What must I do to be saved?

There are several parables that teach us principles that are very much related to the growth of God’s kingdom. Today we want to take a look at just a few from Matthew 13 and continue to study and learn so that we are in a position to glorify God and be blessed through His providential working.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (Mt. 13)
The parable of the sower pictures a man sowing seed indiscriminately. The seed falls on four differing kinds of soil. We are told in Luke 8:11 that the seed is the Word of God. Without going into detail concerning this familiar parable, note the following points:
1. The agent of converting and saving the soul is the Word of God! (Rom. 1:16).
2. There is a place to scatter the Word of God far and wide (Mt. 28:18-20).
3. We should not expect all seed to come to fruition.
4. But should expect some to bear fruit, finding good hearts! The more seed spread, the more hearts will be found!
5. Remember, we sow the seed, God gives the increase! (1 Cor. 3:6).

THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND WEEDS (Read Mt. 13:24-30; 36-43; see also the Parable of the Net – Mt. 13:47-50)

This generally less familiar parable pictures bad seed secretly being spread amongst the good. When the servants make this discovery, they inquire regarding what they ought to do. The master tells them to let the weeds grow with the wheat and the matter will be settled at the harvest. Here are a few important considerations:
1. Both the Lord and Satan continue to sow seed today. The devil has done so from the beginning (see Gen. 3:1-7). In 1 Timothy 4, Paul refers to doctrine that is not from God as the doctrine of demons. We are defenders of the faith of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:17; Jude 3). We cast down arguments (2 Cor. 10:5). We speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). We join Jesus in sowing the “good seed,” the seed of the kingdom.
2. An amazing motivation we have for sowing good seed and defending the faith is what will take place at the end, on judgment day. That is what we labor for. To make a difference in eternity!
3. From a negative perspective, when sights are turned away from what will take place at the judgment, that’s often when seed becomes tainted! Don’t be short-sighted!

THE PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND PEARL OF GREAT PRICE (Read Mt. 13:44-45)

Both of these very short parables emphasize the amazing value and joy of the kingdom. We need to be reminded of the great hope we live with each day so that we will be compelled to make that treasure available for others!

These parables from Matthew 13 are just a few of the parables that relate to the growth of the body of Christ and the privilege we have of being involved with the work of our Lord!

Daren Schroeder

First, the Bible: “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” (Luke 3:8-11)

This Daily Droplets serves as a prelude to an article I will be writing soon for Christian Family magazine on “How to Train a Child to Repent.” The Greek word “repent” means to “change one’s mind.” We see this illustrated in John’s command to the Jews: “bear fruits in keeping with repentance.” The “fruits” refer to the changed behavior, which must be “in keeping with” a changed mind. If you truly change your mind, you will change your behavior.

What about with children? It comes down to training the heart to be sensitive to God’s nature and His commands. When we decide we want to repent, we are going to have to put in some work. Self-control is not easy. Jesus spent many hours, even tears, in prayer to God. Repentance also needs to include the confession of the sin committed. A generic confession is a reflection of a generic (not heart-based) repentance. When the Jews were baptized by John, they “confessed their sins” (Matt. 3:6). It would help if, when you have your child apologize for doing something wrong, you also have them say, “I’m sorry I did….” You might even need to have them say, “Please forgive me.” That also creates a sensitive heart.

Sorrow for sin needs to be felt and it can also be taught (2 Cor. 7:9-10). Teach your children about the love of God and how sin offends that love. Teach them about the love of Christ and how sin is what put Him on the cross. Teach them that sin not only can cause us to lose our souls, but it also greatly saddens God when we choose not to honor Him with obedience.

After you correct your child, have a conversation with him or her. Talk about the offense, why it was wrong, and how they should respond more appropriately. Replacing bad behavior with good behavior is a part of repentance as well. There may also need to be some type of restitution made.

After your child has made the appropriate apology and made amends, put the event behind you both and move forward. Remember that Jesus forgave Peter and reenforced His love and expectations of His apostle (John 21:15-17). And, as always, Mom and Dad, you have to model a penitent heart first, foremost, and always.

Paul Holland

To quickly create and offer the Ford Pinto for sale in the 1970s, management knowingly sold a car that became “notorious for its tendency in rear-end collisions to leak fuel and explode into flames. More than two dozen people were killed or injured in Pinto fires before the company issued a recall to correct the problem” (Max H. Bazerman and Ann E. Tenbrunsel, “Ethical Breakdowns,” Harvard Business Review, April 2011). Ford’s management valued selling merchandise more highly than providing a safe vehicle. This is a tragic example of unethical intentions.

