Incorruptible Seed, Incorruptible Harvest

Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:23)

This new birth that Peter speaks of does not come about by any human agency, for that would be corruptible seed. Rather, it comes from incorruptible seed, and is divine in nature. The Word of God, which lives and abides forever, is that incorruptible seed.

The Word of God is the manifestation of God, expressing His will, His desires and His purposes. Though it is presented us in the form of the written word, the Scriptures, it is preeminently revealed to us in Jesus Christ, the Word who has always been with God, and indeed is God, and who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). It is this Word that John spoke about when he said,

As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13)

This is indeed incorruptible seed. In fact, it is God-seed.

Orange seeds produce orange trees which bring forth oranges that contain more orange seeds. Apple trees produce apple trees which bring forth apples that contain more apple seeds. As the seed is, so is the tree and its fruit — they possess the essential nature of the seed because they are “born” of the seed.

The seed by which we have been born again to eternal life is a divine seed, the Word of God — the Lord Jesus Christ and all that God has spoken. It is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). This seed has been sown in us to bring forth the life of God, His divine nature, in us. As Peter said,

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that, through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

This does not imply that we can ever become God Himself, but it does mean that we become like God in some very real and important aspects, just as man was originally created to be in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). We see this, for example, when Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These things reflect the character of God in Jesus Christ, and in all who are born of that incorruptible seed.

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)

This divine essence is who we really are now in Jesus Christ. Once we were dead in trespasses and sins, living according to the lusts of our flesh, “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1, 3). But now, because we have been born of incorruptible seed, we no longer have to submit to that. We can now do as Paul says, “Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11). And we can declare, as Paul did,

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Through faith in Jesus Christ you can be born again of incorruptible seed. For God’s desire is to bring forth an incorruptible harvest in you, that you may partake the divine nature and live in His image and likeness.