The Inescapable Law of Sowing and Reaping

let's turn to Galatians chapter 6 Galatians chapter 6 this is one of those very important portions of Scripture that every believer should know in fact every non-believer should know it as well but it was written for us Galatians chapter 6 verses 7 through 10 I'll read it and then we'll take a look at it do not be deceived God is not mocked for whatever a man sews this he will also reap for the one who sews to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption but the one who sews 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 I've been reading a book called rocket men I enjoyed reading fact rather than fiction and rocket men is a relatively new book that describes the mission of Apollo 8 the first manned space mission that orbited the moon that was back in December of 1968 a couple of months before I came to Grace Church in February of 69 and a few months before Neil Armstrong actually walked on the moon it was a massive achievement to do what that mission did by the time the the rocket had sent the capsule out of Earth's gravitational field and it was orbiting around the earth it was a massive accomplishment just to do that but there was yet awaiting another even more amazing mission that orbiting capsule was going to be jettisoned out of that orbit toward the moon only to be drawn in by the moon's gravitational field to orbit the moon and then come back to earth when they hit the Jets and left the orbit around the earth the capsule reached the speed of 25,000 miles an hour the moon is moving at 2,300 miles an hour so going 25,000 miles an hour they had to hit a target moving 2,300 miles an hour get perfectly drawn into its magnetic field and begin to orbit everything had to be absolutely perfect it's really an astonishing feat to think about the fact that mathematicians and scientists could figure out exactly how to do that so that the mission was flawless and perfect they intersected with the moon moving 23 hundred miles an hour while the capsule was moving 25 thousand miles an hour at precisely the right moment were drawn into the moon's gravity and went around the moon 10 times and then left again to come back to earth that is all possible not only because of the scientific efforts of brilliant men but it is all possible because the entire universe operates on fixed laws nothing is random all of a sudden the moon doesn't speed up or slow down or gravity doesn't alter its force all that is predictable as the capsule catapults through space at 25,000 miles an hour is unchanging and ABB's saluté the reason they could do that and everything subsequent to that and anything else in the scientific world whether it's in that macrocosm or the microcosm is because everything in creation operates on fixed laws they are inviolable unalterable and absolute we know that we see that we live by that every part of our lives depend on things staying exactly the same things aren't randomly going off in some fashion that violates law I'm talking about physical law doesn't happen because the material universe is built on absolute laws that is why we can speak of creation as under the reign of law and just as there are physical laws and those laws are absolute and inviolable they are consistent they do not vary they control the order of creation from the smallest single cell to the moving catapulting planets and stars throughout the infinite universe just as there are laws that control all of that and they're absolute and unchanging so there are moral laws there are laws in the spiritual realm that are equally fixed and absolute to think otherwise is to contradict the nature of the creator and his creation and the Bible certainly affirms this axiomatic self-evident reality all human experience confirms with great force that the universe is run on absolute fixed laws and that God has structured into his universe physically and morally naturally and spiritually laws that operate inexorably that's what we're seeing in this brief text that I read to you here is a moral law here is one of God's absolute fixed principles it is stated at the end of verse 7 whatever a man sews this will he also reap now that is true agriculturally that is true in farming that is true in gardening that is true in planting anything you plant a seed you get the life that is contained in that seed that never ever changes that is true physically whatever you sow you reap but Paul is making the point here that that is true spiritually that reality in the material world is also an analogy that is to be understood in the spiritual world so I want us to look at this law and consider its importance the divine law stated the divine law stated in verse 7 do not be deceived God is not mocked for whatever a man sews this will he also reap don't be deceived don't think you can ignore God this law will never ever change principle that no one can deny not even a skeptic some passages in Scripture need no other proof than experience this is one of them that's why we say it's axiomatic in the context explicitly Paul has been saying to the Galatian believers and to all of us now that you are in Christ the Holy Spirit is in you and you are led by the Holy Spirit if you walk in the spirit you will realize the fruit of the Spirit verse 22 of chapter 5 love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control if you walk in the