In order for the divine Godhead, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Jesus, and the Holy Father, to dwell in us, we have to be more than ethical in our lives. We have to be holy. “Saint” is the word that God has used most often to define or identify His followers. The word is used 60 times in the NT to refer to Christians. That is God’s way of reminding us that if we have been baptized into Christ and had His blood wash our sins away (Acts 22:16; Eph. 5:26-27), we are “saints.” We are holy. But, let’s back up a ways…

MAN (ADAM AND EVE) WERE EXPELLED FROM GOD’S PRESENCE – Genesis 3:22-24:
When Adam and Eve listened to Satan tell his lies, they decided not to trust God and obey His word. They brought sin into their lives and, consequently, “expelled” the holy God from their sphere.

GOD COMMANDS ISRAEL TO CREATE A TENT OF WORSHIP – Exodus 25:1-9:
This tent was made holy through the sacrifice of the blood of animals: Leviticus 4:6, 17. Then it was the responsibility of the Levites to keep sin from entering the tent of worship because when you enter God’s presence to worship, you are entering holy ground. In Numbers 1:50-53, God commanded Moses to appoint the Levites to kill anyone who tried to enter the tent of worship who had not been authorized by God.

THE SPIRITUAL HOUSE FOR THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD – 1 Peter 2:4-12:
So all Christians are part of a holy priesthood – the holy priesthood – and Peter mixes metaphors when he also pictures Christians as “living stones,” that is – we are the temple of God, the dwelling place of deity. Everything that we give to God by what of worship, honoring Him, glorifying Him, serving Him, they are spiritual sacrifices given to God.

THE GATES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – Psalm 118:19-23:
It is marvelous that sinful humanity can be righteous in the eyes of God, holy in the presence of God – but, of course, this only happens when we are immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

HUMILITY KEEPS THE SANCTUARY UNDEFILED – Luke 20:46-47:
When we are embracing our place in the kingdom of God, as royal priests and living stones that a builder has chosen for his work, we are doing the work of becoming holy. Jesus invites us to depend upon and follow him. These are rather passive actions, yet they require submission to his leading and trust that he wants us and knows what he is doing. It is the Word of God that makes us holy when we obey it: John 17:17; 1 Peter 1:22.

IMMORALITY DEFILES THE SANCTUARY – 1 Thess. 4:7-8:
God has made us holy, cleansing us from the filth of sin. But we have to make our own choice whether to continue in that purity or not. We know that the Holy Spirit left King Saul because of his disobedience (1 Sam. 16:14) and King David, after he had committed murder and adultery, prayed that the Holy Spirit would not leave him (Psalm 51:11). But we do not know just how much sin God will allow us to engage in before the Holy Spirit leaves us. That’s why it is so important for us to continue to repent whenever we know that we have sinned. Because we can’t be saved if we are not holy. The Hebrew writer tells us to “pursue holiness without which no one will see God” (Heb. 12:14).

Seeking holiness with humility opens the door for God to dwell within us. Let’s walk this path together!

Paul Holland

Protestants will often quote one passage (like Ephesians 2:8) as if it is the final word on a specific topic so that they will not allow other passages to modify their understanding of that single passage. Satan does that when he quotes Psalm 91:11-12 in the temptations of Jesus, as if Psalm 91 was a universal promise. But Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 to show Satan that one passage can modify our understanding of a specific text.

You and I need to make sure we study a passage as thoroughly as possible before we presume to speak on God’s behalf. Another example is Matthew 12:1-8 where Jesus shows that the text about remembering the Sabbath is modified by another text, Hosea 6:6.

In Romans 4, Paul interprets Genesis 15:6 (4:3) relative to Abraham’s faith being reckoned as righteousness in light of Psalm 32:1, a text which was written after Genesis 15:6.

Acts 5:29 tells about Peter and John stating that we need to “obey God rather than man.” We are supposed to obey our civil rulers (Rom. 13:1-4), but there are occasions when we are obligated to disobey them in order to stay faithful to God.

In Mark 12:33, a scribe says that the two greatest commandments are “much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

So the Scriptures teach that while every passage is important and comes from the mouth of God, God also teaches us to consider other passages which comment on the same point or the same theme. Because one text might teach a principle that takes precedence over another text.

Paul Holland

Described as “the worst in recorded history,” the heavy rains “drenched the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.” The Newspaper in Greenville, Tennessee, wrote, “Reports are coming in slowly from the county, but so far, the damage done to the county and farms is more than has ever been known in the history of the county.  Every bridge in Greene County across Chucky River is gone” The journal from Knoxville summed it all up. “Some facts and the flood are almost incredible…with winds from forty to sixty miles per hour.”

