Hello everyone,
Welcome back to Part 8 of our series, The Sower’s Seed.In this post, we continue our journey through Matthew 13, examining how the profound message of the seed unites us as believers. This message brings transformation to our lives. Today, we’re going to focus on the ground where the Sower’s seed falls and explore the nature of the “receiving grounds.” What does the ground represent? How does it relate to us as believers? If you missed last week’s post, The Power of the Seed, make sure to check it out!
In the previous article, we explored why love is the foundation of everything. It’s through love that we find true peace. You can’t walk the path of peace if you’re holding onto hatred. Love is what unites us, and it’s through love that we experience God’s power. We learned that God’s Word has incredible power. We also realized we can’t move forward in life without His love in our hearts. The power of love can overcome hatred, and it’s that love that helps us navigate the struggles of the world. The seed was planted to help us rescue ourselves from those struggles.
Today, we’ll focus on the subject: “The Context of Man and Earth: Who is Man in God’s Image? We’ll explore the nature of the receiving grounds that the Sower’s seed fell on.
What are the grounds on which the seed falls? And what do these grounds tell us?
Scripture References
Genesis 1:26-28
26 Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’
Genesis 2:5-7
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Matthew 13: 3-9
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.’
Let’s dive into this journey together and explore the true meaning of our existence in the Kingdom of God.
The Generations and the Seed
We’ve all heard about the Kingdom of God, whether from books or preachers. But how many of us truly understand what the Kingdom is about? In today’s post, we’re going to talk about what the Kingdom of God really means. The Kingdom of God is the Church. It’s the Church that we live in. In the Church are the variations of heart, and in the Church, we find the reason we exist. Choosing between the Church and your life is like choosing between life and death. You can’t just live your life the way you want when you are part of the Church. Being in the Church means living a life like Christ—sacrificed for the Kingdom’s purpose.
Jesus is the Head of the Church, yet many of us live in the Church as though it has no Head. We move in and out of the Church on our own terms, living as we please. But the concept of living in the Church is different. You cannot be in the Church and live by your own rules. When you belong to the Church, your destiny is in the hands of the Lord. Jesus is the Head of your life. If you believe in Jesus Christ, your faith in God should be grounded in His principles. Our walk with Him is one of trust, knowing that we cannot move without Him. Our decisions should be led by His will. He is our Redeemer, and His Word is a lamp to our feet, lighting our path (Psalm 119:105).
References: Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:15-16; 4:24; 5:32; 6:10-20; Colossians 3:10
In the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians, Paul emphasizes the transformative power of Christ in the lives of believers. In Ephesians 1:22-23, Christ is portrayed as the supreme authority, with the church as His body. It displays His fullness in the world. Ephesians 2:15-16 speaks of the reconciliation Christ brings. He unites Jews and Gentiles into one new humanity. Christ breaks down the barriers that once divided them. The call to put on the new self in Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10 underscores the believer’s transformation into a new identity. This new identity is marked by righteousness and holiness, and continual renewal in the image of God.
Ephesians 5:32 illustrates the deep mystery of the relationship between Christ and the church. It is likened to a marriage where sacrificial love and unity prevail. Finally, in Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul urges believers to arm themselves with God’s strength. They should equip themselves for spiritual warfare. This preparation helps them stand firm against the forces of darkness. These passages collectively highlight the profound work of Christ. He unites, renews, and empowers His people for a life of faith and victory.
Aligning with God’s Spirit
The Church exists to help us grow, not to shrink us. As children of God, our lives should reflect the nature and character of the King we serve. We are either aligned with the King in His Kingdom or living outside of it —there’s no in-between. Our lives cannot be lived according to our own desires. God created us for His Kingdom. We cannot straddle both worlds—living with one foot in the Kingdom and the other in the world. We are called to be fully devoted to God’s Kingdom work. this devotion includes sharing His Word and advancing His mission on earth.
We are who we are because of what we are in the spirit.
What am I as a child of God with God’s spirit in me?
