"The gospel seed often falls among thorns and noxious weeds; and if there is not a moral transformation in the human heart, if old habits and practices and the former life of sin are not left behind, if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the wheat crop will be choked. The thorns will come to be the crop, and will kill out the wheat.
Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil; they need no cultivation; but grace must be carefully cultivated. The briers and thorns are always ready to spring up, and the work of purification must advance continually.
Christ specified the things that are dangerous to the soul. As recorded by Mark He mentions
--the cares of this world,
--the deceitfulness of riches,
--and the lusts of other things.
Luke specifies the
--cares,
--riches, and
--pleasures of this life.
These are what choke the word, the growing spiritual seed. The soul ceases to draw nourishment from Christ, and spirituality dies out of the heart.
We are enjoined in the Scriptures to be "not slothful in business." Rom. 12:11. We are to labor that we may impart to him who needs. Christians must work, they must engage in business, and they can do this without committing sin. But many become so absorbed in business that they have no time for prayer, no time for the study of the Bible, no time to seek and serve God."
"Worldly cares are fitly compared to thorns, for they came in with sin....Worldly cares are great hindrances to our profiting by the word of God, and our proficiency in religion. They eat up that vigour of soul which should be spent in divine things divert us from duty, distract us in duty, and do us most mischief of all afterwards quenching the sparks of good affections."
Christ Object Lessons p.50,51 E.G.W./MatthewHenry
Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil; they need no cultivation; but grace must be carefully cultivated. The briers and thorns are always ready to spring up, and the work of purification must advance continually.
Christ specified the things that are dangerous to the soul. As recorded by Mark He mentions
--the cares of this world,
--the deceitfulness of riches,
--and the lusts of other things.
Luke specifies the
--cares,
--riches, and
--pleasures of this life.
These are what choke the word, the growing spiritual seed. The soul ceases to draw nourishment from Christ, and spirituality dies out of the heart.
We are enjoined in the Scriptures to be "not slothful in business." Rom. 12:11. We are to labor that we may impart to him who needs. Christians must work, they must engage in business, and they can do this without committing sin. But many become so absorbed in business that they have no time for prayer, no time for the study of the Bible, no time to seek and serve God."
"Worldly cares are fitly compared to thorns, for they came in with sin....Worldly cares are great hindrances to our profiting by the word of God, and our proficiency in religion. They eat up that vigour of soul which should be spent in divine things divert us from duty, distract us in duty, and do us most mischief of all afterwards quenching the sparks of good affections."
Christ Object Lessons p.50,51 E.G.W./MatthewHenry