What's contained in the seed of Faith? Let's look at Nature to find out!

I wish to build here upon the Idea expressed in scripture of the Word of God being a literal seed that God has placed inside every believer. 

To find out just what that seed contains I believe it would be helpful to better understand the physical nature of the seeds  God created to sow into the earth.


Genesis 1:11 Amplified Bible (AMP)

"And God said, Let the earth put forth [tender] vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so."

Luke 8:11 Amplified Bible (AMP)

"Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God."

 
Matthew 13:31-37 Amplified Bible (AMP)

"Another story by way of comparison He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.

Of all the seeds it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and find shelter in its branches.


{Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants.  

The seeds are usually about 1 or 2 mm in diameter. Mustard seeds may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are important spices in many regional foods. The seeds can come from three different plants:

black mustard (Brassica nigra), brown Indian mustard (B. juncea), and white mustard (B. hirta/Sinapis alba).}

He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven ([a]sour dough) which a woman took and covered over in three measures of meal or flour till all of it was leavened.

These things [b]all taken together Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, without a parable He said nothing to them.

This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet: I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things that have been hidden since the foundation of the world.

Then He left the throngs and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field.

He answered, He Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man."




A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant.


The formation of the seed completes the process of reproduction in seed plants (started with the development of flowers and pollination), with the embryo developed from the zygote and the seed coat from the integuments of the ovule.


Seeds have been an important development in the reproduction and spread of flowering plants, relative to more primitive plants like mosses, ferns and liverworts, which do not have seeds and use other means to propagate themselves.



This can be seen by the success of seed plants (both gymnosperms and angiosperms) in dominating biological niches on land, from forests to grasslands both in hot and cold climates.



A typical seed includes three basic parts:


(1) an embryo, 

{The New Birth is the Embryo stage of God's word in the Believers life and as long as we remain in this stage without growth the LESS WE KNOW about God and his universe.}



(2) a supply of nutrients for the embryo,

{ The Nutrients for the New Birth's Embryo are simple Obedience to what God has instructed us to do in his word, a constant flow of Prayer without Ceasing, Study of Scripture in a Meditative state of heart, not just merely reading it as other books. We must be in cohabitation with God's Word as like a stand of D.N.A.

Fasting THE WORLD SYSTEM MEANS weaning ourselves from the Love of the world through strengthening our bond with the Holy Spirit. The Words of God are the "Vitamins and Minerals" to our soul and Spirit, and must be BALANCED AS A SPIRITUAL DIET in our life.}





(3) a seed coat.


{ The "Seed Coat" of protection from outside forces is found in Galatians 5: 16-18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

"But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law."

Obedience is the Seed Coat which translates into "The Armor of God" in  Ephesians 6: 10-19

"In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

 Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

   Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

    And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the ^[a]firm-footed stability,

the promptness, and the readiness ^[b]produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.^(A)

   Lift up over all the [covering] shield of ^[c]saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit ^[d]wields, which is the Word of God.

   Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, 

interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).

   And [pray] also for me, that [freedom of] utterance may be given me, that I may open my mouth to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news (the Gospel),"


Knowing this, read the rest and let God reveal this revelation to you through his creation.

The embryo of the spirit of mankind is an immature plant from which the world has drained all nutrients but God requires a new growth in understanding which will grow under the proper conditions. Conditions placed upon us at the New Birth but it is up to US TO WATER THIS SEED until it comes to maturity.


Psalm 1:3

 
"And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]."

 

 Matthew 5:48

 
"You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Matthew 19:21
 
"Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. "


 Romans 5:4
 
"And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation."


1 John 2:5
 
"But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him: "

The embryo of a physical plant has one cotyledon or seed leaf in monocotyledons, two cotyledons in almost all dicotyledons and two or more in gymnosperms.



The radicle is the embryonic root. The plumule is the embryonic shoot. The embryonic stem above the point of attachment of the cotyledon(s) is the epicotyl. The embryonic stem below the point of attachment is the hypocotyl.



Within the seed, there usually is a store of nutrients for the seedling that will grow from the embryo. The form of the stored nutrition varies depending on the kind of plant. 


A lesson can be learned here as well, not every person grows the same way so our nutrients will vary from believer to believer, we are not COPIES of one another but only of Christ. How each of us is given strength to grow is up to God not us.


