Born of incorruptible seed

Paul wrote I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3: 6 – 7.

I cradled our latest grandchild in my arms. She was just a few days old and I marvelled again at the potential in this tiny scrap of humanity. Within her was everything needed for her to grow into a mature adult. Thirty-two years earlier I had cradled another baby and he had grown into a fine young man, the father of this child. Of course we had cared for, taught, guided, protected this child. We had done our best to bring out the best but all we were doing was watering the seed within.

What a miracle it is that within every baby are the seeds of all they will need to develop, grow and mature into a fully formed adult. I wonder if as Mary held the infant Jesus in her arms she pondered how her child would grow and develop. Yet within this baby was everything he would need to mature into the Messiah.

Paul pointed out that you don’t plant a fruit to get another fruit – you plant a seed. Now I am no biologist but as I understand it, within each one of us is the seed or genetic code inherited from our parents that determines physical appearance, personality and maybe natural talents – in fact how a person will turn out.

However God has also planted within each one of us his seed, an incorruptible seed and when we are born again and become believers that seed which contains the very DNA of Jesus is activated (1 Peter 2: 23). By faith the character and likeness of Jesus begins to mature so we become more and more like him.

All of who God is resides in our spirit. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and in Christ you have been brought to fullness Colossians 2: 9 – 10. In the King James version it says we are complete in him. We lack nothing to grow into the likeness of Jesus.

John made an interesting point No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 1 John 3: 9.  The life from the spiritual seed cannot sin because it is the seed of Jesus. The natural one is the seed that likes to sin. By faith we must help the spiritual seed to grow so the likeness of Jesus shines forth.

When Jesus was born as a baby, he was complete. He had no sinful DNA from his father because his Father was the Holy Spirit. By faith yet nurtured by Mary and Joseph, family, friends and the rabbis he grew to fulfil his destiny. He had to consistently let the spiritual seed of God rule over any temptation that would be placed before him and so he remained sinless and therefore able to be the perfect sacrifice to be the Saviour of the world.

We are people made in the image of God and the world needs the believers to walk in all that Jesus walked in and more. This comes by putting to death the sinful life spawned by the natural seed and letting the spiritual, incorruptible seed grow through faith and obedience.