Read Matthew Chapter 13:24-30, 36-43.
You LOOK Like A Christian, But Are You One?
Jesus speaks a parable about the kingdom of heaven and says there is a man who sowed / planted good seeds in his field. But while the man was asleep his enemy came and sowed / planted tares. Tares were known as false wheat for it initially has the appearance of wheat but is a weed.
When the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident because the tares bore no grain. Unfortunately, the tares could not be removed until the time of the harvest. During the harvest the tares were gathered first and put into bundles which were burned up. The wheat was then gathered and put in the barn.
* Jesus is the sower who is planting The Good seed, God’s truth.
* The field is the world.
* The Good seed represents the followers of Christ.
* The bad seed, the tares, represent the followers of the devil.
* The harvest is the end of the age.
* The reapers are the Angels.
So at the End of the age, Jesus will send his angels to gather all the stumbling blocks, the deceivers, and those who commit lawlessness. He will bind them and cast them into the fire which is hell. It is the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The wheat are the righteous ones who are in Christ and they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
What is the difference between the tares and the wheat?
* The tares looked like wheat at first, but did not produce grain.
* The tares are designed to give only partial truth so as to deceive others into not believing the whole Truth of God.
What happens when Christians believe false truths and are deceived by the enemy?
* They look like Christians but they don’t produce fruit for the Lord. Their faith is inactive.
* Or they are deceived and begin to put into practice the doctrines of the world mixed in with the doctrines of the Bible. We see this indoctrination in our schools, our cultures, and even in our churches. As a result, many people, including Christians, have adapted these false truths into their lives. This is done to the point where true followers of Christ are considered the minority. It gives the impression that we are the evil and wrong ones rather than the many who opposed God.
PRAYER: So God I ask that you help us stand up for the whole truth of your Word NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO US. May you see us as true wheat producing fruit for you.
