Using the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8.5-15), Jesus taught that there are four conditions of the heart. Either the heart is hardened and the Word of God cannot penetrate, or the heart is shallow and the roots cannot grow deep, or the heart is filled with thorns which chock the heart, or the heart…
Using the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8.5-15), Jesus taught that there are four conditions of the heart. Either the heart is hardened and the Word of God cannot penetrate, or the heart is shallow and the roots cannot grow deep, or the heart is filled with thorns which chock the heart, or the heart is rich fertile soil which produces fruit a hundred fold. Most of us spend most of our time surrounded by thorns, so God has given us His Church to assist with plucking the thorns from our heart. Without proper care, our heart will never grow deep roots and produce the fruit of faith, but by using the life of the Church you can pluck out the thorns from your heart and produce fruit a hundred fold for the glory of God.
Just read in Kyriacos Markides book, Gifts from the Desert, p 70…people can examine themselves and find out whether they a clean heart. …explore the fruits of the Holy Spirit and see if you have them. (Gal 5) Take the catalogue he offers us and do a self analysis. Are these characteristics present in you? If yes, then the Holy Spirit is active within you. If not, then it means that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are not yet manifest in your life. It means that the fruits of your heart are different. If within your heart we find darkness, confusion, agitation, despair, evil, hostility, vengeance, hatred, hedonism, stinginess, narcissism, egotism and the like, then we should consider it as a given that the Holy Spirit is inactive. That means we are dominated by these passions, which keep the Holy Spirit away or hidden from us. It means that we need metanoia and hard work to purify our hearts. (unquote)