In Galatians 5:22-23, we’re reminded of the fruit of the Spirit. These include love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the qualities that define us as children of God. They reflect the nature of God’s Spirit within us.
In John 15, Jesus speaks about the vine and the branches. He teaches us that we are connected to Him, the true Vine. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. So, as a child of God with His Spirit living in me, I am someone who reflects His character. I produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life and remaining rooted in Christ.
What am I as a child of God? I am a vessel of God’s Spirit, called to live out His love and truth in the world. I am to bear fruit that points others back to Him. We are called to worship God in spirit and in truth.
Cultivating a Fruitful Heart
The Kingdom of God is much like the condition of our hearts. In the parable of the Sower, we see that only the good soil produced a crop. It yielded multiple times what was sown. The other types of soil—rocky, thorny, and the path—failed to bear fruit. But God has blessed us with the potential to be fruitful and multiply. This is where our focus should be: becoming good soil for God’s Word. We are called to cultivate hearts that are receptive to His message. We must allow it to take root and bear abundant fruit in our lives.
In Genesis 1:28, God commands mankind to “be fruitful and increase in number.” But how can we increase in number if we are not being fruitful? The concept of being fruitful extends beyond just reproduction. It involves living in a way that reflects God’s purpose for us. We must multiply His goodness, His love, and His truth in the world. If we are not being fruitful in our personal lives, in our relationships, or in our faith, then how can we expect to see growth? Growth could be spiritual or numerical.
The question then arises: why are we not being fruitful and increasing in number as God intended? One reason could be that we are focused on our own desires and not on the mission of God’s Kingdom. We may not be nurturing the gifts and opportunities He has given us or sharing His Word as we are called to do. Spiritual fruitfulness requires intentionality, discipline, and a deep connection to God’s will. Only when we align ourselves with His purpose and cultivate the fruits of the Spirit can we begin to see true multiplication. This applies both in our own lives and in the lives of others.
If we are producing the fruit that God has called us to, why are we not fulfilling this command? God created us to be fruitful, to multiply, and to be good soil that yields a harvest. So, why aren’t we bearing fruit? The answer lies in Isaiah 64:6, where it says, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Our efforts to be righteous on our own fall short. In Ephesians 4:24, we are reminded to put on the new self. This new self is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Without God’s transformation in our lives, we cannot truly bear fruit. We need His Spirit to make us fruitful; to become the good soil He designed us to be.
The Condition of Our Hearts
There are various circumstances under which the Word of God, once planted in us, can be lost or neglected. Our hearts are not all the same—there are different states of our hearts. The condition of our hearts plays a significant role in how we receive and nurture God’s Word. Jesus came to bring us salvation, yet His message is often taken for granted or not fully embraced. The ground on which the Church of God was built is not without its challenges. Many obstacles hinder the growth of the Word within us.
While we are great and victorious in the Lord, individually, we are often a mess. We face struggles, distractions, and weaknesses. These can cause us to lose sight of God’s truth. It’s a reminder that, while we are part of something bigger—the body of Christ. Our personal journeys still require us to work through the imperfections and struggles in our hearts. We need to allow God to shape us into the good soil that produces lasting fruit. Our hearts, in their many states, need constant attention. They require cultivation and renewal to ensure that the Word of God takes root.
Who is Man in the likeness of God?
Who is Man?
What is Man Made of?
Mankind was created as a living being. But it was not until God formed man from the dust of the earth. He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Only then did man become a living soul (Genesis 2:7). It was this divine breath, given directly by God, that made man truly alive in His eyes. Without it, we would have remained a mere figure in God’s mind, a potential that had not yet been realized. God had a perfect image of us in His heart before He even formed us from the dust of the earth. It is significant that this very ground—created by God—was later cursed after humanity’s fall (Genesis 3:17-19). Even before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God knew you intimately. He already knew what He had created. He knew the life He intended for you to live.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 says, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’”
This passage reminds us that God’s knowledge of us goes beyond our physical creation. Before we were even conceived, God knew us and had a purpose for our lives. Just as He appointed Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations, He has a unique plan for each of us. This plan was designed before the foundation of the world. Our lives are not a mere accident. They are part of a divine purpose that God set in motion even before we were born.
