The Often Confused Parable Of The Sower And Seed

 Mark 4:14-20, “The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”

The parable of 'The Sower And The Seed' is often misunderstood. There are four groups of seeds. Only the first group is unsaved. The same parable is told in Luke 8:11-15. The Word of God is the seed. The first group doesn't get saved, because the Devil captures the seed away.The other three groups got saved, because the Bible says the seed began to grow. 1st Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." The seed in the parable is the Word of God. Mark 4:14, "The sower soweth the word." 

The goal of the parable is not salvation, but soulwinning. The second group never matures because they have shallow roots. The third group never mature to bear fruit because they are choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of this world. But the fourth group gladly receive the Word, and obey God's commandments, bringing forth some 30, others 60, and some 100 souls saved. Mark 4:20, "And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred."

Evangelist Ray Comfort interprets this passage wrong on his website. Here is Ray's unbiblical answer to the question:

Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?

... We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ ...

If belief is all that is necessary for salvation, then the logical conclusion is that one need never repent. However, the Bible tells us that a false convert "believes" and yet is not saved (Luke 8:13); he remains a "worker of iniquity." Look at the warning of Scripture: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). The Scriptures also say, "He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them [repentance] shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). Jesus said that there was joy in heaven over one sinner who "repents" (Luke 15:10). If there is no repentance, there is no joy because there is no salvation.

SOURCE: http://www.livingwaters.com/witnessingtool/browse.shtml

Ray is wrong! He teaches that a person can believe, but still not be saved, if they continue living in sin. That is of the Devil. A person who believes is saved, period. John 6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." As we read in Ray's previous quote, he says Luke 8:13 refers to a person who believes, but is not really saved because of sin in their life. That is junk theology of the worst sort! The Bible says the second group received the seed, and sprung forth in new life. That means they got saved. But because they had shallow roots, when persecution came they stopped maturing, never bearing any fruit. The subject here is soulwinning, not getting people saved. God doesn't just want us to get people saved, but also “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20b). God wants us to teach our converts to become soulwinners too! The idea is to perpetuate the Gospel.

Also, notice that Ray cites 1st John 1:6 to support his heresy, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” But carefully notice that the subject is "fellowship," not sonship (salvation). No Christian can live in willful open sin and have a close fellowship with God, but that has nothing to do with receiving the free gift of eternal life by faith alone (Galatians 3:26). Mr. Comfort is woefully ignorant of the Bible, wrestling the Scriptures to his own destruction, and those who follow his theological lies. Pastor Curtis Hutson gets repentance 100% correct in this helpful written sermon titled, "Repentance: What Does The Bible Teach?"