May 6, 2011

“A sower went out to sow to sow his seeds. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside . . . some fell on stony places . . . some fell among the thorns . . . but others fell on good ground (Matthew 13:1-8).

The Parable of the Sower

Continued from April 29, 2011

Dear Brethren,

In this current writing I will continue making the effort of writing on the subject of the Parable of the Sower while connecting other Scriptures with it to try and understand how they all fit with each other.

God tells us through His prophet Isaiah that understanding of any given subject comes from connecting other Scriptures with it that are found in different places throughout the Holy Bible. It is as the prophet Isaiah wrote: “A little here and a little there” (Isaiah 28:9-13). Another important key: Keeping the related Scriptures in context with the subject so there is no conflict (II Peter 1:20).

For the sake of continuity it is necessary to repeat some of what I wrote the last time on this subject (April 29, 2011).

Troubling and Trying Times

There is no question but that we have entered into troubling and trying times. In just the past few years we have witnessed thousands of people who were once with us walk away from what they were taught and apparently believed! Since then we have seen other members leave the Church of God, albeit fewer numbers in comparison.

. This leaves the question where do they all fit in the teachings of the Holy Bible?

. Further— what can we learn from their wrong choices so as to try hard from making the same errors in judgment.

An Outline and Key to Understanding

Jesus Christ gave the understanding of the Parable of the Sower to His disciples during that time that would be an outline and key to the needed understanding in our time of what has taken place in the Church of God.

This is a parable I have read many times and pondered over it trying to understand it in view of other parables, but only understood it in part.

Since we have drawn closer to the very end-time, and having this question in mind along with the clarification of some Scriptures Mr. Armstrong wrote about in the last few years of his life, that has made possible a much better understanding than before.

The Question of Real Conversion

The question has often been in my mind along, as undoubtedly with many others: Were ALL those who CHOSE to separate themselves from us after 1995 and followed the apostate pastor-general into Protestantism and elsewhere— were they really unconverted members? II Thessalonians 2:1-4.

If some of them were superficially converted – short of full godly repentance – where does their falling away place them in the future? Will they be given a further opportunity in the GWTJ – or will they perish in the Lake of Fire – never to live again?

These writings can only give the answers in part for only God in heaven above knows the heart of each one as to whether he or she will come back to life in the GWTJ, or, whether they have they gone too far and will perish forever.

Examples of God’s Mercy and Long-Suffering:

Writing this, while thinking of a Scripture probably everyone knows by heart, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever [comes to] believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life,” I thought of the example of King David who separated himself from God for about a year after his adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband murdered trying to cover up what he had done with his wife. Later he was granted repentance after pleading with God with his whole heart for forgiveness (Psalm 51; I Samuel 12:13).

God is truly merciful and will give anyone a space of time to come to see themselves, and repent, just as He is now doing with ministers and members in our time:

“. . . And I gave her time to repent (to come to see themselves) of her sexual immorality . . . (Revelation 2:20-21).

Further God tells us that if a person cries out to Him with all of his heart He will hear and bless the person with forgiveness (Joel 2:12-13), just as He did with King David, King Manasseh (II Chronicles 33:12-13) and even King Ahab (I Kings 21:27-29).

I also know a man who responded to the call of God and felt the warmth of God’s love and forgiveness many years ago. He thought he was ready to go God’s way. Then a little later in weakness he walked away from God and back into the world.

Approximately two years or so went by and then God really began to deal with the man in such a manner that the man began seeking God while pleading for forgiveness with his whole heart.

Realizing the man’s weakness from before some months went by before he knew God had heard him once again. This time there was no walking away ever again for a reverent fear along with His love was now instilled with much greater depth within him.

The point of this writing is— After having come to really know God with our hearts, we should be terribly afraid of taking any chances whatsoever! Instead, we should be trying desperately hard to remain planted in the good earth.

Warnings from the Apostle Paul

The Apostle Paul’s writing about the members, who either fall away, or willingly sin, should instill within each of us such a godly reverent fear to ever even think about going away from Him and His way of life that we never even consider the thought.

Please seriously think about his writings about those who fall away or willingly sin:

Danger of Falling Away

Hebrews 6:4-8

Verse 1 “Therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection (margin: maturity), NOT laying again the FOUNDATION of repentance from DEAD WORKS and of FAITH toward God (works of the old nature we were to have buried in baptism and coming up a new man to live God’s way of life)

Verse 2 “. . . of the DOCTRINE of baptisms (water and receiving the Holy Spirit), of Laying on of Hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of ETERNAL JUDGMENT

Verse 3 “. . . And this we will do if God permits (Philippians 2:13).

Verse 4 “For it is IMPOSSIBLE for those who WERE ONCE ENLIGHTENED and have TASTED the heavenly gift, and have BECOME PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Verse 5 “. . . and have TASTED the good word of God and the POWERS of the age to come,

Verse 6 “. . . IF ‘THEY FALL AWAY,’ to RENEW again to REPENTANCE, since they CRUCIFY AGAIN for themselves the Son of God, and put HIM to an open shame.