spirit that is what you will experience that's the fruit you plant walking in the spirit you harvest those virtues on the other hand back in verse 19 of that fifth chapter if in opposite to that you plant deeds of the flesh you will harvest immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery enmity strife jealousy outbursts of anger disputes dissensions factions envying drunkenness carousing and things like these now in this section that we're in in this wonderful book Paul is talking to us about how to live the Christian life in the first two chapters he defended his Apostleship as one who represented the Lord Jesus Christ and spoke for the Lord in the second two chapters chapters three and four he defended the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone apart from works and then in the final two chapters he's telling us how to live the Christian life and here is one of the essential principles of living the Christian life you have two options you can walk in the spirit and realize the fruit of the Spirit or you can walk in the flesh and realize the fruit of the flesh so he wants to warn us that whatever you plant is exactly what you will harvest so we look at verse seven and we read first of all do not be deceived that's a very important warning I would happen to I would have to say that most people including most Christians are somewhat deceived to one degree or another about the consequences of their sinful behaviors I think we tend to believe that because we're under grace and not law because we've been forgiven and that's forever because we cannot lose our salvation because God is so gracious he keeps on forgiving our sins because we haven't contributed to our salvation by our works we can't sustain our salvation by our works or lack thereof there's a certain impunity with which we can sin and so the Apostle Paul says don't deceive yourself he has been talking like this already in the book of Galatians back in Chapter three he wrote in verse one you foolish Galatians who has bewitched you in verse three says are you so foolish he has already addressed their foolishness their potential deceptive influence deceive is a is an interesting word it comes from plan not plan not from which we get the word planet derivatively plan now means to wander around to be led astray and that was the term used came through the Latin to the English to describe planets that were moving this means to wander away to be led astray that's what deception is in first corinthians 3:18 let no man deceive himself so not only can we be led astray and deceived by somebody else we're pretty good at deceiving ourselves and that's the essence of what this says do not be deceived you really don't need somebody else to be deceived because you have a deceptive component in you even as a believer you have the remaining sinful flesh and Jeremiah 17:9 says as we know the heart is deceitful above all things so you have within you a force for deceit Ovadia 3 the Prophet said the arrogance of your heart has deceived you your heart is arrogant your heart is self-protective self-promoting self-fulfilling self-aggrandizing self-defending pride is the primary sin selfishness so you have a selfish heart that will want to spin your life the best way it'll make you it'll want to make you feel the best about your situation and your behavior so your heart will deceive you as long as you're still in this world you have that deceptive heart in James chapter 1 verse 22 it says prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves you can deceive yourself coming and hearing the word and doing nothing about it thinking because you know the truth that's enough that is a self deception verse 26 of James 1 if you don't bridle your tongue you're deceiving your own heart and your religion is worthless self deceit is the problem for everybody for all of us and it tends to be that the deception kind of runs typically like this you're saved you're on the way to heaven that can't happen you're under grace the Lord will never let you go so there can't really be too serious consequences if I walk in the flesh it turns into a kind of license this self-deception you can add to that the fact that there is a deceiver in the world revelation 12:9 revelation 23 22 chapter verse 3 says Satan is the deceiver who deceives the whole world who deceives the nation's so you not only have an internal deceiver you have an external deceiver running loose in the world the potential for deception is very great listen to 1st Corinthians 6 9 and 10 do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor homosexuals nor thieves nor the covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God such were some of you but you were washed don't be deceived about who's a true believer you can be deceived about that you can be deceived by choosing bad friends listen to 1st Corinthians 15:33 do not be deceived bad company corrupts good morals don't kid yourself if you associate with bad company they corrupt your morals don't be deceived don't be deceived about the church listen to Romans 16:17 urge you brother and keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you have learned and turn away from them for such men are slaves not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting don't be deceived by troublemakers in the church those who tear up unity those who sow discord