Jones: the converted minority

Sunday, June 27, 2021
Meditation:
    Then [Jesus] left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
    He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed 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.
    “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.”
    —Matthew 13:36-41 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The Christian church with all its faults is the greatest serving institution on earth. It has many critics, but no rivals in the work of human redemption... No other institution has done anything like it—none whatever. The fact that the church has been able to survive the dead weight of a large proportion of its membership unconverted is a proof of its essential soundness and vitality. A minority of converted people keep its soul alive.
    ... E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973), Conversion, New York: Abingdon Press, 1959, p. 225 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 13:36-43; 5:42; 13:24-30; Luke 6:30; Rom. 12:13; Gal. 2:10; 6:10; 1 Tim. 5:16; Jas. 1:27; 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You have enabled Your church to demonstrate the gospel through good works. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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