Are these reports from the floods caused by Hurricane Helene? No. This is from the Great Flood of October 1901! These reports mention another great flood in 1867. Which flood was the “worst in recorded history?” 1867, 1901, or 2024?

So, is the climate changing or remaining the same? God told Noah long ago, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22). Summers are hot, winters are cold, hurricanes and floods come and go. So the climate remains the same, just as God told us so.

-Dennis Doughty

Joseph Duckworth’s dad was 77 years old and was not long for this world. But he had one last request for his son. Duckworth’s dad was a World War II veteran of the South Pacific, having been stationed on the USS Bunker Hill, CV-17. His request… to have a flag on his coffin that had flown over an aircraft carrier.

Being the loving son that he was, Joseph first called the Navy recruiter’s office to get some direction. The recruiter recommended he call his congressman. The congressman sent him to a Navy admiral’s office. The admiral answered the phone with a gravelly voice:

“Now you listen to me, young man! Those brave people who served in World War II kept us free! This is one admiral in the United States Navy who intends to see to it that those old sailors receive the honor and gratitude of our country! I’ll give you the name and telephone number of a captain here at Norfolk Naval Base. You call him and tell him I said to get you an aircraft carrier flag in the mail today!” Then the admiral asked Joseph on which aircraft carrier he served: USS Bunker Hill, CV-17.

There was brief silence on the phone. The admiral then commented: “Kamaikazes. Two of them. It was bad. I am telling you, your dad’s flag will be on the way to you today.” Mr. Joseph thanked the admiral but the admiral responded: “No, Son, thank you! You’ve given me the opportunity to thank that old sailor and provide him with the flag of our country. He deserves it, and I intend for him to have his flag.”

Mr. Joseph Duckworth got his flag two days later. His dad had a flag from an aircraft carrier draped over his coffin when he died July 4, 1995. (Reader’s Digest, November 2024, pages 28-31)

Jesus had a special memorial in His heart when He was on His “death bed.” He wanted you and me to assemble around His table every Lord’s Day and remember His sacrifice for us. And to be grateful that you and I are members of His kingdom. Let’s study the institution of the Lord’s Supper as Luke presents it in Luke 22.

When God wanted to make His plan, His agreement to bless the world through the seed of Abraham, God used a word from man’s international diplomacy to convey that plan. In Hebrew, it is the word “berit.” The word is used 284 times in the OT. The English word is “covenant.” Our modern English equivalent is the word “treaty.” The U. S. signs something like 200 treaties every year. God made a covenant with Noah and his family in Genesis 6 & 9. God has made several treaties / covenants in the OT; the two most important are the treaties God made with Abraham, recorded primarily in Genesis 12 and 17 and the treaty with King David in 2 Samuel 7.

Jeremiah, when Israel was being seized by Babylon, predicted a new covenant between God and His people which would provide the forgiveness of sins which precipitated the exile: Jeremiah 31:31-34. See Matthew 26:28; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:14-39; 2 Cor 3 & 4; Heb. 8-10.

The Greek word “covenant” is used 33 times in the NT, only twice in the Gospel of Luke. In 1:72, the father of John the baptizer says that God is accomplishing redemption for His people by remembering the covenant He made with Abraham, in sending Jesus into the world (1:72).

THE NEW COVENANT IS MEMORIALIZED IN THE LORD’S SUPPER – 22:14-23:
Jesus takes a cup of the juice from the grape (ver. 17) and thanks God for the events which the Passover meal memorialized – the redemption of Israel from slavery in Egypt (probably), and then He shares that cup with the apostles.

Jesus then takes the unleavened bread (ver. 19) and after He gives thanks again, He breaks the bread and gives it to the apostles. He tells them the bread “is” His body. Jesus assuredly uses the bread (and “cup”) as a metaphor for His body; the Law of Moses forbid eating blood and cannibalism (Lev. 3:17; 7:26-27; 17:14; Deut. 12:16, 23-25; 15:23).

Then Jesus takes another cup after they had eaten the meal itself, and He told them the cup was the “New Covenant” – the New Testament of Jesus Christ – which was confirmed and inaugurated by His blood which will be poured out (ver. 20). The apostles do not grasp the fact that Jesus is predicting His death at this point.