dissension trouble don't be deceived by false teachers seasons 4 don't be children tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine by those who come to deceive you and second Timothy 3:13 says deceivers will get worse and worse we have to live in a very protective way because there is the potential for deceit in us and there is the reality of deceit all outside us listen to seasons 5 6 let no one deceive you with empty words don't be partakers with them you have to know you have a propensity to be deceived that is why faithful pastoral ministry has to be biblical because the only way for you to be protected from deception is to know what it looks like and the scripture reveals that don't be deceived Paul is saying here in Galatians 6 don't be deceived that you can walk in the flesh and it'll be ok don't you don't want to be a legalist but on the other hand you're liable to go the other way and you say well look we weren't saved by law and you know we can't be perfected in the flesh Paul said that back in Galatians 3 3 you haven't begun in the spirit are you now perfected by the flesh so it's not about works it's not about works it's about the power of the Spirit so my works didn't contribute to my salvation they can't undo my salvation why do I have to worry this tends toward an anomie anism toward loose living in the name of grace don't be deceived God is not mocked you can't mock God God is not fooled that means or God is not ignored or God is not outwitted or you can't sneer at God you you cannot insult him you cannot violate his holy law and think you're gonna get away with it in Jude verse 17 beloved you ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ that they were saying to you in the last time there will be mockers following after their own ungodly lust we're in the last time we're in the the last times of the last time this is the latest that's ever been in human history and the world is full of mockers mocking God shaking their fist in the face of God as if he didn't exist sneering at God you can't mock God this is a culture that mocks God relentlessly God will not be sneered at you cannot mock God now having said that don't be deceived you're not going to be able to mock God here comes the law and this is his law whatever a man shows this you will also reap whatever a man shows this you will also reap that's so straightforward and true that it doesn't really need an explanation but we're gonna get one anyway because Paul wants us to understand do you have a choice as a believer you can walk in the spirit you can walk in the flesh don't think for a moment that you can walk in the flesh and not pay the consequence you can't mock God and get away with it I mean this is essential throughout scripture you have people like Nebuchadnezzar who mocked God back in Daniel and what happened to him he was turned into an animal you have Belshazzar in chapter 5 who mocked God and what happened to him devastating destruction of his entire kingdom God will not be mocked you have Romans chapter 1 where the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness they turned from the Creator to the creature Romans 1 describes a mockery of God and the wrath of God is released on men when they mock God the wrath in Romans is the wrath of turning them over to their sin the immorality homosexuality and a reprobate mind now understand this the wrath the wrath of God has a number of forms let's start with the final form eternal wrath God's eternal wrath is hell where all unbelievers will suffer punishment forever that's his eternal wrath the Bible also talks about eschatological wrath that's the wrath at the end of human history that's wrath described by the prophets and described by our Lord in the Olivet discourse at the end of his ministry in Jerusalem and it's described particularly in the book of Revelation there is coming horrendous wrath from God on the earth so there's eternal wrath and eschatological wrath there's also cataclysmic wrath cataclysmic wrath is what we what we see in natural disasters and plagues and all of those kinds of things through human history where in some cases in the past millions of people died from a plague and in the modern time tens of thousands die in a tsunami and some died in a hurricane whatever it is the world the fallen world the cursed world is subject to these cataclysmic events which are a form of divine wrath but eschatological wrath is a period of time in the future eternal wrath is after time has ended and cataclysmic death kind of comes and goes at points in time and place there is another kind of wrath that's operating all the time it's just going on all the time it's cyclical it's always in place and it's sowing and reaping wrath what you sow you reap and it just never stops it is happening all the time whatever a man says this he will also reap whenever he sews that's when he will set in motion the wrath of God this is a divine principle if you think you can violate it you're mocking God there was a commercial years ago that sort of recognized this in the commercial they said it's not nice to mess with mother nature some of you might remember that old commercial that was a recognition on a sort of pagan level of the fact that you can't mock God man's atheistic identification is a mockery of God and you can't do that without consequences but it's not just a theory jecht his son