Verse 7 “For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessings from God;

Verse 8 “. . . BUT IF IT BEAR THORNS AND BRIERS, it is REJECTED and NEAR to being CURSED, whose end is to be BURNED.”

“. . . Near to being CURSED . . .” – and will – unless there is truly heart-felt repentance.

To Sin Willfully

Hebrews 10:23-31

Verse 23 “Let us HOLD FAST THE CONFESSION of our HOPE without wavering, for He who promised is faithful . . .

Verse 24 “. . . And let us consider one another in order to STIR UP LOVE AND GOOD WORKS,

Verse 25 “. . . NOT forsaking the ASSEMBLING of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but EXHORTING one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

NOTE: God intends His people assemble together when possible with His true Church, with brethren of fully like minds and beliefs – not with corporate churches that have gone off-track for that would be an act of adultery (Revelation 14:4).

Assembling is also possible through internet and phone service or receiving mailed Video or Cassette Recordings to play on the Sabbath when the time difference is too great for the live service.

Then the WARNING—

In view of the above admonition by the Apostle Paul, he further wrote the following warning:

Verse 28 “FOR IF WE SIN WILFULLY AFTER we have received the KNOWLEDGE of the TRUTH, there NO LONGER remains A SACRIFICE for sins

Verse 27 “. . . BUT a fearful expectation of JUDGMENT, and FIERY indignation which will DEVOUR the adversaries

Verse 28 “. . . Anyone who has REJECTED Moses’ law dies WITHOUT MERCY on the testimony of two or three witnesses

Verse 29 “. . . of how much WORSE PUNISHMENT, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has TRAMPLED the Son of God underfoot, counted the BLOOD of the covenant by which he was SANCTIFIED a common thing, and INSULTED the Spirit of Grace?

Verse 30 “. . . For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the LORD. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people’

Verse 31 “. . . It is A FEARFUL THING to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Clarification

There is a need of clarifying the following Scripture:

Hebrews 19:28 “FOR IF WE SIN WILFULLY AFTER we have received the KNOWLEDGE of the TRUTH, there NO LONGER remains A SACRIFICE for sins

Based on this Scripture— there are those who believe that just having the knowledge of the truth is enough to be completely rejected by God and then die the second death.

This is not true!

For the true understanding of this Scripture one needs to put it into the context of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 6:4. Understanding the TRUTH, along with having become partakers of God’s Holy Spirit, is necessary for the full understanding of these warning Scriptures.

The 100,000 Members who WALKED Away

With this in mind, consider the approximate 100,000 members who were called to aid Mr. Armstrong during his lifetime work and then walked away with Mr. Tkach back into Protestantism or elsewhere.

They can be thought of as similar to the 12 Apostles prior to Pentecost in 31 A. D. (Acts 2.), God’s Spirit was with them, but not yet abiding in their hearts.

Only a FEW were selected from among these many thousands to be numbered among God’s ELECT, His chosen Bride.

These huge numbers had an academic knowledge of the TRUTH but did not reach into their hearts with the real depth of LOVE for God, Jesus Christ, and the TRUE teachings.

The Fruits Witness Against the Apostates

This is evident with virtually all of the ministers of the corporate churches of God today.

Only God knows if there were some of them who walked away had truly been converted, and had received His Holy Spirit within their hearts. The majority of them did not have it in their hearts.

The effort of these writings is an attempt to explain all this within the framework of the Parable of the Sower with related Scriptures.

Members Still Fall Away

Yet in view of these Scriptures, sadly, there are the members who continue to choose to fall away without really thinking deeply with fervent prayers of the decision being formulated in their minds before they do move away from the true Church of God – “. . . doing that which is right in their own eyes and the end thereof is death” (Proverbs 14:12; 12:15), seriously needs to be considered for your future could very well be at stake.

The Mysterious Parables

Right after Jesus Christ gave the first part of the Parable of the Sower the disciples asked Him WHY He spoke in parables to the people.

He (Christ) answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know (understand) the MYSTERIES of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has (true Church of God members) to him more (understanding) will be given, and he will have abundance (of understanding), BUT whoever does NOT have (that same knowledge with the love and desire for it), even what he has will be taken away from him (fade from their minds).

Verse 13 “. . . Therefore I speak to them in parables, because SEEING they do not see, and HEARING they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:10-16).

Verse 14 “. . . And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

Hearing you will hear and shall not understand [in depth]. And seeing you will see and not perceive,

Verse 15 “. . . For the heart of this people has grown DULL. Their hearts are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have CLOSED, LEST they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, LEST they should understand WITH THEIR HEARTS and TURN (be converted, KJV) so that I should heal them.

Verse 16 “. . . But BLESSED are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear; . . .

It was after this that Jesus Christ gave the meaning of the Parable to His disciples.

To be continued

Your servant and friend,

Don Billingsley

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