Cheat Sheet #10

As you read this section, keep in mind that the New Testament is not merely a history book, it's meant to change us to become more and more like Jesus. When we read any passages in the New Testament, our goal should be to discern what God wants us to believe and do so that we can be obedient to Him.

In the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:13-20 and Luke 8:4-15, below), notice that Jesus described four groups of people. The people in the first group represent all atheists and agnostics and people of other faiths who never believe in Jesus for salvation. The people in the second group probably think they're Christians because they believe in Jesus for a while, but then they fall away when they are tested. According to several Bible commentaries, the people who fall away (the second group) were probably never saved to begin with. This illustrates the fact that people can appear to be saved, and might think they're saved, when in fact they might not be. My article called How to Receive Salvation describes the scriptural requirements for salvation in detail so that you can be absolutely certain that you are saved and going to heaven.

The people in the third group are Christians because we're not told that they refuse to believe in Jesus, but instead we're told that they have no spiritual maturity (Luke 8:14, below). They're not growing and maturing (see my article called Cheat Sheet #05) or trying to obey all of God's commands (see my article called Cheat Sheet #01) because they're focused on their own lives. They have wrong priorities and a wrong perspective of who they are in this world (see my article called Cheat Sheet #04). Jesus essentially said that this chokes their Christian life, making them unfruitful (because the word that they heard gets choked). Clearly this is a problem.

The people in the fourth group are the only ones who are endorsed by Jesus because they produce a crop and are fruitful, meaning that they're trying to be obedient to God's commands and will receive rewards (see my article called Cheat Sheet #12). The passages below show how important it is for us to be fruitful (obedient to God's commands).

Which group are you in? If you can't honestly say that you're in the fourth group, trying to be as completely obedient to the Lord as possible, then you'll be disciplined (perhaps severely) both in this life and in heaven for not obeying Him (see my articles called Cheat Sheet #11, Cheat Sheet #12, and Cheat Sheet #13).

Relevant passages:

Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive 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. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown." (Mark 4:13-20)

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?" And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:4-15 NKJV)

Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. (Luke 6:44)

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (John 15:1-2)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. (John 15:4-10)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (John 15:16)

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. (Romans 7:4)

In the above passages we're told that we need to bear fruit for God, and we're told that "bearing fruit" means being obedient to God. In the Parable of the Sower (above), the people in the fourth group were endorsed by Jesus because they were fruitful, so they represent Christians who make it a priority to be obedient by doing whatever God wants. The people in the third group are choked and unfruitful since their priorities revolve around their own lives and worldly issues, so they represent worldly Christians (because we're told that they have no spiritual maturity - Luke 8:14, above). They're not trying to be obedient to God, so they're not storing up many treasures and rewards in heaven (see my article called Cheat Sheet #12).

In Luke 19:11-27 (below), Jesus told the Parable of the Minas, and in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told the Parable of the Talents. The wording in both parables is similar in some respects and different in some respects, and they're often assumed to be essentially the same parable. However, my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Eight explains that those two parables are not referring to the same groups of servants. In the Parable of the Minas (below), notice that Jesus once again distinguished between fruitful and unfruitful Christians:

"While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them - bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"" (Luke 19:11-27)

In the Parable of the Minas (above), Jesus said that a man went to a distant country to have himself appointed as king, which parallels the fact that Jesus died and went to heaven and has been exalted above all kings (e.g., Philippians 2:6-9). Before he left, the man in the parable gave each of his servants one mina (about three months' wages according to Bible commentaries) and expected them to be obedient and put the money to work until he returns, just as Jesus has given His servants (all Christians) the Holy Spirit and expects us to be obedient and use the gifts of the Spirit until He returns. The man in the parable returned and then judged each of his servants, who received rewards or suffered loss based on their obedience, just as Jesus will return and judge all Christians, and we will receive rewards or suffer loss based on our obedience (see my article called Cheat Sheet #12). One servant in the parable earned ten more minas, which represents Christians who are fruitful with their spiritual gifts because as we all use our spiritual gifts, then more and more people will be saved and have the Holy Spirit.