are mocking God or people who have received his son but think they can sin with impunity that's mocking God and that gets it down to us this law is laid out all through scripture listen to job 4:8 those who plow iniquity so trouble and harvest it those who plow iniquities so trouble and harvest it proverbs 131 they shall eat of the fruit of their own way same principle proverbs 1118 the wicked earns deceptive wages he who sews righteousness earns a true reward or Hosea eight seven they who sowed the wind reap the whirlwind in Hosea the tenth chapter a couple of verses I'll read to you verses 12 and 13 so with a view to righteousness reap in accordance with kindness break up your fallow ground it is time to seek the Lord until he comes to rain righteousness on you know that's an agricultural scene sowing breaking up the ground the rain and the result is righteousness on the other hand the Prophet says you have plowed wickedness you have reaped in justice or unrighteousness so this is a biblical principle it's it's in those places in many other places the harvest is determined by the planting like begets like if you want wheat you don't plant strawberries the law is true it's true in a moral sense the fruit of a life is determined by what that life has planted a man's character and condition is the harvest of his habits think about a child foolishly indulged and encouraged to think only of its own whims and its own wishes in its own way and it may be cute but the obstinate stubborn sullen self-centered undisciplined adult reaps the whirlwind one English writer put the law in its moral sense in these words what strikes me more and more each day is the permanence of one's early life the identity between youth and manhood every habit good bad of those early years seems to have permanently affected my whole life the battle is largely won or lost before it seems to begin end quote Oh death that's what the Bible had in mind in proverbs 22:6 train up a child in the way he should go and when he was old he's not going to depart from it this is an inexorable law that works in life witness for example the absolute frustration and hopelessness of psychiatry and psychology to put people together why because of this law the only way that you can get out of the bondage of this law is to become a believer and to be transformed and even then the law still operates but for non-believers they can only so sin and they can only reap corruption so what does psychology or psychiatry do to fix that nothing nothing this is the operating form of divine wrath that is in escapable for anyone without the knowledge of God through Christ only the divine miracle of the new birth and regeneration can get you out of that total bondage and you still have to be aware that you are subject to deception subject to walking in the flesh and reaping what the flesh shows in numbers 32:23 it says this be sure your sins will find you out be sure your sins will find you out that's sowing and reaping or some ninety verse eight have you speaking to God you have placed our sins before you our secret sins in the light of your presence you didn't fool God you may have mocked him but you didn't fool him you didn't hide anything Isaiah 3:11 woe to the wicked it will go badly for him for what he deserves will be done to him Isaiah 59 12 our sins testify against us Romans 2:9 there will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil you do evil you're going to get tribulation and distress so the law of God is unchanging immutable and relentless as God's nature is unchanging and relentless you cannot escape it it is a form of operating wrath built into the world you said well wait a minute well what about forgiveness am I not forgiven yes what about grace do I not receive grace yes what about mercy have I not received mercy yes yes God at the point of salvation intercepts that fully operating law intersects and gives new life so that now you have the capacity since being freed from that law to do what honors God to walk in the spirit by the miracle of redemption you can now reap what Christ has sown yet in your daily life that principle still operates if you walk in the flesh you'll harvest the flesh if you walk in the spirit you'll harvest the spirit think about it on the material sense salvation doesn't prevent people who drink and smoke and harm their bodies from getting sick or getting cancer a Christian who gets in a fight maybe a Christian but it's not going to prevent him from having his teeth knocked out if you drive recklessly and go off the road have an accident the fact that you're a Christian isn't going to protect you from the fact that you so dear responsibility and you ended up with the results if you're a Christian and you sin immorally with another person that's not going to necessarily protect you from venereal disease look the Greeks even saw this law they didn't attribute it to God but the Greeks invented a God by the name of nemesis and nemesis they believed was the God who watched everybody's behavior and when a person did a wrong deed immediately nemesis took off after that person this God got on the trail of the wrongdoer and sooner or later the Greeks said nemesis would catch up and pay vengeance this is the pagan Greek culture recognizing that there are moral laws in the world that work they attributed them to nemesis when they should have been