The reference to the “blood of the covenant” alludes to Exodus 24:8 where it denotes the idea that the Mosaic covenant was inaugurated by the blood of animals. The New Covenant will be inaugurated by the blood of the holy Son of God (Heb. 9:18-28). See also Matthew 26:28. There is also an important theological principle linking blood with forgiveness in Leviticus 17:11. “Being given” and “being shed” (ver. 19 and 20) are both present tense participles, suggesting that Jesus is in the process of giving His life and shedding His blood. The present tense makes the offering very vivid.

Paul Holland

First, the Bible: “So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account” (Genesis 18:26).

Genesis 18 is a good example of God allowing Himself to be approached by man and even to have man “negotiate” with God. God presents Himself as willing to change His plans if man would change his behavior. We see examples of this also in Exodus 32 and Jonah.

We have emphasized that parents are the final authority in the home and I do not wish to undermine at all that point. Certainly, children need to be taught and to learn how to take “no” as an answer. The world is full of “no’s.” Nobody gets their way all the time.

However, as children become older, it is important to teach your children how to negotiate. A husband or wife who refuses to negotiate is a terrible person to live with and an employee or employer who refuses to negotiate is an awful person in the work place. So how can you teach your children how to negotiate without losing your authority?

Here is a suggestion and, of course, that’s all it is. If your child is busy doing something when you want them to do something else, train them. First, they need to acknowledge what you want them to do. We should always make sure our children understand what we want them to do. And a good way to make sure they understand is to repeat back to you what you have told them. So, first, have them acknowledge what you have asked / told them to do.

Secondly, you might have them then point out the issue they are having. Have they just started playing with a toy? Have they just started a TV show? Are they involved in something that would create a problem if it was interrupted? Have them gently and respectfully point that out.

Thirdly, they should then make a counter-proposal with the appropriate humility expressed as they recognize Mom and Dad still have the final say: “Please, instead, may I…?”

You are not relinquishing your authority if you negotiate with your child or compromise with them. You are still keeping your authority and you are showing that you are approachable, flexible, and you are teaching them a skill that will last a lifetime.

Paul Holland

The story out of Laurel County, Kentucky less than two months ago captured the nation’s attention.  As cars traveled along busy Interstate 75 near London, shots began ringing out.  When the shots stopped, 12 cars had been hit and five people had been injured.  The manhunt focused on a local man who had posted on social media that he was about to “kill a lot of people”.  The hunt ended a few days later when the suspect’s body was found.  He apparently had taken his own life.

It’s déjà vu all over again, as the saying goes.  Today reports tell of drivers on Interstate 40 near Raleigh, North Carolina who have been hit by gunfire.  Six cars have been hit on two different days; one person sustained a wound to their leg, but the others escaped bodily injury.  So far there is no word about a possible suspect, though the hunt is intensifying.

This is another reminder that there are few places on earth where one is not subject to danger.  What seems to be a routine event – for some, a morning commute to work – now is cloaked in possible mayhem.  Who’s to say that the next bullet fired won’t come when we’re the ones driving through that vicinity?  When shots come out of nowhere, anything is possible.

The likelihood of such a sniper crossing our path is low, but there’s another scenario that is more than possible: it’s going to happen!  The warning in 1 Peter 5:8 speaks of this: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  Satan stalks each one of us, and he waits for opportune moments to strike.

“Stalk” is the right word for Satan.  The Bible does not describe him as all-knowing; that’s an attribute of God.  But just as a lion stalks its prey, so the devil follows us, observing our choices, our habits, and our weaknesses.  In gathering that arsenal of information, he is plotting a plan to strike, to send temptations like shots out of nowhere.

The spiritual parallel to gunfire is temptation to commit sin.  James 1:14,15 gives valuable information of how temptation operates: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

These people in Kentucky and North Carolina were totally unprepared for the shots fired at them, but Christians have no reason to be taken by surprise.  Further, God provides what we need to defend ourselves when temptations are fired in our direction.  Paul described “the armor of God” in Ephesians 6, and one piece of that armor deserves special notice: “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16).

As we travel life’s Interstate, let us “be sober, be vigilant”, knowing that Satan will attack us.  By preparing ourselves in advance, his attacks will not penetrate our souls.  May we do all within our power to strengthen our faith and so fend off every shot that comes at us.

Come to the light God offers!  Study His word, the Bible.  Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).  Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright, 2024, Timothy D. Hall

A woman by the name of Margaretha Zelle arrived in Paris in 1904. She had only half a franc in her pocket. At that time, thousands of people were immigrating to Paris, but many of them fell into prostitution because there was not work to be done. Margaretha decided to do something different. She began promoting herself as a Hindu mystic. She had traveled with her family to Java and Sumatra when she was young and remembered rituals which had been performed.