In angiosperms, the stored food begins as a tissue called the endosperm, which is derived from the parent plant via double fertilization. The usually triploid endosperm is rich in oil or starch and protein. 

 ''.....derived from the parent plant via double fertilization." Remember that in the New Birth God is recreating us in the Image and Likeness of Jesus spiritually speaking, so he is "Double Fertilizing" us in his image just as plants do it in their image.






In gymnosperms, such as conifers, the food storage tissue is part of the female gametophyte, a haploid tissue. In some species, the embryo is embedded in the endosperm or female gametophyte, which the seedling will use upon germination.

In others, the endosperm is absorbed by the embryo as the latter grows within the developing seed, and the cotyledons of the embryo become filled with this stored food.

At maturity, seeds of these species have no endosperm and are termed exalbuminous seeds. Some exalbuminous seeds are bean, pea, oak, walnut, squash, sunflower, and radish.



Seeds with an endosperm at maturity are termed albuminous seeds. Most monocots (e.g. grasses and palms) and many dicots (e.g. brazil nut and castor bean) have albuminous seeds. All gymnosperm seeds are albuminous.


The seed coat (or testa) develops from the tissue, the integument, originally surrounding the ovule. The seed coat in the mature seed can be a paper-thin layer (e.g. peanut) or something more substantial (e.g. thick and hard in honey locust and coconut). The seed coat helps protect the embryo from mechanical injury and from drying out.




In the same way that the "seed coat helps protect the embryo" of plants from "mechanical injury and from drying out" the protection of God through OUR OBEDIENCE to his Word keeps us safe from both Physical and Spiritual harm. 

 

Sometimes physical harm is the result of personal stupidity and neglect but at other times the result of persecution by the world.

 

 We must stay within the protective cover of his WILL {His word} or harm will result, if it is by persecution the rewards are great because these persecutions force us to grow into more perfect images of him.



In addition to the three basic seed parts, some seeds have an appendage on the seed coat such an aril (as in yew and nutmeg) or an elaiosome (as in Corydalis) or hairs (as in cotton). There may also be a scar on the seed coat, called the hilum; it is where the seed was attached to the ovary wall by the funiculus.


The term seed also has a general meaning that predates the above — anything that can be sown, e.g. "seed" potatoes, "seeds" of corn or sunflower "seeds". In the case of sunflower and corn "seeds", what is sown is the seed enclosed in a shell or hull, and the potato is a tuber.


Seed germination is a process by which a seed embryo develops into a seedling. It involves the reactivation of the metabolic pathways that lead to growth and the emergence of the radicle or seed root and plumule or shoot.

The emergence of the seedling above the soil surface is the next phase of the plants growth and is called seedling establishment.



Three fundamental conditions must exist before germination {Growth} of the seed can occur.


(1) The embryo must be alive, called seed viability. 

The Seed of the Word of God is the MOST viable seed in existence, alive with God's glory, once that word has been baptized in the water of the spiritual presence of God.

(2) Any dormancy requirements that prevent germination must be overcome, that is why God FIRST eradicates sin in a person's heart before planting his word. The human heart must be plowed over to make its soil free of the rock hardness of sin, God requires that his word be living and active within us.

(3) The proper environmental conditions must exist for germination, the heart is first purified then the mind must be renewed to give his word the best chance to grow large and in charge in one's life.

The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources


The Sower


Parable of the Sower


Bodge Plants a Seed: A Retelling of the Parable of the Sower

Seed viability is the ability of the embryo to germinate and is affected by a number of different conditions. Some plants do not produce seeds that have functional complete embryos or the seed may have no embryo at all, often called empty seeds.

Predators and pathogens can damage or kill the seed while it is still in the fruit or after it is dispersed. Environmental conditions like flooding or heat can kill the seed before or during germination.

The age of the seed affects its health and germination ability: since the seed has a living embryo, over time cells die and cannot be replaced. Some seeds can live for a long time before germination, while others can only survive for a short period after dispersal before they die.

Luke 8:14

Amplified Bible (AMP)

^"And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection)."







Seed vigor is a measure of the quality of seed, and involves the viability of the seed, the germination percentage, germination rate and the strength of the seedlings produced.






