Jesus while explaining the Parable of the Sower to His disciples, said about the seed which fell on the rock that:
“The seed falling on the gravel (rock) represents those who initially respond to the word with joy, but soon afterward, when a season of harassment of the enemy and difficulty come to them, they whither and fall away, for they have no root in the truth and their faith is temporary.”
Luke 8:13 TPT
There are Christians all over the world today who had received the word of God with great joy, but as soon as the enemy begins to ridicule or harass them, they fall away from holding on to the promises of God.
The promises of God in their lives becomes like the seed which has fallen on the rock. The moment the enemy starts questioning the integrity of God’s promises to them, they don’t resist him, but they forget about God’s promises and allow it to wither away without being fulfilled.
One of the tactics of the devil is to take their eyes away from God’s promises, by getting them involved in the distractions of the world.
Some have already succumbed to this harassment tactic of the enemy. They’ve done so because they have no spiritual root that connects them with Christ – the Head of all things. There is no solid foundation of faith in them with the seed of God’s word, that was sowed in their lives.
God’s word in their lives is not being cared for through prayer and meditation. The seed of God’s word in their lives has died prematurely on the rock, while they’re struggling to be rooted in Christ Jesus.
The Passion Bible translation suggests in the above scripture text, that their faith has become temporary. With joy they had received the word of God, but as soon as the world around them starts harassing them, their joy gets stolen by the enemy. They are Christians only for a season.
There is no longer a desire in them that longs to please God. They may be on fire for God today, but tomorrow they are on fire for the pleasures and the things of the world.
They have become unstable in the Kingdom of God. There is no desire in them to keep God in remembrance of His promises for their lives. Therefore, the seed of God’s word in their lives has withered away, as it had no root to hold it in their heart anymore.
When a new believer in Christ gets himself engulfed in the word of God, the reality of being a new creation in Christ Jesus will begin to brighten his life. The new life in Christ Jesus will start giving him the fresh air of relieve or refreshing to breathe, so that he can understand what the future holds for him.
As Peter said to the crowd in Jerusalem:
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”.
Acts 3:19 NKJV
A new believer in Christ Jesus needs the “times of refreshing” as mentioned here by Peter. It is what creates the environment for the seed of God’s word in his new life to begin to take root.
Renewing the mind for the new life.
If the mind of a believer in Christ is not being renewed by the word of God, his faith will ultimately become unfruitful. Faith is of the heart, and the ability to bear spiritual fruit comes from the heart also. But the ability to be fruitful as a Christian is only possible, when he is allowing his mind to be renewed by God’s word.
The renewal of the mind makes his faith fruitful, as he puts his faith into action to inherit the promises of God.
If you’re going to change your world as a Christian with the gospel of Jesus Christ, your mind needs to be renewed so as to start thinking and talking like God to that unsaved world (Isaiah 55:8).
That’s why Paul clearly emphasized the need to be renewed in the mind for us as Christians, when he said:
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2 NKJV
Conformity to the world translates to fruitlessness with God’s word in the life of a Christian. The renewed mind of any child of God does not seek to become worldly, even though he is living in it. He does not ever want to be conformed to the world’s manner of thinking. He knows the thoughts of the people of the world but does not ever want to have anything to do with the corruption among them.
He knew about the evil of the world, while he used to be part of the unsaved world. He had tasted of the evil of the world before. But Christ had set him completely free from it.
Now he doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. He now knows the difference between living in the world and the new life in Christ Jesus.
God’s word is needed to get his mind renewed, so that his outlook of the world’s system will be transformed by it, instead of the opinions of the people of the world and its corrupt system influencing him.
The Amplified Translation puts Romans 12:2 in the right perspective, when it says:
And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Romans 12:2 AMP
It’s therefore impossible to become God’s agent of change to the unsaved world, if a child of God is thinking just like the people of the world.
You can never transform a system that you are constantly seeking to imitate. If the ideals of the world are what you are living by; then you can’t transform it. You will continue to live like the unsaved people of the world, because the world’s principles for living are guiding your way of life and not the Bible.
This is why certain Christians have become part of the world’s problem. They are constantly trying to live like the sinners in the world, instead of separating themselves away from them. If you want to be like Jesus, follow in His footsteps as written in the Scriptures.
As Paul told the Corinthians:
“And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.””
II Corinthians 6:16-18 NKJV
The renewal of your mind with God’s word will help you to guard your heart, into knowing what the will of God is in every situation of your life. You will stop seeking other people’s opinions about many things in life, because you know that what God thinks about you is more important to you.
You will begin to know God’s will about several things. You will be capable of making your own decisions by yourself, without relying on others. You will begin to experience what real freedom in Christ Jesus means. You will then begin to grow into spiritual maturity about the things of God, as you pray.
Even when the whole world is going in the other direction, you will know exactly what God expects of you. You will begin to understand that one person with God is always in the majority. And no matter what the world may think about you, you will be reassured that God is always on your side.
Have peace with God.
Paul said to the Philippians:
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
Philippians 4:7-8 NKJV
The peace of God will begin to guard your heart, as you pray and meditate on the promises of God for your life. The peace that comes from God will always be there to guard you, as long as you are living by faith.
As the Amplified Classic translation of the Bible says, God’s peace will “garrison and mount a guard over your soul” (Philippians 4:7 AMPC).
If you had ever been involved in a military combat, you will understand better what the mounting a guard means with a garrison. It literally means that peace will become your stability in the midst of the spiritual warfare, or the chaos in the world around you.
In another word you will begin to have peace in the time of trouble. The noise from the world around you will not even border you at all. God’s peace will protect you from the fear, that is troubling the world around you. You will begin to understand that you are protected by the love of God.
Faith in God is the key to getting peace with God (Romans 51-2). Faith in God will become like the shield of your protection from the curse of the law. Faith in God is what positions you for the blessing of the Lord.
That’s why David was able to say:
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.”
Psalms 91:7 NKJV
David as a young man had faith in the protection of God. He had experienced it several times, while on the run from those who wanted him dead. If he had never experienced it, he would never have shared about it from his own personal experience.
In other words, you don’t have to do anything at all for the curse of the law to come upon you. You just need to stop living and walking by faith in God. The moment you stop trusting in the Lord for His protection, the curse will automatically come with its destructions.
There is no peace with God, if your faith is not active. The Bible says:
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
God’s peace will surround you, as you keep your mind steadfastly on Him and on His promises to you.
That’s why the Bible tells us about what God did to protect every believer from the curse of sin, sicknesses and death:
“He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.”
Psalms 107:20 NKJV
You should never be living in fear of being sick. You should never be living in the fear of the lack of the good things of life. God is your source. He will lead you to the place of your abundance (Psalms 23).
The Bible revealed to us how Job once opened the door for the enemy to attack him. Job had opened his mouth for fear to hinder his faith in God. And a small opening for fear was all that the devil was looking for before attacking him.
Job had said:
“For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
Job 3:25-26 NKJV
And it’s in the same manner that many are opening up their lives with their mouth for sicknesses and diseases to come upon them.
When your mind is not being renewed away from thinking like the world, the door will be opened for the enemy to use fear in attacking your faith in God.
He is doing it to many children of God these days. You do not have to be one of them.
Have peace with God today. Start renewing your mind day and night by taking time out to mediate, on the promises of healing and good health in the Bible. Then begin to declare those very promises with your mouth.
You will begin to experience the protection and peace that only God can give you. Stay healthy and healed while rejoicing in the blessing of the Lord.
