Faith & Reason Nexus

The concept of the spiritual kingdom, as illustrated through the analogy of natural creation and the laws of propagation, highlights the parallels between the physical process of birth and the spiritual birth in the Kingdom of God. Below is an outline of this analogy:

Miracle of Creation:

1. First Plant
   • Genesis 1:11-12: The first plant was created by God, establishing the foundation for the law of propagation.
2. Full Grown Plant
   • Growth takes place as the plant matures, demonstrating the application of God’s law of procreation, resulting in new life without exception.
3. Seed and Sower
   • The seed represents the Word of God (Luke 8:11), while the sower is the teacher who spreads the seed (the message of the Gospel).
4. Seed Germinates
   • Just as a seed germinates and produces new plants, the Word of God germinates in the hearts of men (Luke 8:15), leading to spiritual growth and life.
5. Birth of the Plant
   • The law of propagation ensures that from the seed, a new plant is born, a metaphor for the birth of a new believer in Christ, resulting in a new life in the Kingdom.

Human Birth:

1. Seed in the Womb of the Woman
   • Genesis 2:7-22: The first man, Adam, was created by God, establishing the beginning of human life.
2. Embryo Development
   • The process of conception, embryonic development, and eventual birth mirrors the spiritual journey from hearing the Gospel to new birth in Christ.
3. Child in the Family
   • Just as a child is born into a family, the new believer is born into God’s spiritual family after experiencing faith, repentance, and baptism.
4. Result of the Law of Procreation
   • A child is the natural result of the law of propagation, with no exceptions. Similarly, a new believer, who has undergone the spiritual birth (through baptism), is a result of God’s law of spiritual propagation.
5. Not Named, Not an Heir
   • Until the child is born, they are not named or heirs in the family, analogous to a person who has not yet obeyed the Gospel and thus is not yet in the Kingdom of God.

Spiritual Kingdom:

1. Seed – Word of God
   • The Word of God is the seed sown in the hearts of men (Luke 8:11), and the field represents the hearts of those who hear and receive the Word (Luke 8:15).
2. First Subjects Set in by God
   • God sets the first subjects in His Kingdom. As outlined in 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-12, and Acts 2:1-4, these first subjects are the apostles and early disciples who laid the foundation of the Church.
3. Sower – Teacher
   • The teacher or preacher (often symbolized as the sower) spreads the Word of God, leading others to faith. John 6:45 explains that it is written in the prophets that they shall be taught by God.
4. Birth into the Kingdom
   • 2 Corinthians 5:17: The believer, once converted, is a new creation, born into God’s family, just as a child is born into a natural family.
5. Faith, Repentance, Baptism
   • These are the steps to spiritual birth, just as a child is born after a process of conception. The believer’s birth is marked by faith, repentance, and baptism into Christ. This process mirrors the law of procreation in the spiritual realm.
6. God Adds to the Kingdom
   • Acts 2:47: The Lord adds to the church those who are being saved. This emphasizes the role of God in growing His Kingdom, just as the natural world operates under the law of propagation.
7. God Translates into His Kingdom
   • Colossians 1:13: God transfers believers from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Son, marking a dramatic change in the believer’s status and relationship with God.
8. Water and Spirit
   • John 3:5: A person must be born of both water (baptism) and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God, highlighting the necessary spiritual rebirth for full membership in the Kingdom.

This analogy of natural creation to spiritual creation underscores God’s order in both the physical and spiritual realms, showing the process of how the Kingdom of God is established, grown, and propagated through His Word, and how believers enter and grow within His spiritual family.