Faith, Grace and Works
Luke 8:4-15

The first time I ever heard the story of the Sower and the Soil was when my uncle Mike read it to me. I was 16 and he called me over to his house one afternoon. Evidently my mother had called him with concerns about how I was living my life. Since I had no father growing up, my uncle served that role in my life from time to time. It was cool when he would take me camping; it was not cool when he would have to question my faith. His words stung as he pointed out that I did not have “deep roots” and was in risk of “falling away” in the face of temptation. What my uncle taught me that day was “where there is no fruit, there is no saving faith”. That’s the sobering truth behind the parable of the sower. And the sad thing is he had me dead right. He called it and I had no excuse. In my heart I was a Christian, but my lifestyle was far from it.

Many people’s hearts look the same way.  Believers have enthusiastically signed up for Jesus and committed to following him,  but either the concerns of the world or their own callousness have impeded progress to the point that we stop and question question whether they’re still in class with Christ or not.  The truth is anyone owned by Him, filled with his Word, and possessed by his Spirit will bear fruit.

As leaders we often encounter the person who prays to receive Christ, but doesn’t really get into church, youth group or the Bible, or anything.  What if a person accepts Christ but nothing changes… will he still go to heaven?

In other words, is it possible for a person to be legitimately saved without being transformed?  What if the meaning of this parable says, “no?”  There are all kinds of people who take an initial interest in Christ and make public professions of faith, but many, sadly, don’t take the Gospel to heart.  They may give brief evidences of life-change, like going to church and carrying a Bible, but they soon show their true colors.  They are unproductive, and therefore, unregenerate.  This parable suggests that three out of four hearts that hear Christ don’t know him.

Some people will find this idea unacceptable.  They will want to talk about grace, argue against lordship salvation, and remind you of a little reformation doctrine called justification by faith.

But I am reminded of what James said: Faith without works is dead.  It cannot save.  I also remember John Calvin’s formula for reformation: Faith alone justifies, but faith that justifies is not alone.  It results in works of obedience.

This in no way discounts grace.  Grace is the agent that calls forth faith and saves us as a result.  Far from being anti-grace, a belief in the necessity of transformation upholds grace.  It says that anyone who legitimately receives the supremely powerful grace of God cannot help but be changed.  The same grace that saves us is the same grace that grows and sanctifies us.

“T’was grace that brought me, safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

Amazing Grace, John Newton

How can God grip a life without it being radically altered?
How can the Holy Spirit possess a person without bearing fruit through them?

“And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?”

Everything, Lighthouse

I’m grateful that my uncle read this parable and tested the quality of my own heart-soil. As leaders I want challenge you to chart your progress and see if spiritual fruit is growing there.  Luke 8:18 says, Consider carefully how you listen.  We must not let the words of Scripture merely enter our ears.  Those words need to saturate our hearts so that eventually they will get pumped out in our actions.

Test the quality of your heart’s soil. In this parable Jesus speaks to four types of hearts, what’s the condition of yours?

• The Hardened Heart — Represented by the hard path, this heart stiff-arms the Gospel.  It remains unstirred and unresponsive.Acid Test: Does the Bible bore you?

• The Weakened Heart — This person is like shallow, rocky soil.  There is an initial response to the Word, but pressures and difficulties cause the person’s faith to wilt.Acid Test: Do you relax your standards around unbelievers?

• The Congested Heart — This heart is crowded by both the Word and worldliness.  The cares of life, the allure of money, and the pursuit of pleasure choke out God’s influence.Acid Test: What do your priorities say about your heart’s first love?

• The Transformed Heart — The legit Christ-followerAcid Test: How are you different today than you were six months ago?

Tags: faith, grace, parable, transformation, Wesleyan Youth, works

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