God Cannot Be Mocked
Theme: We reap what we sow.
Text: Galatians 6:6-10
Here's a thought: Charles Stanley's grandfather taught, “Obey God and leave all the consequences to him.”
Sir Robert Watson Watt (1892–1973) invented and developed radar, RA(dio) D(etection) A(nd) R(anging). On one occasion, late in life, Watson-Watt reportedly was pulled over in Canada for speeding by a radar-gun-toting policeman. His remark was, “Had I known what you were going to do with it I would never have invented it!” He wrote an ironic poem called “Rough Justice” (https://watsonwatt.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/rough-justice-poem-by-watson-watt) afterwards:
Pity Sir Robert Watson-Watt, strange target of this radar plot,
And thus, with others I can mention, the victim of his own invention.
His magical all-seeing eye enabled cloud-bound planes to fly,
but now by some ironic twist, it spots the speeding motorist and bites,
no doubt with legal wit, the hand that once created it!
Whether we are talking about our inventions or our investments of time, energy and money, we reap what we sow.
The Apostle Paul teaches in Galatians 6:6-10:
6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. NIV
We can sow to:
Our Sinful Nature
or
God's Holy Spirit
We can sow to:
Our Sinful Nature
What is our sinful nature? The Greek word translated as “sinful nature” is “sarx.” It can also be translated as flesh. Jesus and Paul commonly use the term as a metaphor for sinful man's nature, sometimes also described as “carnal.” The sinful nature was born when Adam and Eve yielded to the serpent’s or Satan’s temptation to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. They headed down the road of independence, charting their way in life. Unfortunately, this path apart from God leads to sin and death.
We tend to think of death only in physical terms, but it encompasses not just our bodies but our souls and spirits. When we choose our way over God’s way, we sow to please our sinful nature. We choose the carnal or fleshly route that leads to death and destruction. We turn our noses up at God and turn them to what we think is a better way to go. Sin is trusting our judgment more than our Creator’s judgment. Our sinful natures thrive and grow on a diet of pride and rebellion.
When we sow to please our sinful nature, we choose our immediate gratification over God’s eternal results and rewards. We don't consider the consequences of living to please our stomachs and five physical senses. We are living for the moment. We aren’t planning ahead or thinking down the road.
Brenda and I drilled bladder preparedness into our young children before we left on road trips. This road sign illustrates our lack of foresight:
We sow seeds for ourselves or the Lord as we go through each day. As we make these small daily decisions, they begin to build momentum in us over time. A freight train can be parked or tied down when not in motion, but it becomes much more challenging to stop when travelling at full speed. So too, the sinful nature can pick up speed and get out of control.
We might think of more noticeable manifestations when we think about the sinful nature. It’s easy to feel self-righteous if we have not committed adultery or murder. Unfortunately, we are so broken and corrupted that not just our words and actions reflect these tendencies, but our attitudes reveal them in subtle ways. We can try to justify and rationalize, but God knows our motives. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10).
The English preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) concluded, “God never permits His people to sin successfully.”
The Apostle Paul had a strict religious background as a Jewish Pharisee. It wasn’t until he encountered Jesus Christ in a life-changing way that he realized he was the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:5). When we sow to please the sinful nature, we reap attitudes, words and actions that harm others and ourselves. The result is not eternal life but eternal death.
Paul explains in Galatians 5:19-21:
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. NIV
Paul did not intend this list to be exhaustive but to include examples demonstrating how pervasive and influential our sinful nature is. When we neglect or reject the Holy Spirit, we default to feeding the sinful nature. These momentary or monumental decisions destroy us and the people we influence.
We all receive instruction. The question is not if we receive instruction, but it is where and from whom we receive it. We can learn from anyone, but we cannot let everyone sit in our front row of influencers. We must be selective and wise as we determine who and what influences us the most.
Jesus explains in Matthew 11:19b, “But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” NIV
We might enjoy a particular leader, writer, speaker, preacher, entrepreneur, politician, talk show host, podcaster or celebrity, but what is their personal life like? This matters because how we live is shaped by what we believe. We might be intelligent and successful by the world’s standards, but the core of who we are is what ultimately matters. We can say and do public things that impress people, but our hearts ultimately determine our direction.
