Lesson 8: The wheat and the tears
In the parable of the wheat and the tares, Matt. 13:24-30, the Lord compared the saint to the wheat and the sinners to tares. Can there be tares? Can there be tares even in Gospel Churches? How can we know the difference between the wheat and the tares? Can you list major differences?
1. On the final Day of Judgment, won’t some sinners be able to dodge in and mix with the saints?
a) Matthew 13:47-49, b) Matthew 25:31-33, c) Luke 16:19, d) Luke 17:34-36
a) Matthew 13:47-49 – If they dodge in they will be picked out
b) Matthew 25:31-33- Goats differ from sheep any day
c) Luke 16:19 – There is a mighty gulf of separation
d) Luke 17:34-36 – Even a wife may be separated from the husband or a husband from the wife.
2. While we are still in this world, how can one know if he belongs to the wheat or to the tares? Joshua 7:11-22, Isaiah 59:1-2, Hosea 5:6, II Thess.2:11-12, Ps.66:18, Isa.65:7. God ignores the tares, refuses to have any fellowship with them and refuses to answer their prayers. Are your prayers being answered? Are you enjoying a warm fellowship with God? Do you look forward to prayer time with joy?
3. How does God distinguish between the wheat and the tares in this present life? Proverbs 10:6-7, Proverbs 10:25, Proverbs 11:5-8, Proverbs 13:21-22, Proverbs 14:32, Proverbs 15:8-9, Romans 2:9-10, Proverbs 11:3. God distinguishes between the wheat and tares in this present life by blessing the wheat and cursing the tares. There is nothing like good luck or bad luck in this world but only blessings and curses. Which are you receiving?
4. What is to be the attitudes of the wheat to the tares, particularly the tares in the church of God? What is the difference between worshipping together and fellowshipping? Romans 16:17-18, I Corinthians 5:9-11, IIThess.3:6, I Timothy 3:1-7, Gal. 6:5, I John 1:6-7. Saints are to be separated from unholy brethren. In the church. We can worship together but saints don’t really fellowship with sinners. One of the reasons for this being that evil communication corrupts good manners. Another reason being that light and darkness don’t really mix.
5. What is to be the attitudes of the wheat to the tares that are outside the Church? Ezekiel 33:1-9, Ezekiel 3:17-21, Gal. 6:1. It is the duty of the saints to warn the sinners of the danger ahead but the saints themselves must be very firmly grounded on the Rock so as to be dragged into the pit of sin.
CONCLUSION: From the distinctions between the wheat and the tares enumerated above, what do you think you are? Wheat or tares? Particularly now that you know that there may be tares even in the Gospel churches. Are you wheat or tare? Examine yourself if you be in faith and talk to God about it now.
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