The Parable of the Sower and the Soils

Lately I’ve been looking at some statistical studies that indicate that a high percentage of American adults think they are Christians. Some of the studies, however, also indicate that a much lower percentage of adults can be described as Christian when biblical criteria are applied. The parable of the sower and the soils presents a good explanation for what we see in American society. The discussion of what the four soils represent is found in Matthew 13:19-23, Mark 4:15-20, and Luke 8:12-15. Here’s my opinion of each soil:

1. The Hard Soil by the Wayside – People that hear the gospel but are not under conviction when they hear it. They do not understand it in a spiritual sense.

2. The Rocky Soil – People that hear the gospel while under conviction. They believe the gospel intellectually, but they do not surrender their lives to Christ in repentance and faith. There is no root, and these non-Christians are revealed for what they are in an obvious manner. Simon Magus (Acts 8:13-23) was an example of this type of person.

3. The Thorny Soil – People that hear the gospel while under conviction. Like the rocky soil, they do not surrender their lives to Christ in repentance and faith. They never produce any good fruit (Matthew 7:17-20). These non-Christians try to compartmentalize their false brand of Christianity, and they manage to fool many Christians.

4. The Good Soil – People that hear the gospel while under conviction and that surrender their lives to Christ in repentance and faith. This is the only type of soil that is truly Christian. They “hold fast” the seed, and they bear good fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.