I am in the beginning stage of writing my first book. Even though I have written many study guides for our seminars, this will be my first book. I don’t have a title, but the subject is the atmosphere for spiritual growth.
Growth begins with a seed. What is a seed made of? Biologically, a seed is made up of three parts. They are the seed cover, the embryo, and the endosperm. Each of these is an integral part of the seed. The seed cover is to protect the embryo and the endosperm. The embryo is the new plant that hasn’t emerged yet for the seed cover, and the endosperm is the substance that keeps the embryo alive until it becomes a plant.
For spiritual growth, the seed is the Word of God. It also has three parts. The cover of the Word of God is God Himself. He protects the seed so that it will accomplish what is needed in our lives. The other two parts are the rhema and logos parts of God’s Word. These are the two Greek words used in the Bible for the Word of God. You cannot separate the two. They are interdependent and they need each other to bring about spiritual growth. All these parts of a seed are dependent upon each other.
When I was about fourteen, I was blessed to accompany my aunt, uncle, and cousin on a trip out west. It was the first time this Iowa farm boy had ever seen a mountain. I was used to the fertile ground of northwest Iowa yielding outstanding harvests. I was accustomed to seeds producing plants. But when I saw trees and other plants growing from rocks, I was amazed at the power of a seed. A tiny seed could split a boulder! After years in ministry, I remain surprised at the power of God’s Word. It can break sin. It can change a life for eternity.
A seed has an amazing ability to mass-produce. The parable that Jesus gave us of the seed and sower in Mark 4 tells us that a seed can reproduce thirty, sixty, and a hundred times. The seed that Jesus is talking about is the Word of God.
In 1 Peter 1:22-25, Peter gives us a beautiful description of the seed of the Word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 says, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” Peter uses three words to describe God’s Word. The first is imperishable. This tells us that God’s words will not decay or be destroyed. Last fall, I planted some grass seeds. Most of it germinated before the cold weather, but some seeds did not germinate. Those seeds are destroyed and will never yield grass. God’s Word is imperishable; time, temperature, or difficulties will not destroy it. It may lay until the ready, but it will be there as soon as the soil is prepared, and it will produce. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” That means when we sow the word of God into people’s lives, it will remain there until they allow it to grow. After sharing the gospel with someone, we sometimes think, “Well, that didn’t work.” That isn’t true; God’s Word is imperishable.
The other two words that Peter uses are living and enduring. I don’t have the space to go into them in-depth and maybe I will pick up there next month. I will finish by saying God’s Word, the seed, is amazing and powerful and is at work inside all of us.