PARABLE OF THE WEEDS.
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away ... When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared ... The servants asked .. 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' "'No', he answered, ' because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let them grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burnt; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (Matthew 13:24-30) Those who think they might find a perfect church on earth and those who think their church is perfect, they probably haven't understood this parable yet! Wherever there are those who belong to the kingdom, among them are those who do not belong to the kingdom! If the Apostles found them in the early church, won't they be found now? Paul said he was 'in danger from false brothers' ( 2 Corinthians 11:26) We can find false believers everywhere, among the clergy and the laity; in church committees and mission boards, just as we find weeds everywhere! "The good seeds stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels." (Vs 38-39) God is not interested in separating them before the end of the age because they serve his purpose in moulding us. Moreover, it would be traumatic when those that we love and care are separated from us! Therefore, he lets believers and unbelievers live together so that those who belong to the kingdom may witness to the unsaved, though they may be 'thorns in our sides'. That is why Paul didn't allow believers to divorce their unbelieving partners. 'For the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her husband and the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his believing wife ...' ( 1 Corinthians 7:14) and '... if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.' ( 1 Peter 3:1)
Alas! The day is coming when God will separate the believer and the unbeliever, even if it be a husband and wife! "I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left." ( Luke 17:34) "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." ( Matthew 24:40-41) Rapture separates the righteous from the wicked but until then God will not make the distinction he once made between the Israelites and Egyptians before the Exodus, when he told Pharaoh: "I will make a distinction between my people and your people." ( Exodus 8:23) But the day is coming, when once again he will make that distinction. "They will be mine", says the Lord, in the day when I make up my treasured possession ... you will see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Surely the day is coming, it will burn like a furnace ..." ( Malachi 3:17- 4:1) Even after the tribulation, the righteous and the wicked who have survived the tribulation, will be together under the Millennial rule of Christ. Then at the end of the Millennium, the eternal separation of the righteous and wicked will happen. "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has hears, let him hear." ( Matthew 13:40-43) Amen.
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