Expanding on the previous 2 programs from Hosea 10:11-14, this episode highlights a balanced approach to sanctification in which sewing is just as important as reaping. Christianity in America is comparable to the Israelites in Hosea 10, in which the prophet noted that they loved to thresh (the final stage of reaping) but didn't sew with a view to righteousness or break up the fallow ground. This overemphasis on reaping/threshing over sewing has produced a "get-spiritual-quick" landscape that is shallow, superficial and Biblically illiterate over themes and issues not immediately relevant to many Christians. The episode hammers home the problem of eisegesis where both preachers and Christians consistently read into the text based on their threshing mentality, instead of letting the text of Scripture set the agenda. This pervasive tendency in American Christianity highlights an imbalanced approach to sanctification, where believers are anxious to reap without patiently sewing with a view to righteousness.
Do You Have the Mentality to Grow Spiritually?
This episode is an overview of Biblical spiritual growth based on Hosea 10:11-14. Substantive spiritual growth that endures temptation and the natural ups and downs of life is a thorough work that mirrors the agricultural process of sewing, reaping, and threshing. Many Christians unfortunately adopt a "get-spiritual-quick" mentality towards spiritual growth and emphasize the final stage of threshing without doing the hard work of "sewing with a view to righteousness." "Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh." (Hosea 10:11) The answer to superficial spirituality, according to the rest of the passage, is seeking the Lord by receiving the yoke. (see Matthew 11:28-30. Taking the yoke makes "sewing with a view to righteousness" a priority, understanding that reaping takes time as real transformation is God-directed. The episode highlights that subsequent reaping (looking more like Christ) is a mercy from God, based on his covenant loyalty. Significantly, genuine spiritual growth is a lengthy process in which believers take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and plant new seeds based on God's Word. Spiritual growth consequently takes time and is God-directed, as the Holy Spirit conforms us into the image of Christ.