attributed to God and though we are forgiven and though we are headed for heaven as long as we're in this world living in this world here and now this law is still operative what you sow you will reap this is David man after God's own heart wrote all those beautiful Psalms a true worshipper whose life is marked by outrageous sin and always the consequences always the consequences the eternal consequences have been settled the temporal ones have not so that is the law stated verse eight the laws explained for the one who sews to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption but the one who sews to the Spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life so as to his own flesh the act of choosing to gratify the cravings of your fallen flesh flesh is always the starting point for sin James 1 verse 14 each one is tempted when he's 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 do not be deceived my beloved brother and James is writing to believers my beloved brethren don't be deceived when you start with lust and it gives birth to sin it can bring forth death this is the harvest of the flesh so to the flesh and from the flesh you will reap corruption it's a word that means decay disintegration degeneration or even the ultimate corruption which is death if the flesh is indulged as we saw in verses 19 to 21 the fruit is corrupt immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery enmity strife jealousy outbursts of anger disputes dissensions factions envying drunkenness carousing those are only samples to sow is simply to pander to the flesh John Stott wrote every time we allow our mind to Harbor a grudge nurse a grievance entertain an impure see or wallow in self-pity we are sowing to the flesh every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying every time we read pornographic literature every time we take a risk that strains our self-control we are sowing sowing sowing to the flesh some Christians sow to the flesh seemingly every day and wonder why they don't reap a harvest of holiness or usefulness let me make it simple holiness is a harvest holiness is a harvest of sowing to the spirit not the flesh so to the flesh you harvest corruption in the case of the believer this corruption is simply the corruption of your Christian experience the loss of peace the loss of joy the the loss of worship service usefulness the world knows this they get it years ago I read about Oscar Wilde who was a homosexual but kept it hidden and eventually his life was a total disaster and he wrote I had forgotten that what a man does in secret he will one day shot from the hostile I was fascinated by poetry as a young man I read the poetry of Lord Byron who his whole life sowed to the flesh and he knew what the harvest was when he wrote these words my days are in the yellow leaf my soul is sore with sullen grief it is as if the dead could feel the icy worm around them steel and shudder as the reptiles creep to revel or their rotting sleep this is the despair of one who sowed to the flesh it's how the world lives and really in a sense that's all they can do but as believers why would we do that do we think we can mock god are we deceived no you sow to the flesh it's inexorable it's a law it's an operative principle you sow to the flesh you're gonna end up with corruption in your life so to the spirit that's gonna produce I love this eternal life the one who sews to the Spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life what do you mean will from the spirit reap eternal life don't we already have eternal life well we possess eternal life yes we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we've been given eternal life this isn't talking about future heaven we have that secured that's already ours what do you mean reap eternal life we're talking about here and now right this is where this law operates this law isn't operating in heaven this law operates here and now and whatever it meant when you sow to the flesh it means when you sow to the spirit and since that's here in this world and since the results are showing up here in this world this is also here in this world and the results will show up in this world well what do you mean we're going to reap eternal life what what Paul means is we're going to reap the full blessings contained in that life which is already ours in Christ and what are those blessings love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control other blessings the Christian who sews to the spirit reaps the full blessing the plenitude all the satisfactions all the joys of eternal life enjoying peace joy love patience goodness kindness being conformed to Christ so the law is explained thirdly the divine law having been stated and explained is now fulfilled in verse nine let us not lose heart in doing good for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary at this point some of the Galatians and maybe some of you are thinking hmm I've been sowing a lot of good things I've been walking the spirit when does the harvest come that's what this verse is addressing let us not lose heart in doing good because you can be pouring your life into walking in the spirit and wondering why things are difficult in your life don't lose heart in doing good in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary do time is God's time in God's season Christians frequently act like