.....imperishable

We are called to "scatter" God's Word to as many people as possible without becoming preoccupied with the condition of the soil. We also knot that our technique or ability has little to do with the  yield or spiritual harvest; all growth is by the grace of God and we must simply be faithful farmers who plant the seed.

We should know that we are responsible for the type of seed we are sowing. The deceptive enemy of this world is very good at helping and encouraging us to sow weeds, and seeds which never bear fruit. It does no good to scatter seed which has no hope of germination and growth.

As we walk out into the field, we must remember that God's message of Salvation is not about a new set of regulations; we are not saved by trying extra hard to live according to God's commandments. His commands are an essential guide for our spiritual walk, but no amount of obedience, done outside the path of faith, will ever result in the transformation which identifies us as a child of God. Our self-effort will never yield eternal life and we hinder the harvest when we spread such a message!

When Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, He said, "no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again" John 3:3. He then said this second birth is not of the flesh but of the Spirit. When we believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin, God's grace gives us a spiritual birth as a new creation; "The old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Peter wrote to believers in Jesus, that they had been "born again" and had become "new creations" in Christ, but they had come under great persecution for their faith. Peter encouraged them to remember the eternal nature of our second birth.

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God."1 Peter 1:23

Our first birth resulted in our physical bodies - praise God! But, one day, these earthly vessels in which we live are guaranteed to run down and stop functioning - we were birthed of a perishable seed. In contrast, our second birth is of a seed which does not perish - a seed which results in eternal life.

We must never settle for a "good" life or allow our message to stop with good morals and "right" living. These are also perishable seeds which will fade away and lead to death. True life which is abundant and eternal is only found by His grace through faith in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Let's plant a true message of our need to be born again by ensuring we always scatter imperishable seed.