The germination percentage is simply the proportion of seeds that germinate from all seeds subject to the right conditions for growth. The germination rate is the length of time it takes for the seeds to germinate.

Germination percentages and rates are affected by seed viability, dormancy and environmental effects that impact on the seed and seedling. In agriculture and horticulture quality seeds have high viability, measured by germination percentage plus the rate of germination.

This is given as a percent of germination over a certain amount of time, 90% germination in 20 days, for example. 'Dormancy' is covered above; many plants produce seeds with varying degrees of dormancy, and different seeds from the same fruit can have different degrees of dormancy.

It's possible to have seeds with no dormancy if they are dispersed right away and do not dry (if the seeds dry they go into physiological dormancy). There is great variation amongst plants and a dormant seed is still a viable seed even though the germination rate might be very low.




Environmental conditions effecting seed germination include; water, oxygen, temperature and light.




Three distinct phases of seed germination occur: water imbibition; lag phase; and radicle emergence.






In order for the seed coat to split, the embryo must imbibe (soak up water), which causes it to swell, splitting the seed coat. However, the nature of the seed coat determines how rapidly water can penetrate and subsequently initiate germination.

The rate of imbibition is dependent on the permeability of the seed coat, amount of water in the environment and the area of contact the seed has to the source of water. For some seeds, imbibing too much water too quickly can kill the seed.

 For some seeds, once water is imbibed the germination process cannot be stopped, and drying then becomes fatal. Other seeds can imbibe and lose water a few times without causing ill effects, but drying can cause secondary dormancy.






Inducing germination FORCING GROWTH!


A number of different strategies are used by gardeners and horticulturists to break seed dormancy.




Scarification which allows water and gases to penetrate into the seed, include methods that physically break the hard seed coats or soften them by chemicals. Means of scarification include soaking in hot water or poking holes in the seed with a pin or rubbing them on sandpaper or cracking with a press or hammer.

Soaking the seeds in solvents or acids is also effective for many seeds. Sometimes fruits are harvested while the seeds are still immature and the seed coat is not fully developed and sown right away before the seed coat become impermeable.

Under natural conditions seed coats are worn down by rodents chewing on the seed, the seeds rubbing against rocks (seeds are moved by the wind or water currents), by undergoing freezing and thawing of surface water, or passing through an animal's digestive tract.

In the latter case, the seed coat protects the seed from digestion, while often weakening the seed coat such that the embryo is ready to sprout when it gets deposited (along with a bit of fertilizer) far from the parent plant.

Microorganisms are often effective in breaking down hard seed coats and are sometimes used by people as a treatment, the seeds are stored in a moist warm sandy medium for several months under non-sterile conditions.




Stratification also called moist-chilling is a method to break down physiological dormancy and involves the addition of moisture to the seeds so they imbibe water and then the seeds are subject to a period of moist chilling to after-ripen the embryo.

Sowing outside in late summer and fall and allowing to overwinter outside under cool conditions is an effective way to stratify seeds, some seeds respond more favorably to periods of oscillating temperatures which are part of the natural environment.




Leaching or the soaking in water removes chemical inhibitors in some seeds that prevent germination. Rain and melting snow naturally accomplish this task.

For seeds planted in gardens, running water is best - if soaked in a container, 12 to 24 hours of soaking is sufficient. Soaking longer, especially in stagnant water that is not changed, can result in oxygen starvation and seed death. Seeds with hard seed coats can be soaked in hot water to break open the impermeable cell layers that prevent water intake.


Other methods used to assist in the germination of seeds that have dormancy include prechilling, predrying, daily alternation of temperature, light exposure, potassium nitrate, the use of plant growth regulators like gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, thiourea, sodium hypochlorite plus others.

Some seeds germinate best after a fire, for some seeds fire cracks hard seed coats while in other seeds chemical dormancy is broken in reaction to the presence of smoke, liquid smoke is often used by gardeners to assist in the germination of these species. Sometimes God will use outside forces to increase or decrease our growth when necessary.

We can learn a lot by comparing Creations growth and the New Birth if we look hard enough, there is a THIN LINE between physical realities and spiritual realities as there is between mental assent and actual learning, most of us dwell in the realm of assenting to knowledge by copying what others THINK instead of resting upon what God says, this is THE WORLD'S LIE!