Who influences our minds and our hearts? We reap what we sow with our instructors.
What habits mark our daily lives? We reap what we sow with our priorities and patterns.
We can sow to:
Our Sinful Nature
or
God's Holy Spirit
What do we think of when people discuss fellowship, koinonia or communion? We often think of a friendly visit over a coffee and a cookie, but it is much more than that. Paul uses the Greek word koinoneo, the verb form of the noun koinonia, here in Galatians 6:6 when he teaches us that anyone who receives instruction in the word must share (koinoneo) all good things with his instructor.
The Moody Bible Commentary explains:
As Paul said elsewhere (1 Corinthians 9:3-14 and 1 Timothy 5:17-18), the one who teaches has the right to economic support. Paul often used the share word group (koinoneo, koinonia) to refer to economic partnership (Romans 12:13, 15:27, 2 Corinthians 9:13, Philippians 4:15 and 1 Timothy 6:18). The people of God have an obligation to provide adequate
remuneration for those who dedicate their lives to the ministry of the Word of God.
Teaching the Bible or the Word of God requires a combination of inspiration and perspiration. The presentation is only the tip of the iceberg. Under the water’s surface is prayer and preparation. Sowing to God’s Spirit includes sharing with those who teach God’s word.
The phrase “sowing and reaping” appears throughout the Bible, reminding us that actions have causes and consequences. The law of sowing and reaping is like the law of gravity. The power of neither law can be denied.
The Chinese proverb is true, “Man who jumps off cliff jump to conclusion.”
To ignore this cause-effect relationship is to mock God. Only two paths exist: flesh/corruption and Spirit/eternal life.
Paul explains in Galatians 5:16-18:
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. NIV
When Paul wrote his letter to the church in Galatia, he was aware of the Judaizers and their legalistic influence. These teachers could not wrap their heads around the idea of salvation by grace through faith. Instead, they clung stubbornly to the notion that we must attain favour with God by adhering to the law. When the Spirit leads us, we will achieve a higher standard than the outward observance of the law. As we walk in the Spirit, He grows His qualities in us and demonstrates His virtues through us. When we sow to please the Spirit, we reap virtues that result in eternal life.
Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-25:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. NIV
Life in the Spirit is about who we are and what we do. Walking with the Holy Spirit daily will change us and what we accomplish. Since God is good (Psalm 34:8), His goodness will show through us as we abide in Him. We can turn the tap of His goodness on or off as we interact with others. We can choose to continue and persevere or to grow weary and give up doing good to others. While we can make these choices, we have no control over when the results appear or when the harvest is ready. We do what we can do and leave the rest
to the Holy Spirit.
Charles Stanley's grandfather taught, “Obey God and leave all the consequences to him.”
Where do we start? Jesus taught His disciples in John 13:34-35:
34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. NIV
Charity begins at home. In this case, caring for others begins in the household of faith. It was not easy for followers of Jesus and the church 2,000 years ago. They faced pressure and persecution, so they needed to stick together. They knew their enemies were out to steal, kill and destroy. They saw that the most vulnerable were those who did not seek or receive support from their brothers and sisters in Christ. The same is certainly true today! While good should be done to all, Paul placed a higher priority on generously meeting the needs of other believers. While we must pay attention to social justice causes, priority must be given to caring for those in the body of Christ.
Joe Martin writes (“The Story of Your Life: The Power of Sowing and Reaping” at https://learningthewayofwisdom.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/the-story-of-your-life-the-power-of-sowing-and-reaping):
One seed of corn can produce an ear of corn that produces 800 kernels on average. Imagine the amount of kernels that result from an entire field filled with corn seed. Now, imagine how each one of your thoughts and actions can quickly affect your habits, your character, your lifestyle, and even your destiny as you plant your “seeds” over the days, months, years, and even decades. Every Christian has opportunities to do good or to do bad. One action can lead to a lot of other actions, good or bad, intended or not intended. Every action we take in our lives is followed by another action (consequence). It’s the domino effect: one action will tip the first domino that sets in motion the fall of a multitude of other dominos.
Will you choose to live today with and for the Spirit? How about every day after today? Will you obey Him and seize the opportunities He places before you?
We can sow to:
Our Sinful Nature
or
God's Holy Spirit
We reap what we sow
