When Seeds Fail to Bear Fruit: Reflections on the Reality of Walking Away from the Faith

I recently came across a deeply moving story about a believer who abandoned their faith. This individual had a substantial following on YouTube, though I must admit that I was unfamiliar with them before this incident. In the interview, they shared some of the reasons that gradually led them away from the faith, using the widely recognized term “deconstruction.”

It is truly heartbreaking when a professing believer becomes an apostate. I hope that all who read this can comprehend the gravity of that statement. The thought of abandoning God and succumbing to utter hopelessness is terrifying. The reasons he cited for his change in direction seemed superficial, suggesting that he may not have been a genuine believer for very long or that he did not place a significant emphasis on biblical exegesis. Regardless, this incident prompted me to reflect on others I know who have completely abandoned their faith. Here are some of my thoughts.

Honestly, I was reminded of several scriptures on the subject, but the primary thought that came to mind was the parable of the sower..

3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”  Matthew 13:3-9 ESV

In this text, our Lord employs a parable of a man sowing seeds at the time of planting, to illustrate the disposition of hearts in their response to the gospel. A few verses later, our Lord is quoted giving the divine interpretation. 

The first heart is the one that is completely closed off, or will not hear the gospel, will not understand it. 

¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.  Matthew 13:19 ESV

When you are evangelizing, engaging in apologetics, and sharing your testimony; these are the folks that will not hear you, or are in opposition to the message. The thing to remember is to pray. Just because a person is opposed at that time doesn’t mean that they always will. We never know what God is doing in someone’s heart, and how He is softening it to the gospel.

Our Lord continues on.

²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

This is the zealous sprinter. If you’ve been walking with the Lord for a while, you’ve likely encountered individuals who are initially enthusiastic about their faith. However, when living for Christ becomes inconvenient, they abandon their commitment. This can manifest in various ways, either through explicit statements or through their daily actions. Just like a sprinter, they run hard and fast for a bit, but they quickly lose energy, lose momentum, and wind up walking away from the faith.

 

²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 

This is one that is the most heartbreaking, but is one that I’ve seen countless times.They hear the gospel, they accept the gospel, and they allow the cares of the world to render them stagnant. To continue on the runner metaphor, they surpass the sprinter’s final distance, but instead of keeping their eye on the finish, they begin chasing after the spectators. They run off looking for the medals before they finish the race. Or maybe they get a cramp, and allow what is a minor discomfort to sidetrack them from finishing the course. Ok, enough with the runner metaphor. 

²³ As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matthew 13:20-23 ESV

This is the obvious goal for the believer. We all want to be the seed that actually becomes a fruit-bearing tree. Here are some of the major things that I noticed.

1. Only one of the four that is described here actually becomes a tree. The others may take root, they may begin to sprout, but they never actually become a full-grown flourishing plant. Most of the parable describes people who won’t make it to the final stage. I am very familiar with this text, but for some reason only recently did it occur to me that only 25% of the seeds sown actually bore fruit. This is a startling realization and should at least inform you of the odds of a true conversion.We should recognize the true conversion from sinner to saint as at the miracle that it is  because a heart seeking God is not the natural disposition of the natural man.

2. Three of the four would appear to make professions of faith. This is the most startling of my realizations on this text because of the previous point. Three appear to accept, but only one bears fruit. I believe that all who would fall away from the faith will fit into one of the middle two categories; they’re either sown on the rocky ground, or among the thorns.

3. The seed sown on good ground has a variation to the amount of fruit that is yielded. This point seems a bit disjointed on its own, but when held up to the other two points we realize that all of those who persevere in the faith are in this category. Whether an apple tree bears 1 apple or 1000 apples, it will still be in this category. This category alone is what describes the redeemed.

So, what can we do differently? What do we do with this information?

Here are some of my thoughts.

Witness for Christ truthfully.

Now, I’m not insinuating that someone would lie in an effort to win a soul to Christ, but I have heard it stated by Dr. James white, and its a very good point. “What you win them with, is what you win them to.” When we’re witnessing, in our apologetic conversations, ensure that what you’re saying can be validated through solid biblical exegesis. There are inherent problems when we deviate from the gospel or attempt to convey a message significantly different from the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, all in the name of winning souls. 

For instance, Jesus in Luke 14:26-28 tells us to count the cost prior to accepting. He states that we need to be prepared to take up our cross; to join the death march. These words are far removed from some of the seeker-sensitive messages that some tend to present. We don’t need to sweeten the message because its not our job to change the heart, that is the work of the Holy Spirit; and He excels at it.

Discipleship is Important 

We often place so much of an emphasis on evangelizing and witnessing that we don’t  consider what happens after the soul responds to the gospel. Discipleship is immensely important, especially when you consider that usually while witnessing a relationship has grown. We can spend a great deal of time conversing and presenting the gospel to them that once they’ve made the decision to accept Christ, we don’t know what the next step is. We must grow to the point that we’re comfortable discipling someone in the faith. Having a good ministry to point someone to is a great idea, but there is no substitute to having the initial person who led you to Christ to continue to show you Christ through discipleship. This is clearly seen in the Great Commission.

¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew  28:19–20. ESV 

We focus on the disciple making, but not the disciple teaching. “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” that is the bit about discipleship.

Remember, the unfortunate truth is that some will fall away.

This is a truth that is difficult to swallow, but there are examples of this in the scriptures such as 1 John 2:19. Another thought did come to mind. Even one of Jesus’ original twelve fell away. 

Takeaways

• Ensure that your evangelism and apologetics are centered in biblical truth

• Remember that we are called to more than just evangelizing; part of creating disciples is actually discipling them.

• Pray for those who accept the gospel, and for those who do not.

I hinted at praying for those who are in the first category, but what we need to pray for those who accept the gospel as well. That they would continue on to bear fruit.