Almost Saved: The Tragedy Within a Forgotten Parable

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” Mark 4:13

Some teachers believe He was saying, This parable is so simple. If you don’t understand it, you won’t be able to understand any of the parables. But other teachers believe His words meant something very different. They believe that He was conveying to them that this particular parable, the Parable of the Sower, was a key to unlocking the other parables – that there was something crucial for them to understand within this parable. 

The Parable of the Sower is one of only four parables that has been included in three out of the four Gospel accounts. As I consider the subject matter it deals with, I find myself leaning more and more towards the latter interpretation – that there is something extremely significant being taught in this story. I find myself believing more and more that there is a profound truth in this parable that, if one does not understand, may lead to their eternal demise. My greatest fear, though, is that we are not dealing with one who does not understand. We may in fact be dealing with an entire generation of professing believers who do not truly understand what was being conveyed in this little tale. 

The Parable of the Sower is about a man who goes out to his field to sow seed in the ground in expectation of a harvest. As the man scatters the seed, it lands on four different types of ground. We know from Jesus’ explanation of the parable that the seed represents the Word of God, and the types of ground represent the hearts of men. Based on the type and condition of the ground (heart), there will be one of four outcomes. 

Now before we get going, we must understand some fundamental principles of this parable and the four outcomes involved. First and foremost, only one of the four outcomes represents genuine salvation in the heart of man. How do we know that? We know it because only one of the four results in a harvest (fruit). One of the most common and repeated themes taught by Jesus Himself, and reiterated throughout the New Testament, is that all true believers produce fruit. That fruit may vary in quantity and quality, but there is always fruit. Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7: 19–20). The fact that only one of the four outcomes represents genuine salvation also coincides with those difficult words of Jesus that few will find eternal life. (Matthew 7:14)

Secondly, the parable represents a progression in the responses. The first seed lands along the path and is immediately snatched away by birds. The second seed lands on rocky ground with no depth of soil. It springs up quickly but then withers away in the hot sun. The third seed goes even further. The implication is that a root is formed, and it begins to grow. But then it gets choked by the thorns and bears no fruit. The fourth seed is sown on good soil. It grows up and produces varying quantities of fruit. 

For the purpose of this article, I want to focus on the middle two responses: the seed that fell on rocky ground, and the seed that fell among the thorns. Let’s look at what Jesus said about these two. 

With regard to the seed that fell on the rocky ground, Jesus said these are the ones who immediately receive the word with joy, but then when persecution and affliction comes as a result of the Word, they immediately fall away. In the Matthew and Mark accounts, it says they endure for awhile but then fall away. Luke uses a much more difficult word; they “believe for a while, but then, in time of testing, fall away.” They received the Word, believed the Word, and possessed joy because of the Word, but then fell away.

As for the seed sown among the thorns, it represents those who hear the Word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the Word, and it proves unfruitful. (Mark 4:19) These people have gone even farther than the first two. The seed was sown in soil with depth. Unlike the first two, a root had presumably formed. But then, as it began to grow, it was choked by the thorns growing up next to it – the cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things. These thorns kept it from producing fruit.

We must deal with the words Jesus uses when describing these people. In the case of the rocky ground hearers, they hear the Word and immediately receive it with joy, but then they fall away. The implication is this. These are people who have experienced some type of spiritual enlightenment. You could say that their eyes were opened. They saw something they had not seen before. As Luke said, they possessed a type of belief. This new enlightenment gave them great joy. Maybe they had some type of spiritual “experience” during worship one Sunday morning. Maybe they shed many tears. Maybe they heard a convicting message that was preached. Maybe they would say, “God spoke to me.” But then something happened; time passed. Affliction and tribulation came. Temptations came. And they fell away. They failed to bear fruit.

What about those ones choked by the thorns? They had progressed even further. They heard the word of God and received it in their heart. We can only assume they also had joy. Unlike the rocky ground hearers, the implication here is that a root had formed within the soil. But then, something happened; time passed. How much time? Weeks? Months? Years? We do not know. But we know that as time passed, their hearts were choked – suffocated – by materialism. They became distracted by the cares and pursuits of this world. Did they outright reject the Word of God? No! They simply had competing allegiances in their heart; they desired “other things.” They started well. They had some sort of enlightenment. They were filled with joy. They possessed a type of belief. But in the end, it was choked. It failed to bear fruit. Theologian J. C. Ryle put it this way…

“The seed which fell among thorns represents those who are not careless like the wayside hearer, nor insincere like the stony-ground hearer. They are those who have convictions, desires, and wishes… But they never come to the point of giving up all for Christ. The world is too much with them. They never get beyond a certain point in religion.” J..C. Ryle

But does our modern theology today reflect the truths in this parable? I don’t think it does. The widespread belief today is that if someone has had some type of spiritual experience or enlightenment they must be saved; if their eyes have been opened to see truth they didn’t see before, they must be saved. The belief is that if they heard God’s voice at one time in their life and responded with joy or tears, they must, in fact, be saved. The belief today is that if someone has experienced conviction of their sin or answered prayer, they must be saved. The predominant belief today is that the rocky ground hearers and the ones being choked by thorns represent true believers. They may be nominal, lukewarm, or backsliding believers, but true believers, nonetheless. 

Let me be clear about what I am not saying. I am not saying that a true believer cannot fall into sin. I am not saying that the conversion of a soul is a process that takes place over a period of time. I am not saying salvation can be earned. And I am certainly not saying that a regenerated soul can lose their salvation.

What I am saying is this: the clear teaching of New Testament Scripture is that a man can experience spiritual enlightenment, hear God’s voice, have God answer their prayers, experience conviction of sin, and even respond with great emotion, without ever being regenerated. None of those things are reliable indicators of the regeneration of a soul. Our generation has drastically underestimated how far down the road “towards” salvation one can go, and yet still fail to apprehend salvation. 

The teaching of Scripture is that while the conversion of a soul is instantaneous, the path towards that conversion may, in fact, be a process. And that process may involve much spiritual awakening and enlightenment along the way. It’s as if God is continually calling out to us – wooing us – in an effort to finally bring us to the point where we are ready to, as Ryle put it, “give up all for Christ.” I fear that the enemy has pulled over a great deception upon us, convincing many that the wooing of Christ is the same thing as the salvation of Christ, causing great multitudes to mistakenly think that finding the narrow gate is the same thing as squeezing through it.

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