In the Parable of the Minas (above), the subjects are referred to as the king's enemies and they are put to death, so they represent all non-Christians. The servants in that parable represent all Christians (whether fruitful or unfruitful). The first servant was very fruitful and was told "Well done, my good servant!" However, the third servant did not obey his master's command to put his mina to work, so he was unproductive and unfruitful, which represents the worldly Christians in the third group in the Parable of the Sower (above). Notice that Jesus called him a "wicked" servant because he was "remiss, slothful" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, poneros). So the unproductive and unfruitful servant (representing worldly Christians) was negligent and lazy because he was not properly obeying his master, and he was rebuked and severely disciplined by his master.

These parables describe two types of Christians, and the type of Christian we are is based entirely on our own choice and priority. We can choose to make it a priority to be completely obedient to our Master and be told "Well done, my good servant!" or we can choose to have our priorities revolve around our own lives and worldly issues and be rebuked and disciplined (perhaps severely) for being negligent and lazy servants (the painful consequences for our disobedience are described in my articles called Cheat Sheet #11, Cheat Sheet #12, and Cheat Sheet #13).

All throughout the New Testament we can see both types of Christians, and both types can be found in most churches. One type seems to have a fire inside to find out what God wants us to do and obey Him. They're not satisfied with hearing a sermon once a week, so they frequently study the Bible, and their Bibles tend to be filled with yellow, blue, or pink highlighted passages as well as sticky notes to mark different pages. Jesus and the authors of the New Testament said only good things about them (as in the parables above), and they're storing up treasures in heaven (see my article called Cheat Sheet #12).

The second type of Christian has no fire to find out what God wants us to do and obey Him, so they're lukewarm. They're comfortable with what they believe and with the way they're living their lives and satisfied with hearing a sermon once a week (and occasionally reading a little bit in the Bible). Pastors often refer to them as complacent or lukewarm Christians (look up those terms online). Jesus and the authors of the New Testament said only bad things about them, comparing them to plants that are choked off and referring to them as immature, wicked or lazy, worldly, spiritual infants, and adulterous against God (aligning themselves with His enemies). They're not storing up very many treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20), and Jesus said that they make Him sick to His stomach (wanting to vomit):

[the Parable of the Sower, above] "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." (Luke 8:14)

[the Parable of the Minas, above] "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'" (Luke 19:22-23)

"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly - mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14)

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

[Jesus is speaking to a Christian church] "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit [emeo] you out of my mouth...Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." (Revelation 3:15-19)

Some people like hot coffee and some like iced coffee, but people generally find lukewarm coffee to be disgusting. In Revelation 3:15-19 (above), Jesus said that lukewarm Christians make Him sick to His stomach (wanting to vomit). (The Greek word emeo is not used anywhere else in the New Testament, but it's used for "vomit" in the Greek version of Isaiah 19:14.) He said that He loves them but they need to be earnest or zealous and repent, otherwise they might be disciplined as described in my article called Cheat Sheet #11. The painful consequences for our wrong beliefs or lack of obedience are no one's fault but our own. My articles called Cheat Sheet #12 and Cheat Sheet #13 show that the consequences for our lack of obedience will follow us to heaven. If we're not trying to be fully obedient to God in this life, we're jeopardizing our future in heaven.