Margaretha took on the stage name “Mata Hari” and she would perform her rituals in a room filled with statues and relics from the Hindu religion and from Java. She told stories from the Indian mythologies and folks stories. She became extremely popular. People came from all over to see and hear her. She was even invited to Berlin, Vienna, and Milan.

As reporters began doing their research, they asked questions. And the more questions they asked “Mata Hari,” the more her story changed. It came out that she actually was from the Netherlands. She shared that she had grown up on the island of Java and had spent time in India. In 1905, her name was well known through the streets of Paris.

Eventually, however, her past caught up with her. She was arrested near the end of World War I, tried, convicted, and executed as a German spy. It was during her trial that the facts came out – her real name, her history, and that she was actually from Friesland, Holland and had no Eastern blood in her at all!

But it was her mysterious air that made her so popular. When someone is mysterious, the audience (or public) can make out of them what they want. I have talked to individuals over the years who act like the “Truth” is more complicated, more involved, or even more mysterious than how I have presented it to them.

It is not unlike how Satan tries to make God’s word mysterious or more complicated than it really is. The early false doctrine of Gnosticism suggested that certain individuals had special knowledge (“gnosis”) from God. But Paul argues in passages like Colossians 2 that the fullness of God is found in Jesus Christ (2:9). I have heard that brother Tom Holland was teaching a class at David Lipscomb in homiletics and a student stood up to give a lesson and started with “I’m going to tell you something you probably haven’t heard before.” Brother Holland replied, “You better not.”

There is nothing new in the Scriptures. In my studies of church history, I have learned that there is nothing new or distinctive about what the “churches of Christ” teach. Some other religious group, somewhere, teaches some of the same doctrines that the church teaches, like not using mechanical instruments of music in worship or observing the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day. It is because they have studied the same text we have.

The Gospel is no mystery. If we can’t sit down with someone from a different language or culture and study the Scriptures and come to the same understanding (assuming we both have good and honest hearts), then there might be something amiss in our handling of the Scriptures. The Scriptures ought to be self-interpreting, self-enlightening, and self-correcting. Don’t be fooled by Satan working in mysterious ways!

Paul Holland

The words of God, the words ofJesus, are intended to give us both information and comfort.

Underline in your copy of God’s word this phrase every time it appears in this extended discussion by Jesus with His apostles: “These things I have spoken to you:” John 14:25; 15:11; 16:1, 3-4, 6, 12, 25, 33; 17:13. “I have told you before…” John 14:29. “The word which I have spoken” John 15:3.

Among the promises that Jesus gives His apostles on this occasion is that they would be guided by the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus identifies as the “Helper” or “Advocate” or “Comforter” (John 14:16). Jesus also identifies Him as the “Spirit of Truth” (John 14:17). The Spirit would “abide” in the apostles and be in them. In fact, in John 14:24, Jesus states that the word which they heard from Him were not His words, they were words from the Father who sent Him. Jesus was intensely concerned about doing nothing without the Father’s guidance nor teaching anything without the Father’s guidance. Jesus did not do anything based on His own initiative. Half a dozen times Jesus says that He did nothing nor taught anything on His own initiative. In fact, the only thing Jesus did do on His own initiative was offer His life as a sacrifice (John 10:18). In our broader context, notice 14:31: “I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.”

When Paul talked about the second coming of Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 4, and what would happen at that point, he concludes that brief paragraph with the words: “comfort one another with these words” (4:18).

If we are serious about honoring Jesus Christ, despite the tribulations we experience in this world, then we will meditate often, if not daily, on His words. Jesus told these apostles: “If they” – the broader world of Christ’s followers – “kept My word, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20). You can’t set the words of Jesus above the words of the apostles. The teachings of the book of Acts through Revelation, being guided by the Holy Spirit, are not any less powerful or godly or divine than the words of Jesus in the Gospel accounts. Go back to John 13:20 and note these words of our Lord: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send [the apostles] receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

If you want to walk with Jesus through the tribulations you experience in this life, you must meditate often, if not daily, on the words of God from Scripture. Don’t limit yourself to any one text of Scripture either. Remember that Jesus found strength against the temptations of Satan from the book of Deuteronomy. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He quoted both Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:18.

Read broadly, read shallowly, study deeply. The psalmist had said in Psalm 1 that the godly man’s “delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (1:2). Later, the psalmist will write in Psalm 119:11: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”

Paul Holland