But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
-Matt 13:23 (KJV)
But be ye doer of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
-James 1:22 (KJV)
What we do with the word of God has eternal consequences. Jesus told a parable in Matthew 13, about a man sowing seed. The seed fell on various types of ground, with different results in each type. Seed on hard ground did not even germinate. They lay on the surface and were eaten by the birds. Other seed fell among rocks. They managed to sprout, but without much soil they soon withered in the hot sunlight. Others fell among weeds. As the plants grew, the weeds choked them out. There was some seed however that fell on good soil, matured, and produced an abundant crop.
Jesus likened this to people who hear the word. Some have hard hearts. They do not understand the word, and what was sown in his heart is taken away by Satan. The natural man will not receive the things of God. He does not understand, it is foolishness to him (1 Cor 2:14). The god of this age blinds the minds of the unbelieving (2 Cor 4:4). Those who reject truth, open themselves up to further deception ( 2 Thess 2:10-12).
Many people when they hear the word, receive it, but their commitment is shallow. They fall away in times of trouble and persecution. They would rather disobey God, than face the ridicule of man. It is easy to claim to be a christian when things are going well, but the true test of faith comes in the crucible. What will we do when times are tough? Will we stand firm in trials? What about persecution? Jesus said "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matt 24:13)!
Others received the word, and grew, but the cares of the world took over. Jesus warns us in Matthew 6, to not become concerned about the everyday neccesities of life. We are to be about His business. He will provide us with what we need. Worry will take our minds of of God and His word, and instead our minds will be filled with what concerns us. Many people drift away from the word, drawn away by the pursuit of material things. The things that consume our time, thoughts, energy, are the things that we treasure!
What God desires for us is that His word finds receptive hearts. Hearts that will take the word and apply it. His word is a living active word, and will profit us nothing if not mixed with faith. His word is made real to us by the work of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit we are able to hear what God is saying to us. We need to believe it with a faith that acts upon what it believes.
Many people spend time in front of the mirror everyday, getting ready to go out in the public. The mirror shows them how they look, helping them to clean, shave etc. The purpose of the mirror is to make shure that everything looks good before going out. The word of God functions in the same way. It shows us how we look spiritually. We see what we look like, and what we need to do to honor God. It would be foolish for someone to see their dirty face in a mirror and just go off to work without another thought! This is what James is saying to us when he tells us to be doers of the word, not merely hearers.
There are many people who read, study, and even teach the scriptures, but fail to obey what they believe to be true. Such a one is self deceived. Jesus warned the disciples after the parable of the sower to be careful how they heard! What He meant was that it is not enough to learn the great truths of God's word, it must be lived out on a daily basis.
The word of God sown in a receptive heart gew, perservered, and produced a bountiful crop, and this is what God desires of each one of us.
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