An Honest and Good Heart
This is the seed that fell on good soil: “The ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15). This parable is talking about the many ways a person can receive the true message of the kingdom when heard for the first time.
People who have an honest and good heart immediately put the message into action, which means they immediately repent. They hold fast to the message by studying their Bibles in a systematic way so as to prove all the things they are learning about the true kingdom message (James 1:25). They persevere in doing this, which means they are consistent in their study of the Bible. They are consistent with their bearing fruit and, as a result, their personal growth as new disciples of Jesus Christ is excellent. They are excellent examples in the eyes of God from the very first day.
Because of this beautiful attitude toward God’s true message, they become effectual doers and are blessed by God in everything they do. Because they seek the kingdom by practicing righteousness for God daily (that makes it God’s righteousness), all things are added to them—clothes, food, good jobs, prosperity and many other wonderful blessings (Matt. 6:33). They are not living for self any longer but now live only to do the Will of God. Their prayers are answered because they do only those things which are pleasing in God’s sight (John 9:31; 1 John 3:22). They consistently discipline themselves for the purpose of godliness and as a result, they are forcing themselves into the kingdom within (1 Tim. 4:7; Luke 16:16; 17:21).
Because of their honest and good hearts, they are constantly good examples for God. They know it pleases God to be good examples for Him and to constantly provoke others to do more works of love for His glory (Heb. 10:24; Matt. 5:16). Because of this constant condition of maintaining an honest and a good heart, their righteousness quickly surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees and, as happy slaves of Jesus Christ, they do the Will of God from the heart and they enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20; Eph. 6:6).
We can see that receiving this message with an honest and a good heart and then holding fast to this true message and bearing fruit in every good work with perseverance is the narrow attitude we must have to enter the kingdom of God (Luke 8:15; Col. 1:10). This is the narrow Way that very few find. It is the narrow Way which few who strive to enter, succeed in entering (Luke 13:24).
The key to the true message of the kingdom is attitude. Many of the Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus Christ’s day did not accept the message of the kingdom because they had bad attitudes. The examples given to us in the parable of the sower are all the attitudes fatal to the message, followed by the attitude that will cause one to grow and grow in the message. The last attitude, striving to maintain an honest and good heart before God daily, is the attitude that leads to life eternal. Therefore, let us fear (be sober) while a promise of entering His rest by entering the kingdom within still remains, lest any one of us should come short of entering (Heb. 4:1).
We should all want to receive God’s message with a good attitude. We should receive the message with an attitude of gratefulness, an attitude of humbleness. Jesus assures us His Way is very easy and pleasant so let’s not make it difficult by having a wrong attitude about the Way of righteousness (Matt. 11:30; 21:32). Let us persevere in being servants to others for the glory of the Father, as Jesus Christ gave us commandment to do (Col. 3:17). In all things, let us show ourselves to be examples of good works (Titus 2:7, 14).