God created mankind in His own image, according to His likeness (Genesis 1:27). From the dust of the earth, God formed man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, a perfect environment. While mankind was originally created in God’s perfect image, this divine reflection became marred over time. It was distorted by greed and the overwhelming pressures of the world. The very nature that was meant to reflect God’s goodness has now been tainted, becoming driven by selfishness and deceit. What was once a perfect image has been marred by sin and the desires of the world. This led humanity further away from the likeness in which God originally created us.
Our reception of God’s Word reflects who we truly are. God planted His seed in us with the intention of creating an image of Himself. However, but this image became distorted through the deception of the enemy. So, how can mankind restore or repair the image we’ve created for ourselves?
God originally created us in His own image. However, somewhere along the way, we allowed the enemy to twist that creation. It became something far removed from His likeness. The truth that God is sharing with us is simple yet profound. We are created in His image. We are made according to His likeness. We were designed to respond to Him alone, not to any other god.
So, what has become of the godly nature that He originally bestowed upon us? The answer lies in our fallen nature, influenced by sin and the lies of the enemy. But the good news is that through Christ, we can be restored. God’s purpose for us hasn’t changed. We are still His creation. Through His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to reclaim and reflect His image once again.
Restoring Our True Image
We were created in God’s own image and likeness, but understanding who Christ truly is, can be difficult. God’s image of Christ represents the perfect being, one who fully understands God’s plans and purposes. Christ is the ultimate reflection of God’s intention for humanity, embodying the perfection that we were originally designed to reflect.
It was only through God—through Christ—that we could be delivered. This redemption was necessary because of the mess we found ourselves in after the fall in the Garden of Eden. Christ understood our fallen nature because He knew who we were, what we had become, and what we needed. In His perfect understanding, He was able to restore us to our true identity in God. Fulfilling the purpose that we were always meant to have.
God created man in His own image. His purpose was to give us the ability to deliver ourselves from the harms of this world. He granted us dominion over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and every living creature on the ground. We were meant to rule over creation, living in harmony with God’s plan. But we failed. Man allowed the serpent of this world to deceive him. As a result, we introduced chaos and disorder into the world. Our fallen nature led us astray. Instead of fulfilling God’s purpose, we became agents of destruction. We caused more harm because of our choices. What was meant to be a perfect creation became marred by our disobedience and the influence of the enemy.
God created humanity for His worship. Yet, mankind failed to understand His true purpose. Instead, humans worshipped the created things rather than the Creator. The trajectory of God’s plan for mankind—created in His own image—was disrupted. God formed man from the soil of the earth. Just as our physical form reflects the earth, our image in Christ mirrors the image we were created to have in God.
God does not fail or forsake His creation. He never abandons us. Because God created mankind before He even formed us, mankind has always been a part of His divine plan. We were in God’s heart and mind from the beginning. He holds the blueprint of who we are. In His perfect timing, He will bring that plan to full completion. Even when we falter, God’s purpose for us remains intact. He continues to guide us back toward His original design.
God took the dust of the ground and created man, breathing into him the everlasting breath of life. In doing so, God formed man from the soil of the earth, which He had established through His Word. (References: John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:10; Hebrews 11:3; Isaiah 45:18). It was His spoken Word that brought the earth into existence (Genesis 1). While our physical bodies are made from the ground, our existence is deeply rooted in the Word of God. God shaped us according to His Word, and it is by that Word that we stand. Our foundation is in God’s Word, which means He is always with us.
However, our understanding of who He is can be limited by our understanding of who Christ truly is. Christ is the full revelation of God’s Word. Yet, many times we fail to grasp the depth of His purpose and presence. If we truly understand Christ, we will begin to understand the fullness of who God is. We will see how deeply rooted we are in His divine plan.
