The second layer of the unblessed are those who refuse to give the Sovereign God the right to rule their life. They may believe Jesus died for their sins, but they refuse to commit to being a follower of Jesus Christ. A.W. Tozer wrote ‘They are out of the fold, not born again, and unblessed’.
Jesus said, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in Your name cast out demons. And in Your name perform many miracles, and then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness, Matthew 7:20-23.
These are minds led by the emotions and the gospel does not take root. Any appearance of following Jesus is superficial for under the shallow layer of earth, lies the same impenetrable rock as those with a closed mind.
They remain unblessed, for you need a covenantal relationship to know God’s blessings. The world has far more attraction for them than a relationship with the Creator.
Thorny Ground
The heart of thorny ground is symbolic of a wandering mind. The gospel seed takes root but bears no fruit, for the gospel gets choked out by the cares of this world.
They have no desire to serve at the Master’s feet, as they also prefer the self-seeking pleasures of this world. They are like the fig tree that bore no fruit, Luke 13:6-9. The fig tree withered when the sun came up, for it had no root to sustain it. These people are quick to abandon any sincere Christian walk when things get tough and there are fiery trials.
They are not rebellious towards God, for they have accepted Christ as their Saviour in a form of spiritual experience. However, like the stony ground, they refuse to turn their lives over to the Creator. They hang in the middle not committed to either world. Not real unbelievers, but not true believers either, merely ‘playing’ at Christianity. Jesus says they are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. I will spit you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:15,16.
Good Ground
Good ground is where you find the truly blessed. These people allow the Holy Spirit to work His work of sanctification, filling the whole soul. They are willing to yield all to the Creator of the universe, the Great I Am That I Am, Exodus 3:14.
However, this seed can only produce fruit according to the fulness of the life surrendered to God. It is a known fact that three-fifths of all seed sown does not grow to harvest. Just as there are three levels of fruitlessness, so there is a thirty-fold, sixty-fold, or a hundred-fold yield from good ground, which is fertile. These allow the Light of God, John 8:12, to penetrate the darkest depths of their soul and blessings abound.
Blessed
They acknowledge that God is Wisdom and are delighted to submit their lives to Him. They are not discouraged when things get tough and they do not take credit for what only God can do with them and through them. These people never doubt the goodness of a loving Heavenly Father who always acts with flawless precision. He is the One knows the end from the beginning, Isaiah 46:10. Nothing takes Him by surprise for He has lived all our tomorrows.
The blessed know the more you give to God of yourself, the more He blesses you. Not that they do it to get, but simply in loving adoration of the One who saved them. They want to grow to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:13. For their lives are hidden in Christ, Colossians 3:3, and they partake of all the blessings in Him, 1Peter 5:1.
Blessed or Unblessed
The choice to be counted among the blessed or the unblessed is always ours. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
God chose to give us a free will. We have the privilege of accepting or rejecting His way. It is always up to us as individuals. Soon He will return to call His bride away, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Only the blessed will be in the glorious company. You have the option or being ready or not.
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