children with reference to this harvest they want to sow and reap the same day so some of the spirit filled believers are saying I'm sowing the sowing is hard and I'm getting tired and I don't know if I'm seeing what I expected to see this is for you do not lose heart do not grow weary and do not lose heart comes from inca cow cacao is to sin don't sin by becoming discouraged and entertaining fleshly discouragement don't lose heart is a term used sometimes by a farmer who begins to slacken because he gets we're ease worn out he's fatigued don't do that the end of 1st Corinthians fifteen Apostle Paul says my beloved brother be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your toil is not in vain in the Lord keep doing it abounding in the work of the Lord knowing your toil is not in vain God will bring the harvest no place for weariness no place for spiritual laziness God has been faithful to us we need to be faithful to sow the seeds of righteousness don't lose heart in doing good doing call us real good outward manifest good this is the result of the fruit of the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit is attitude love joy peace those are all attitudes and they result in actions good action keep it up don't grow tired don't grow lazy don't turn away be like Christ Hebrews chapter 12 even though it was a hard road he never grew weary but moved ahead because he saw the prize that was set before him reward will come back to verse 9 in due time in due time God's time God's season and you will reap if you don't grow weary reminds me of the letter to the churches in Revelation about not growing weary there's a full harvest if you're faithful don't turn away continue abounding in the work of the Lord second john 8 says watch yourselves that you do not lose what we have accomplished but that you may receive a full reward that's talking about heaven keep moving God will give you a harvest here and now and a reward in the future finally the principle has been stated and explained and its fulfillment promised finally the divine law is applied in verse 10 so then or therefore while we have opportunity let me stop on the word opportunity when we see the word opportunity at sign it kind of feels like a moment in time kind of feels like an event I had the opportunity we use it that way in our speech but the Greek word here Kairos is not referring to a moment in time or an event or an intersection of circumstances it Kairos means a season a period an era even an age rather than cronniss which is clock time minutes and hours so while we are in this season what season the season between our salvation and our glorification okay while we're in this season this fixed time this fixed time let us do good to all people that's where we start do good the good literally in the in the Greek the good the good he has spoken of love joy peace all those things all that is virtuous all that is noble all that is honorable and the whole New Testament is full of verses that call us to this Living goodness first Peter 2:15 such as the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men Matthew 5:16 let your light so shine before me that they may see your good works glorify your father who is in heaven the New Testament is full of calls on us to do good to silence the critics to manifest the transformation that Christ has wrought in our lives to be lights in the world this is the heart of our Christian testimony so while we are in this season of life let us do good to all people let us be known by our goodness known by our goodness in Titus 2:7 show yourself an example of good deeds with purity and doctrine dignified sound in speech which is beyond reproach so that the opponent will be put to shame having nothing bad to say about us or verse 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession zealous for good deeds down chapter 3 verse 8 be careful to engage in good deeds these things are good and profitable for men verse 14 our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs so that they will not be unfruitful this is the heart of our testimony - so righteousness - so in the spirit - so good deeds especially he closes in verse 10 - those who are of the household of faith of the faith the Christian faith especially believers especially fellow believers we should do nothing but good to one another nothing but good never anything but good so then seasons 2:19 you're no longer strangers and aliens your fellow citizens with the Saints and you're of god's household you're part of his family from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name you're God's family you need to show good to the family so the call is clear there's a law operating in the world you can't get around it you can't avoid it it works the whole universe is built on loss physical and moral God's moral law is summed up in least in this aspect what you sow you reap that ought to be the motivation for living your life walking in the spirit that you might reap the fruit of the Spirit again I say you sow in the spirit you reap holiness holiness is the harvest of righteous sowing

Channel: Grace to You

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Keywords: John MacArthur, Bible, Preaching, Christianity, Expository, Exposition, Sermon, Jesus, Christ

Id: umDke2j3J18

Length: 52min 6sec (3126 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 22 2018