Paul: His Life and His Teachings Seeds of Death and Destruction
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No.24 Paul: His Life and Teachings - Seeds of Death and Destruction (Part 1)
No.25 Paul: His Life and Teachings - Seeds of Death and Destruction (Part 2)
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We finished our discussion on the Virtue List last Sunday. We can also call that a study on the seeds of life. Today, we will go to the opposite side of the pendulum and talk about the vice list or the seeds of death that Paul warns his disciples about. We need to learn this so we will be aware of how the enemy plants seeds of destruction in our lives. It is always about deception. He doesn’t do a front attack. He slowly weaves himself into the life of a disciple, corrupting and then destroying the person. As it turns out, everything starts as a seed. The moment this seed finds a ground where it can be planted and grow, the process of fruit-bearing begins. James said that the end of this sin conception is death. So, we are tempted when we are carried away and enticed by our own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James 1:14,15). The context of the passage is tests and trials. We can say then, that tests and trials are seed forms looking for a ground to grow in. So, these are seeds of death.
However, when one perseveres and does not surrender to these trials, he will receive the crown of life. Instead of receiving the seed of death, he hangs on to the seeds of life. The one who does not resist the planting of the death-seeds will end up harvesting death. This is what temptation accomplishes. When we are being tempted to disobey the Lord, seeds of death are attempting to enter our system. We must not be ignorant of this according to James. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived. In Romans 1:15-32, Paul tells us line upon line how the enemy was able to bring destruction, death, and chaos to this beautiful creation of God. The passage is key to everything that is happening, that is in the human degeneracy. The Gospel is the seed of life. Paul is not ashamed of this Gospel, the seed of life. It has the power that can uproot the seeds of death that the enemy has been growing in the hearts of men. The Good News is it is powerful. Paul not “being ashamed” means that he has complete confidence in it. It’s so powerful that as people believe the Gospel they receive eternal life. It is the ultimate seed of life.
On top of that, as we already learned, is the faithfulness of God. Our response in faith to that faithfulness of God will allow us to live. That is, to perpetuate the seeds of life in our life and those whom we encounter. God’s faithfulness is universal. It does not discriminate. It is available to all who will put their faith in Jesus. More than ever, we need to learn and start living by faith. It is the only way to go. The seeds of destruction and death had been sown by the enemy in the world. It is already bearing fruits of death and destruction. We can see it all around us. Meanwhile, the Gospel was revealed to us so that when we believe, everything that is wrong between us and God can be healed. It is God who took the initiative to bring us the remedy. We are the recipients of that love rendered by God coming and showing how we could have our lives right with Him again. The seed of faith must be nurtured and grown in your life. Now that it has been planted, it needs to be watered, so that God can bring growth to it. This is how to live – continually pressing on by faith from beginning to end.
The planting of the seeds of destruction is presented by Paul in Romans 1:18-3:20. It starts with the suppression of truth in righteousness” (v. 18). To suppress is to “hold back” or “to restrain.” It has the idea of holding down something firmly. To suppress something means to recognize that it exists but held down and considered inactive. An example of suppression of truth is the attempt to negate Christ’s resurrection with a cover-up story that the body was stolen. One is planting seeds of death if the truth is suppressed and lies are allowed to proliferate. After the suppression of truth comes suppression of knowledge (v.19). God can be known because He made it evident. However, men continue to suppress even the natural revelation. It’s when the presence of God is evident on Sinai, yet due to suppression of knowledge, some people still manage to instigate the idea that a molten image is their God. The same is true on how others put a spin on the healing power of God and the miraculous provision of the Lord. There are so many God-revealing moments in our lives. We must never suppress them. Those who do still know the truth and therefore has no excuse.
Next is the rejection of truth. We can also say, rejection of the knowledge of God. A lot of people would deny rejecting God. However, the Scripture is very clear as to how one comes to this episode in his or her life. After the suppression of truth comes the rejection of truth and of God. Examples are whenever we don’t give God the honor and glory to great things he has done. When you don’t give honor to whom it is due, it is equivalent to the rejection of that person. In the Bible when we start attributing to Satan what is God’s, it is called blasphemy. This is refusing to honor Him as God. Let me just say this now, when you refuse to honor Him as God, you will turn Him into something else. Sometimes we turn Him into idols, sometimes as just a mere man, etc. This is how a foolish man, claim to be wise and exchange the supposed devotion to God into devotion to idols. So God gave them over to a depraved mind. A depraved mind is a reprobate mind. It is not approved, it does not stand the test, it is rejected. At this point, we are no longer dealing with the seeds of death but damnation itself. May we never find ourselves in the downward spiral of dishonoring God!