Christ is the embodiment of God’s perfection—He is man in His truest, most complete form. Christ cannot be man-made in the image of man; He is the image of God Himself (Colossians 2:9). Christ is the blueprint of what God intended humanity to be. He represents the perfection of man that God desires us to reflect. In His divine plan, God sent Christ to fulfil this purpose, giving Him authority over all of mankind.
For man to truly know God, he must fellowship with Christ. He is the perfect representation of who we are meant to be. He is the bridge that connects us to God, showing us how to live in accordance with God’s will. As the perfect model, Christ reveals the path to reconciliation with the Father.
So, how does man relate to the Kingdom of God? Man’s relationship to the Kingdom of God is founded upon our relationship with Christ. Christ is the key to the Kingdom. Our understanding of Him, our submission to Him, and our fellowship with Him lead us to enter into God’s Kingdom. They also help us live out God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not just a future reality. It is a present one that we experience through our connection to Christ. Christ embodies the fullness of God’s will for our lives.
God created mankind in His perfect image, yet the image He formed from the earth was not without imperfections. While God shaped man from the soil, the earth itself lacked rain, as God had not yet sent it. Nevertheless, this ground was firmly rooted in the Word of God, establishing the foundation for all creation. Streams rose from the earth to water its entire surface.
Understanding the Relationship Between God, Man, and the Earth
Establishing the earth can be compared to limiting the Word of God to those who truly love Him. But how do we understand the relationship between God and man? Man was formed from the dust of the ground, while God is eternal and transcendent. In His wisdom, God created mankind with the ability to choose. This gift of free will allows us to make decisions. It includes the choice between life and death, as highlighted in Matthew 23:37, Revelation 22:17, and Genesis 2. Ultimately, God gives us the freedom to choose our path.
The reason God cursed the ground of the serpent, as described in Genesis 3:17-19, is significant. It was the very same ground from which He had formed man. The curse on the ground has a direct impact on humanity, as it mirrors our own attitude and actions. Man’s disobedience led to a curse (Genesis 3:7) that God, in His grace, seeks to reverse (Genesis 3:21). But this raises a question: if the earth was established upon the Word of God, how could He curse the ground? It was built upon His divine foundation.
In order for God to bring salvation to His creation, He had to curse the ground of the serpent. By doing so, He established His Word in a way that would allow mankind to find redemption. God placed the curse upon the serpent, commanding, “On your belly you will go” (Genesis 3:14). This burden was given to the serpent as a means of carrying the curse that would affect humanity. To Adam, God declared, “Cursed is the ground because of you. Through painful toil, you will eat food from it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17). In this way, God used the curse to set in motion a plan for mankind’s redemption.
So, God brought forth Jesus Christ—the perfect embodiment of His Word, the very Word upon which He established the earth. God sent Jesus into the world. This was so His message of salvation could be received by mankind, as we see in John 3:16.
The birth of Christ was the solution to our crisis. Through the birth of Jesus, God revealed His Word to us, transforming our understanding of Him as our Creator. God birthed Himself into the world as a man, and in Him resides the Word of God. This is the very blueprint of creation and our true identity. Through Jesus, God came to us, offering salvation based on His eternal Word. Now, anyone who believes in and accepts Jesus Christ as their Saviour receives salvation. They are restored to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ died to Himself—the very nature of humanity, represented by the ground from which man was formed. This human nature is what brought sin into the world. While the spirit of God within man understands God’s plans and purposes, the external body of man is often bound by earthly desires. When Jesus died, He descended into the grave and reclaimed salvation from the ground of the earth. In doing so, He defeated death and rose again in the spirit, securing victory over sin and death for all who believe.
If we are to truly worship God, we must align ourselves with His Spirit—the breath of life He breathed into us. We are called to be spiritually minded, for we cannot be carnally minded and still be citizens of His Kingdom. Worshiping God requires us to offer all that we are—body, mind, and spirit. To do this, we must be spiritually gifted, bearing the fruits of the Spirit and utilizing the gifts that God has given us.