In fact, the consequences of being lukewarm (the second type of Christian) will be far worse than we might realize. In the Parable of the Minas (above), notice that the "wicked" servant (who represents worldly, lukewarm, complacent Christians) had his mina taken away from him, and Jesus said, "to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away" (Luke 19:11-27, above). He said the same thing on other occasions as well:

"The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them."" (Matthew 13:10-12)

[the Parable of the Talents] "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" (Matthew 25:26-30)

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them." (Luke 8:16-18)

Matthew 25:26-30 (above) is thoroughly discussed in my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Eight, but in all of the other places where Jesus said, "whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them," He was describing what will happen in heaven when it's time for Christians to receive their rewards. The first type of Christian will receive rewards, but the second type will suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) and will be ashamed before Him (1 John 2:28) as explained in my article called Cheat Sheet #12. The first type is usually influenced by what they see in Bible passages. The second type is the exact opposite because they are usually not influenced by what they see in Bible passages. The second type of Christian doesn't understand that it's our responsibility to hear what God's Spirit says:

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:7)

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:11)

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:17)

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:29)

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:6)

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:13)

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:22)

Jesus was speaking to Christians in the above passages, telling us to hear what God's Spirit says. Every Christian has God's Spirit in them, and therefore every Christian has spiritual ears:

"For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:11-14)

Every Christian has spiritual ears, but only the first type of Christian is obeying Jesus' commands in the above passages where He repeatedly told us to hear what God's Spirit says. In other words, it's our responsibility to consider carefully the Christian teachings that we hear (or read in the Bible):

""If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear." "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you - and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them."" (Mark 4:23-25)

"We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." (Hebrews 2:1)

Whether you're the first or the second type of Christian is based on where you choose to get your views. The first type chooses to try to understand what God has written in the Bible so that they can obey Him, even if they don't feel like obeying. The second type is the exact opposite because they choose not to try to understand what God has written in the Bible or obey it, but instead, they choose to obey their feelings (what sounds right to them or what they're comfortable with), no matter what the Bible says. The sad irony is that the second type won't understand or believe that the above passages (about lukewarm Christians) are referring to them because they're usually not influenced by what the Bible says (which is exactly why they make Jesus sick to His stomach).

It's important that we understand whom we are serving and obeying because Jesus said that we can only serve one master, and He and Paul both gave examples of serving other masters:

[Jesus is speaking:] "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

"I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." (Romans 16:17-18)

"Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things." (Philippians 3:17-19)

The distinguishing characteristic between the first and second types of Christians is that the first type shows by their actions that their allegiance is to God. The second type, which seems to include most Christians, says that they believe in God and love God, but their actions show that their allegiance is to their human nature (what feels right to them or what they're comfortable with). Jesus said that we can only serve one master, so the second type of Christians are serving themselves; their human nature is their master.

Deep down, lukewarm Christians (the second type) don't want the Bible telling them what to do, or they feel it's not always relevant in modern times, so they rarely open their Bibles. You can become the first type and avoid being disciplined (perhaps severely) so that you can store up rewards in heaven and be told "Well done, my good servant" (Luke 19:17) by making the choice to set aside your feelings and begin obeying what God says in His written instructions (the New Testament) and spoken instructions, even when you don't want to. Bible passages will make a lot more sense to you when you're willing to believe and obey them. For help in understanding His written instructions, see my article called How to Study the Bible. For help in discerning His spoken instructions, see my article called How to Discern God's Guidance.

In order to be thorough, we can also see a third type of Christian throughout the New Testament, and they will suffer loss in heaven as we saw with the second type. These are teachers and preachers who use smooth talk, appeal to people's emotions, and distort Bible passages for their own benefit (knowingly or unknowingly), whether out of greed, to win their own followers, to gain power and prestige, or for other unchristian purposes. For example, see Acts 20:29-30, Romans 16:17-18, Galatians 4:17-18, Ephesians 4:14, Colossians 2:8, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Titus 1:10-16, 3:9-11, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-21, 3:15-16, and 1 John 2:26.

Which type of Christian have you chosen to be? Have you chosen to be the first type, making it a priority to be completely obedient to God's written instructions and His spoken instructions (even when you don't want to), or have you chosen to be the second or third type, having your priorities revolve around your own life and worldly issues? As my article called Cheat Sheet #04 explains, if we take on the interests, fears, and concerns of the world as our own then we're aligning ourselves with God's enemies, making us spiritual adulterers against Him (James 4:4, above).