"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Galatians 6:7-10)These words ought to be as red flashing lights before our eyes, warning us of impending danger if we proceed past them unawares. While we are no longer under the law, we are, nonetheless, still subject to the consequences of our actions. Our actions may not render us as unrighteous and subject to the eternal judgment of God, but that does not mean that they have no effect on our lives. James speaks of the progression of sin."Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his 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) If we continue in sin, yielding to the lusts of the flesh, then we will continue to experience the work of death in our lives and our relationships. I knew a Christian man who, one day, started drinking with his friends, which lead to him doing drugs, which lead to him abusing his children, which lead him to jail, and which lead to a restraining order against him seeing his family. All this in the span of about six months. It only took six months for the process of sin in his life to steal away from him all that he cared about. He was still a Christian man, but his actions had cost him everything he loved. Be not deceived! This could be the story of any one of us if we continue to sow to the flesh and live a life of sin,
Sowing and reaping is an immutable law of God. If we sow to the flesh we will reap death but if we sow to the Spirit we will reap life and life eternal. However, one of the greatest challenges in sowing and reaping is the waiting between the two. Sometimes much time must pass between sowing and the eventual reaping. The promises of God, even the promise of reaping, are received by faith, but sometimes faith alone is insufficient to received the things of God. Sometimes we must add patience to our faith. The writer of Hebrews says, "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:11-12) It is easy to become weary in sowing when we do not see the immediate fruit of our labors. Sometimes we must sow while we wait for the harvest. What is worse is that, sometimes, in the midst of sowing good seed, we still have to deal with the bad fruit of the seeds we had previously sown. Often we are in the situation where we are called to sow good seed and pull up the bad weeds while we wait for the promised fruit of the harvest. However, if we do not give up or grow weary, we will reap in due time. This too is a fixed promise from God.
So how does one sow to the Spirit? By capitalizing upon the opportunities to do good to others. By walking circumspectly, aware of the world around us, looking for those opportunities to bless and do good to others. Paul says, "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) Not only has God created us for good works, but He has already planned them for our lives. God has gone before us, laying out good works for our doing. All we must do is to recognize them and yield our lives to their opportunity. It is through these good works, by doing good to others, that we sow to the Spirit and reap for ourselves eternal life. Let us start looking outward, looking for those things that God has planned for us, and find the life of service and doing good that God has called us to.,
David Robison
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