Spiritual Sowing
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Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he 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. And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:7-10.
SOWING AND REAPING
The moment God regenerates us, we receive His Spirit, yet the Scriptures repeatedly exhort us to walk in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). We desire a life led by the Spirit, yet the Spirit dwells in us already. This paradox stands, robust in complexities. But how does Scripture confront us in this paradox?
The seeds sown determine a harvest. Paul applies this natural principle to the spiritual realm. No one outwits God; we reap what we sow eternally (v.7). This eternal like-for-like, otherwise known as the law of great returns, serves to instruct us in how to live in step with the Spirit. It sobers us to the reality that our motives, thoughts, choices, and actions matter and encourages us when these efforts seem fruitless.
TO THE FLESH
To sow to the flesh is synonymous with gratifying its desires (5:18); self-love and pride decay and ultimately destroy our lives (v.8). Satiating our desires incurs sin, which inevitably proclaims death upon our own souls (James 1:14-15). When we assert and prize our own name, our own passions, our own interests, we plant seeds of unrighteousness. Do not be deceived! One cannot mock God by selfishly sowing unto his own desires and reap anything less than death in this life and the next (Proverbs 16:18).
But sowing to the flesh is frequently, successfully disguised. The issue is not so easily identified as often-transparent sins such as jealousy, anger, divisions, conceit, or gossip (Gal. 5:20, 26). Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount exposes a type of sowing that appears righteous but is fleshly in essence (Matthew 6:1). This false righteousness is birthed by the urge for attention. But Jesus reveals that those playing the hypocrite in order to be seen by others receive their momentary reward (v. 2,5,16). When we sow hypocrisy, we reap praise and acknowledgment that is corrupting, fading, transient, earthly. Insincerity even in godly pursuits leads us down a path of Pharisaical living that fails to attain reward of eternal value; our motives matter. Sowing false righteous seeds never produces a harvest life in the Spirit.
And we do have a choice in this. As John Stott says regarding this passage, “We are not the helpless victims of our nature, temperament, and environment.” We promote our righteousness before others while simultaneously playing the victim of a busy, exhausted schedule, when in reality we waste our time on social media, television, podcasts, online shopping, and phone apps before choosing to spend sincere time with God, in Whom we find life and rest. Whether it is false righteousness or blatant licentiousness, a covetous discontent heart or an envious divisive heart, idle laziness or selfish pursuits, whatever temptation comes, the eternal like-for-like remains; we reap what we sow.
TO THE SPIRIT
Inversely, to sow to the Spirit is to pursue life led by the Spirit (v.8). The Spirit enables spiritual growth and ultimately knowing God in Christ, which is eternal life (John 17:3). One cannot simply refrain from sowing to the flesh, for the flesh is at war with the Spirit. We must actively sow to the Spirit to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24). By this pursuit we keep in step with the Spirit and experience the life found in knowing God.
To pursue the Spirit is to set our minds on the things of the Spirit. The Spirit already dwells in us, but, by utilizing the mind, we reap life because of righteousness from the Spirit (Romans 8:5-11). Renewed minds discern the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God and righteous transformation occurs (Romans 12:2). Jesus himself speaks of the mind’s role in the Christian’s life. Just after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus depicts His ministry on earth: to suffer, face rejection and murder, and rise three days later. Peter immediately rejects and opposes this reality. But Jesus rebukes Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” He proceeds to correct the disciples along with the crowds in their understanding of eternal priorities (Matthew 16:22-23). So then, we must saturate our minds with God’s purposes, God’s will, and God’s righteousness: the eternal. Otherwise, we fall prey to the flesh and esteem the tainted ways of man.
Sowing to the Spirit helps us fight for an eternal perspective saturated in the Gospel and Jesus’ righteousness. Peter’s perspective was not yet shaped by the eternal. He failed to accept God’s will for his Son – the very Gospel itself. When we choose to read and pray alone and with our spouse, awaken early to commune with God, orient conversation around Christ, consume our thought-life with meditation on the Word, and conform our ambitions to God’s mission, we sow to and keep in step with the Spirit of Christ. By these disciplines, the Spirit stirs us to love and obey the Gospel, and ultimately reap the life and righteousness it brings. The eternal like-for-like remains; we reap what we sow.
DOING GOOD
Doing good directly proceeds from a proper, eternal mindset (v.10). Spiritual life experienced through knowing God and growing in righteousness produces an enduring faith that sows seeds of good works. The Spirit does not lead us to concern ourselves with personal prestige. Life in the Spirit is not for our own sake, but for the sake of serving others in love (Gal. 5:13). When God puts his Spirit in us, we become the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Salt to prevent fleshly corrosion in the world and light to shine spiritual vitality in utter darkness. The Gospel transforms us into a people concerned with salting and lighting the world with good deeds such as fighting racism, homelessness, mental illness, poverty, broken homes (in short – faithfulness, mercy, and justice). God did not simply save us out of this world but for this world, to walk in good works He prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10).
God uses us in this life. This glorious truth gives our ‘doing’ eternal purpose and value. We are promised an eternal harvest if we do not give up. So as God permits, we are to do good to those who cross our path, especially to our family in Christ (v.9-10). Paul encourages us not to grow weary, meaning, doing good is wearisome! Rather than satisfaction or fulfillment, we oftentimes feel meaningless, lost, and even defeat in our attempts. But we reject the eternal like-for-like when we opt out of serving the church and the lost because of repeated undesirable, discouraging outcomes. When our efforts seem vain or lack results, this law of returns promises a reaping in due season. So as we struggle in our efforts to fight for justice and preach the gospel for those around us, remember this promise! Whether the harvest is seen in this life or after death, we are promised a return. The eternal like-for-like remains; we reap what we sow.
CONCLUSION
This law of great returns keeps us humble, pleading for more of the Spirit of God, for He stirs us to both will and work for him (Philippians 2:13). A Spirit-led life cannot be reduced to a schedule full of programs, events, or meetings. It is a life with heavenly, eternal perspective, full of good deeds. God grants meaning to our sanctification and our good works, for in due season, we are promised a harvest. This pursuit is tiring and wearisome. It requires us to crucify our flesh and continually ask, seek, and knock at the gates of heaven. But this law is at the heart of our faith. Jesus condescended in love, sowing the Gospel into our hearts. And by His sowing, we reap eternal life, for His death was not in vain. The very battle between the Spirit and our flesh constantly reminds us that Jesus is the true harvester, Whose faithful sowing will grant us life in the coming age. This is the greatest eternal like-for-like, for the Gospel says that we as sinful man enter into another’s labor. We reap life from what Jesus sowed on the Cross.
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