God’s message of the Kingdom was sown within us, but something happened along the way. He did not create us to live aimlessly or without purpose. The dream He planted in us, to be made in His likeness, was stolen by the enemy.
So, how can we restore ourselves to the purity of His Son, Jesus Christ, the blueprint of our true image? God desires to restore us to Himself. He created His Kingdom for us to occupy and rule over. He made the heavens for us to enjoy and steward.
Understanding the Church of God
Up next to your church stands the Church of the Lord. Remember, the Lord is always with us. His grace surrounds us. The church we seek is not one made by man, but the Church of God. This is the true context of man and earth. While God spoke the earth into existence through His Word, it is man who was intentionally created and shaped by Him (Genesis 1-4:16). Man wasn’t simply brought into being like the earth; we were formed with purpose. Therefore, our focus is on seeking the life of God, not our own.”
Teaching about Christ and the Church can be challenging because of the unique relationship between them. Christ was made for the Church, and we, as human beings, were created for the Church as well. It’s like Christ dwells within us, while the Church finds its place in our hearts.
Man was created for the Church. However, it goes deeper. Our very existence was meant for the Church, the Kingdom of God. You can’t hide anything from God because He’s the one who created you. He knows you inside and out, having formed you from the very dust of the earth. We were made for the Church, and God’s response to us comes through His nature. As beings shaped by God, we live to please Him. However, being made from the earth also means we have this natural pull to satisfy its desires. So, we find ourselves constantly battling between these two natures.
The Lord God has shown me what it means to be human—both in our essence and in our flesh. And this brings up a big question: Who do we really represent? Do we reflect God, or are we defined by our human nature? It’s a question that’s on everyone’s mind—are we of God, or are we of man?
That’s the core of our struggle—are we of God or of man? Our flesh constantly wrestles with this question, debating whether to respond to God or to our human nature. But the answer is found in our creation, in who we were made to be.
God created mankind with a specific purpose. Because of that purpose, we are meant to respond to Him alone. We should not respond to our fleshly desires. We were made for Him—to inhabit the earth and to surrender it to His will. We weren’t created to worship the earth. This sometimes happens in our churches. Instead, we are meant to honour the Creator who gave it to us.
Up next to your church is God’s Church. We’re meant to worship God in our church, not man. The issue arises when we end up worshipping God’s creation rather than the Creator Himself. This is where the problem lies—worshiping God outside His Church, but worshiping man inside His Church.
So, who are you truly worshiping when you bow down in church? Is it God, your Creator, or is it man?
There are important lessons to be learned about who we worship in the church. Where is our focus—on the church itself or on what lies beyond it? Is God living in your heart, or is He somewhere outside of it? Are we living within God’s will, or are we living outside of it? These are the questions that truly matter.
Conclusion
Our existence is intricately intertwined with the divine purpose for which we were created. We are meant to live in alignment with God’s will, reflecting His nature rather than succumbing to our earthly desires. Our true identity and purpose lie in our creation by God. It is through worshipping Him, within His Church, that we fulfill the essence of our being. Let us strive to honour the Creator in all that we do. We must ensure that our worship is directed solely towards Him. It should not be misplaced upon the creation.
Join us next week as we delve into the next post, “The Matter of the Heart.” Stay connected. Stay inspired. Let’s continue to grow in faith together.
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Written by Eunice Forson
Be sure to check out post #9 in our series next week!
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If you missed any of the previous posts in this series, here’s a quick recap:
Over the past couple of weeks in our “The Sower’s Seed” blog series, we’ve discussed…
Introduction to the Series – The Sower’s Seed
Blog Post #1 – The Sower’s Seed: Exploring the Purpose of Parables
Blog Post #2 – Understanding the Scattered Seed in the Parable of the Sower
Blog Post #3 – The Mustard Seed: A Journey of Faith and Transformation
Blog Post #4 – The Fruit that House the Seed
Blog Post #5 – The Nature of the Seed
Blog Post #6 – The Seed and the Church: A Divine Connection
Blog Post #7 – The Power of the Seed: Achieving Peace in the World
The seed 