HF093 - The Power of the Seed
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 14:31:15 -0500
Subject: Bible Study HF093 - The Power of the Seed
Hebraics,
While you are still musing over the last study (HF092 - Only the Pure of Heart), I want to provide a related study that will show why no true child of God can continue in a life of sin. (For you who view our Sunday services via internet, this study is a prelude to what I will be speaking on the coming Sunday.)
This is Bible Study HF093 - The Power of the Seed
Have you noticed how plants seem to grow just anywhere. A tiny seed can actually uproot concrete. And every majestic oak tree begins as a very small acorn. The list goes on and on. This shows the power in a seed.
The Lord often used the seed to speak of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He said the kingdom of God could be compared to a mustard seed that grows larger and larger until the birds can nest in it. Jesus also compared the power of faith to that of a mustard seed. He said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you." (Luke 17:6)
But it is John who gives us the insight we need as to why a believer cannot continue in sin. He said, "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His Seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1Jn3:9) The word practice (poieo) speaks of something that is produced or created by virtue of a person's nature. (It is the word that we get 'poem' from. A poem is an expression or creation of the writer.)
The apostle is not saying that a child of God is incapable of sin. He is simply giving a summary on what he has already shared. Earlier he wrote that if we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves. But now he tells us why a believer is incapable of continuing in sin. It is because of the seed of God that is resident in the believer.
Think about it for a moment. Just as human seed carries the paternal characteristics of the father, even so the seed of God transfers the paternal characteristics of God into the heart of a believer. And so, while a believer does sin at times, he cannot continue in it. His godly nature will not allow it.
When we understand the issue of God's seed abiding in us, it then helps us understand other Scriptures that we may wonder about. For example, how can the new covenant grant such a sense of liberty to believers, while the covenant of Moses speaks so much about commands and demands, and judgments and curses.
The difference is that the covenant of Moses was made for an earthly man. The covenant of Christ was made for the heavenly man. The heavenly man carries in his heart the very seed of God. No where in the new covenant will you find a curse placed upon believers. No one can curse what God has blessed. Yet the covenant of Moses carried a curse.
Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'" When you read Deuteronomy 27, you find that the people actually placed themselves under a curse. Yet there was no curse under the Abrahamic covenant. This is why the Abrahamic covenant and the covenant of Moses should not be confused.
The covenant of Moses was temporary. The covenant of Abraham was to be fulfilled in the Messiah. Paul said, "For as many as are the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not ABIDE BY ALL THINGS written in the book of the Law, to perform them." (Gal3:10)
Paul is saying that you cannot pick and choose what part of the Law you wish to fulfill. If you insist on being under the Law of Moses, then you must fulfill every commandment. Failure to do so places the person under the curse of the Law.
The apostle went on to say, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hands on a tree' -- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Cf. Gal3:10-14)
What does this have to do with the power of the seed? It has everything to do with it. Christ took the sin of Adam, and the sins of the whole world to Himself on the cross. He took our place in judgment. Out of the cross comes a new man. Every person on this planet is guaranteed the benefits of Christ's sufferings. And the primary benefit is being born of God.
Now we begin to understand why there are no curses in the new covenant, and why there is such liberty, and why a believer is unable to continue in a life of sin. It is because of the cross. It is because all who come to the cross have implanted in them the seed of God. These are all children of God.
All the children of God carry the paternal nature of God in their own spirits. We have become Christ like in nature. Our nature is a nature of righteousness. This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt5:20)
This statement must have set his disciples back. The Pharisees were the pious ones. They were looked upon as the most righteous people in Israel. So our could a disciple's righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Pharisee. Of course we know that what the Pharisee considered righteousness, was often self-righteousness.
But how can our righteousness exceed that of the Pharisee? The only way this can happen is that we must have a righteousness that is uncommon to man. It has to be a righteousness so pure that it can stand the awesome scrutiny of the gaze of God. No one on earth has that kind of righteousness. Only God does.
And so we come to the story of the cross. The only way we can receive a righteousness that is without taint, we must pass through the cross. This means we must experience the death of the cross before we can experience the life of the cross. The death of the cross speaks to our repentance in that we must turn from all that we may think as personal merit, and become naked. Once we reach this point, we are ready to pass through.
So out of the cross comes a new man, a new woman, a new child of God. This child is actually born of God, and carries the seed of God in him. The child is God's very own child and is treated by God and all the angels as God's child. All the angels know when a person has been born again. They are given assignments to watch over the children.
And it is all because of the power of the seed. Listen to what the apostles have to say of God's very own children:
"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'" (Rom8:15)
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." (Rom8:16)
"And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellowship heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Rom8:17)
"For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." (Rom8:19)
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ." (Gal3:26)
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal3:28)
"And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Gal3:29)
"Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" (Gal4:6)
"Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." (Gal4:7)
"For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." (1Pet1:23)
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." (1Jn3:1)
"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." (1Jn3:2)
"And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1Jn3:3)
Then John begins his description of the child of God verses the child of the devil. Thus we hear, "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
Let me leave one more thought with you. I began this study showing how a tiny seed can uproot concrete. We have all seen this. But there is something else that we need to understand concerning the 'planting of the Lord.' In this I will use an analogy.
In Louisiana we grow a lot of rice. When the rice is planted you also have a problem with weeds. The way to destroy the weeds is to flood the rice fields with water. The weeds die, but the water is the natural environment of the rice. The rice just stands up tall and straight, soaking in the sunshine. The weeds? They cough and sputter and then die.
Now apply this to living a Spirit-filled life. If you are having problems with 'weeds', just flood you soul with the waters of God. I'll let you fill in the blanks.
Surely there is power in the seed of God. What do you think?
The study is open.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)